Club Kid (2026)

Jordan Firstman, known for his razor‑sharp queer comedy on shows like Search Party, makes a bold directorial debut with Club Kid. The A24‑backed romp trades broad‑stroke family comedies for a sharply funny, feel‑good story that never veers into saccharine sentiment, positioning itself as a love letter to the mess‑ups we all know. The film follows Peter Green (Firstman), a thirty‑something Manhattan party promoter whose decade‑long habit of hard drugs, late‑night hookups, and side‑selling coke and ketamine finally catches up with him. When ten‑year‑old Arlo (Reggie Absolom) – his son from a forgotten threesome – shows up, Peter’s world tilts. With a surly roommate Nicky (Eldar Isgandarov), a demanding business partner played by Cara Delevingne, and a flamboyant British party‑girl Edison (Kirby Howell‑Baptiste) adding chaos, Peter must navigate fatherhood, a budding romance with therapist Diego Calva, and the magnetic pull of the club scene, all while bonding with Arlo over music and the city’s gritty charm. Visually, Club Kid captures New York with a raw intimacy that feels fresh at NYFF. Cinematographer Adam Newport‑Berra shoots on 35mm, letting the grainy texture soak the neon‑purple club interiors, the frantic strobe‑light chase for a missing Arlo, and quieter moments like flipping through vinyl bins or hauling a piano up a cramped stairwell. The handheld camera shifts from exuberant sway to panicked jitter, mirroring Peter’s descent and eventual steadiness. Beyond its kinetic party set‑pieces, the film shines with a cast that brings both humor and heart: a beguiling trans DJ Saffron (Saturn Risin9) and the ever‑snarky Peter, who finally lets vulnerability slip through his jokes. Club Kid is a comedy for the misfits, a queer‑forward, neon‑lit coming‑of‑age tale that proves even the most chaotic lives can find a rhythm when a child’s eyes show a different future.