After premiering at Cannes Film Festival and then the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF), Club Kid had a sold-out showing at this year's Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF). The film follows Peter, a New York City club promoter who may or may not have a drug problem, and finds out after a decade of working in the underground club scene that he has a 10-year-old son named Arlo, who is thrust into his life after a friend of his recently deceased mother drops him off at his apartment.
While this film does sound familiar to other films such as Big Daddy or Uptown Girls, where a sad, immature adult is forced to raise a child through a slurry of hijinks and sentimental moments, Club Kid subverts that genre. Does this film have both comedic and heartfelt moments? Yes. However, in each scene, we see Peter's relationship with Arlo grow while also witnessing the real progression of someone finding purpose.
At the beginning, Peter is shown as a queer, carefree man who doesn't need to take responsibility for anything beyond himself, although he barely seems able to. But once he learns about Arlo, his whole world changes. After the initial freak-out, Peter steps up and does what he believes he needs to do for Arlo: feed him, house him and read to him. On the surface, raising his son seems easy and purposeful until he faces the reality of his situation.
Jordan Firstman delivers a spectacular performance, portraying Peter in a beautifully authentic way, drawn from genuine experience. Peter is an excellent representation of queerness, which also comes through the film's many characters and themes. Firstman comments on many issues queer individuals may face in the film, such as party culture, drug abuse and self-identity. However, as tough as these subjects are, the film also celebrates queer culture. The use of music, language, humour, and cameos from many queer celebrities showcases Firstman's love for “Club Kid” culture, a subculture formed in 1980s New York as a form of protest against mainstream purist pop culture. The music is almost a character in its own right.
The film blends house music with its original soundtrack, and the music serves not only to convey emotions and themes, but also to bring Peter and Arlo together. Without the love of music, these characters would never have met; their progression and growth would never have existed. The music also showcases queer joy, as the soundtrack features many songs by queer artists such as Slayyter, Ethel Cain and Arthur Russell.
Another noteworthy aspect of the film is the writing; more specifically, the humour is extremely playful. In the past, films that tackle the classic “sad man is forced to raise a precocious kid” trope often focus their humour on the protagonist's lack of skills in raising a child. However, Club Kid subverts this trope not by pointing out Peter's obvious flaws, but by making fun of aspects of the “club culture” he surrounds himself with. The film pokes fun at aspects of the culture such as silly names for substances, the outlandish aura of modern DJs, and more specifically, the types of people one might find in queer nightlife.
However, even with its witty, outlandish characters, the film doesn't stray from its central heart: personal growth. What makes this film so special is watching Peter go through the motions of becoming a father and, more importantly, becoming a person who can hold themselves up and move through life with confidence.
Overall, that central theme is what makes this film both playful and heartbreaking. Club Kid takes its audience on a journey of self-growth, queerness, and pure joy. If you missed the screening at CIFF, don’t worry; it's coming to theatres on November 13th.
