Three years ago, I had a fun zoom chat with Jordan Firstman about his role in Sebastián Silva’s wacky, meta-cine-mindfuck, Rotting in the Sun, which was about to be released into theaters. In the boldly sexual film, he played a version of his then-Influencer-self. Silva’s treatment of Firstman was rather scathing, but the newbie actor took it in stride. I was actually taken aback—in a good way—with his candor and self-effacing, introspective nature.
At the end of the interview, when asked what he was working on, he replied, “I’m writing a movie that deals a lot with the drugs and the sex and the parties, kind of trying to examine that in a deeper way. It has a really surprisingly earnest story…it’s been sweet to write and I’m finding some softer parts of myself in writing it.”
I’m guessing the idea for his feature debut, Club Kid, was what he was referring to. And after all the Cannes hoopla back in May, I was apprehensively looking forward to seeing the movie he wrote, directed and was starring in. What I never imagined was that I would be so fully drawn into the narrative and so moved (to tears, a shocker for me) in the final quarter.
The film opens in a deliberately disquieting manner as we follow drug-dealer, club party planner Peter (Firstman) into the bowels of the high-spirited, cacophonous den of iniquity known as Club Labor, along with his gaggle of queer fam (which include Saturn Risin9, Miss Benny, Alaska Riley). You can just hear Bill Hader’s flamboyant SNL character Stefon announcing, ‘New York’s hottest club is…Club Labor! The place has everything…’ And Peter does everything (drug-wise) and, often, everyone much to the angst of his business partner Sophie (a fab Cara Delevingne), who is usually snorting coke herself.
Ten years later, he is older, poorer but still getting fucked up every night (and sometimes fucked), but when he shows up to an important lunch meeting hungover and barely able to stand, Sophie has had enough and dissolves their partnership.
Then, out of nowhere and before you can say Baby Boom, a crazy British woman named Edison (Kirby Howell-Baptiste, having an over-the-top blast) shows up with a 10-year-old boy, Arlo (amazing newcomer, Reggie Absalom a natural), insisting that he’s Peter’s son. And she has the paperwork to prove it. Dead mom is someone Peter had a menage with in a dark room 10 years earlier—although he initially does not remember the experience.
Suffice to say, Peter is a tentative and scared father and, at first, doesn’t agree to take the kid. But after Edison basically leaves him there to go out and party her arse off, he begins to accept the idea of being a dad and the two embark on a strange but palpable relationship. It’s impossible not to instantly adore Arlo thanks to Absalom’s winning performance.
Along the way Peter crushes on Arlo’s social worker psychologist Oscar (Diego Calva), and after a few “dates” where they resist temptation, they begin a relationship.
That’s all I’ll say about the plot except: bring some tissues.
Triple-threat Firstman deftly directs in grainy 35mm (although perhaps he and his terrific cameraman Adam Newport-Berra are a bit too fond of darkness). His shy but attention-seeking performance is an absolute delight. But it’s the smart and clever, yet poignant and touching, screenplay that gets the highest marks.
And Firstman knows how to cast his film putting together a crackerjack ensemble with rich work from all the above mentioned as well as scene-stealers Eldar Isgandarov and Colleen Camp (yes, the USO gal from Apocalypse Now) as the most unlikely Harold and Maude-ish couple.
Firstman resists the temptation to give his film a Hollywood-style ending, instead opting for something a bit more realistic, but still potent.
Club Kid, much to my shock and delight, is one of the year’s best, most stirring films. It’s also an unabashed celebration of queerness. And Firstman might just be on his way to an Oscar nomination for Original Screenplay.
The film is part of this year’s New York Film Festival Main Slate.
A24 will release Club Kid in limited theatrical release in the United States on November 6, 2026.
