Sometimes queer parenthood is the most intentional thing in the world. Other times, it’s a surprise—as in Club Kid, a new film about a gay party promoter who must suddenly care for the 10-year-old son he never knew he had. Watch a trailer here.
Club Kid is the debut from writer-director Jordan Firstman, who also stars in the film as Peter Green, a promoter who is confronting the viability of his hard-partying life as he grows older. The need to do so is brought into sharp focus when a woman arrives at his apartment with a boy named Arlo in tow. She explains that Arlo’s mother, a friend of hers, recently died by suicide. Peter, despite being gay, is the boy’s father, having conceived him 10 years ago during a drug-fueled haze and a three-way hookup.
Cara Delevingne plays Peter’s business partner, Sophie; Diego Calva is the boy’s social worker and Green’s burgeoning love interest; and Eldar Isgandarov offers some comic relief as Nicky, Peter’s philosophical Azerbaijani roommate. Reggie Absolom does a terrific job as Arlo, sweet, wise, and believable.
Yes, the basic idea is similar to 2008’s Breakfast With Scot (see my interview with director Laurie Lynd), about two gay men who find their lives transformed when circumstances plop a kid on their doorstep, but the specifics vary greatly, as does the tone. Breakfast With Scot is a family film; Club Kid most definitely is not. That’s no judgment, just an observation.
Club Kid offers a message about redemption and second chances, but avoids feeling clichéd, instead giving us a surprisingly moving but not saccharine look at personal growth, chosen family, and community. It’s already getting rave reviews and has won accolades at several film festivals, including the Audience Award and Breakthrough Director Award at the Chicago Film Festival.
Club Kid premiered in select U.S. theaters last Friday and will open nationwide on Thanksgiving. Find showtimes at A24 Films.