Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Nuanced queer drama has drugs, sexual situations, swearing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Club Kid
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In CLUB KID, Manhattan party promoter Peter Grant (Jordan Firstman) has spent a decade supplying drugs and decadent revelry to the queer club scene, often with the help of his business partner, Sophie (Cara Delevingne). When a 10-year-old boy named Arlo (Reggie Absolom) is dropped off at Peter's apartment following the death of the boy's mother, Peter abruptly discovers he's a father. He's wary of whether he has the time, interest, or wherewithal to be a parent. But as Peter and Arlo get acquainted, he starts to understand how important it is to Arlo to have his father is in his life—and, eventually, he discovers that Arlo is the meaning he's been searching for.
Is It Any Good?
Writer/director/star Firstman's feature debut is audacious in the best way. Club Kid doesn't hold back or worry about judgment; it simply presents a world that Firstman knows well: New York's club scene, where queer people and allies are safe being themselves. And it's cinematically revelatory. Peter and his friends are funny, but not in the ways that gay characters have often been depicted in other movies, as if their gayness was the punchline. Rather, the humor in this drama comes from the characters' witty observations and zippy comebacks. If Will & Grace can be credited with helping introduce gay people as happy, funny friends to straight people, Club Kid is loud and proud about depicting queer characters as happy, funny friends to each other. They're loving and accepting—and they sure are doing a lot of drugs, too.
Why these characters do drugs isn't for Club Kid to decide, but viewers do get insight into why Peter, specifically, finds substance abuse irresistible: He's not comfortable with himself. When he makes the devastating admission of how he sees himself as nothing special—"I'm like any other f--got in New York: Damaged goods"—viewers' insides are likely to crunch in compassionate anguish. But as he gets to know Arlo, Peter begins to find that he is something special, and he has so much more to give than a bump of good product. And that's a high no drug can deliver. Peter is complex and layered, and yet, at a basic level, all he wants is to love and be loved. It's definitely not for young viewers, but Club Kid is a wildly beautiful, deeply human film that's both heart-swelling and heartbreakingly real.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Club Kid depicts partying. Does it glamorize drug use? What are examples of consequences that characters face? How does the adult characters' drug use affect Arlo's life?
How does the movie portray queer characters? Do they feel authentic or like stereotypes? How have queer representations changed over the years, and why is it important to show positive, complex representations of historically marginalized groups?
Does Peter demonstrate good communication skills? What words and phrases does he use to get Arlo to open up and feel comfortable?
Why is it important to have a purpose in life? Do you think having a family gives you a purpose?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 6, 2026
- Cast : Jordan Firstman , Kirby Howell-Baptiste , Cara Delevingne , Colleen Camp
- Director : Jordan Firstman
- Studio : A24
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Family Stories ( Dads )
- Character Strengths : Communication
- Run time : 122 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : drug content throughout, strong sexual content, brief graphic nudity, and language throughout
- Last updated : November 6, 2026
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