Club Kid Review: Firstman's Directorial Debut is a Charming and Emotional Success
I'm currently covering the Vancouver Film Festival for Rogue Eye Media! Keep an eye on this website and all of our social media platforms all weekend for all my thoughts. So far we have reviews of The Debut, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, and Fjord!
Jordan Firstman pulls triple duty as actor/writer/director in Club Kid, a story about a NYC club promoter who shockingly learns that he has a child.
Synopsis:
"A hard-partying New York City club promoter (Jordan Firstman) sees his whirlwind lifestyle upended by the arrival of the 10-year-old son he never knew he had."
Cast:
Jordan Firstman, Reggie Absolom, Diego Calva, Cara Delevingne
Release Date:
In Limited Theaters November 6th
Firstman Crafts Endearing and Emotional Script
For those who weren't aware of Jordan Firstman at all before this film, which includes myself, this will definitley get you invested into anything he does in the future. We'll discuss the acting side later, but in general this is such a charming and enjoyable story that he wrote himself. This will bring you in to start with the humor, as the dialogue is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny and puts its characters in the most hilarious places. Although Firstman starts off as a bit of a mess, we still feel invested in him as a character due to the really standout filmmaking. There's a lot of really intimate shots here early on, where we are placed inside the head and thoughts of Firstman's character himself. Wether that's in an actual intimate scene, him waking up after a long night out, or whatever - we are placed inside his mind and that helps understand the arc that he ends up going on.
As funny as this can be, it's equally devestating. We are introduced to this new family member in his life very early on, and that is where we start to see a shift in the way he conducts himsellf. This allows for a deep exploration of his character Peter's emotions and we learn how really broken he feels. Contrasting his issues with this child who has also dealt with so many issues of his own was really a genius choice and it allows for a lot of really sweet moments.
Adorable Father-Son Chemistry
The main plot of this film is the introduction of Peter's kid, played by Reggie Absolom in his acting debut. The relationship between the two of them quickly becomes the emotional heart of the film. Both of them have dealt with some pretty tough traumas throughout their lives, but at very different moments. That contrast allows for such a level of growth between the two of them and it becomes something where you can genuinely see Firstman's character changing in real time. Absolom clearly has a future in this industry, as he's equally able to play the adorable kid but also broken deep inside. Him and Firstman play off each other incredibly well, making you invested even when they are catching up on lost time. It's a really sweet touch that you never really get an argument or breakdown scene between them - Peter needs this to help him move forward and so does Asbolom's character. Whenever there is even a threat of them being separated, you will be emotionally wrecked due to the great character building.
Firstman himself puts in one of the best performances of 2026 for me. There's such a natural emotional swing from him and that's not only credit to his own script, but also the performance. For the majority of the film its subtle brilliance on the acting side, but by the end there's some scenes that very clearly felt like an Oscar moment. The way he plays with emotions is so devestating and I don't think there was a dry eye in the house by the end.
New Perspective on NYC Club Life
As I've said previously, Firstman goes on a serious journey of growth in this film. When we first meet him he's a lot younger and spending his time partying, with various drug use allowing for some pretty graphic scenes. Although that narrative is very clearly a negative, the film overall paints a bit of an interesting perspective of that club life. Obviously Firstman takes it upon himself to party every night, but this comes in the form of the connections he's made as a club promoter. We get to see a lot of the business side of things and by the end, it's clear that it's a big passion for him and not just a way to forget about the night. I think and hope that this will offer a new narrative into this life for maybe the older generation or just anyone who isn't as familiar. We see the drawbacks, but we also see it's validity as a profession and what it can do for someone who is struggling. That honest approach is something I really appreciated and something that could have easily been pushed aside after his child was brought into the story. However, they tackle it head on throughout and don't shy away from being truthful about what it entails.
Feeling Slightly Directionless At Times
For the most part, I really enjoyed this film. However, I do have some slight drawbacks that I'd like to highlight here. The first would be that I really didn't enjoy the direction they took with Cara Delvinge here. I thought her acting was great for someone who typically isn't doing anything like this, but they took her a little too far off the deep end after she starts as such an integral part of the story. It just felt like they were using her as a plot device towards the end and it didn't feel totally natural the direction it took. Speaking of direction, there were a few parts of this where I wasn't sure exactly where it was going to go. Although I thought this runtime was perfect and Firstman utilized every minute, there were some points where it felt like an ending but then continued to introduce new parts of the story. This was just a bit jarring in the moment and prevents this from being closer to the 5 star level.
Final Thoughts
On the whole, Club Kid is an incredibly enjoyable movie which will give audiences a whole wide range of emotions. You'll be laughing one minute then crying the next, which is exactly what the best movies are able to do. Jordan Firstman is a star in the making and I really hope this is up for awards at the end of the year!
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
2026 Ranked:
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