TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2026 REVIEW! A sensation at Cannes, and now Toronto, Club Kid heralds the breaking of a major new writer/director/actor Jordan Firstman. Firstman plays Peter Green, a fixture of the queer NY club world, a party promoter, drug dealer, and all-around scene maker. In a prologue, we see a 20-something Green maximally debauched — high on all manner of substances, dancing the night away, and hooking up with multiple people in a near-blackout state. He’s exuberant, but also a hustler — we can see he’s starting a nascent party promotion business with the like-minded Sophie (Cara Delevingne).
Cut to 10 years later, and Peter is still at it, albeit more world-weary and drug-addled. That’s when a friend of one of his one-night stand partners shows up, along with a son Peter never knew he had — Arlo (Reggie Absolom). Peter is comically ill-equipped to be a father, but he has no choice — Arlo’s mother committed suicide.
While this setup may seem like something we’ve seen before, Club Kid brings something fresh. The film feels remarkably grounded in a specific time and place, rooting it firmly in NY LGBTQ party culture. It is here that the supporting cast shines — fun, energetic, beset by their own quirks and foibles, but endlessly warm and welcoming. Second, this is no by-the-numbers Hallmark movie, or even a standard comedy. It feels real, not stylized, and the arrival of Arlo doesn’t magically cure Peter of his own issues. Peter gets more like a wake-up call, but still struggles and makes many poor decisions, to alternating comic and tragic effect.
Peter Green (Jordan Firstman) and Sophie (Cara Delevingne) dancing together at a packed party in Club Kid.
“We see a 20-something Green maximally debauched — high on all manner of substances, dancing the night away, and hooking up with multiple people in a near-blackout state.”
The writing in Club Kid is outstanding. Characters seem like real people, flaws and all, not merely chess pieces to move the plot forward. Backing that up is an outstanding cast — actors that so fully inhabit their roles, they must be playing some version of themselves. Chief among them is Jordan Firstman, who lights up the screen and carries the film as Peter. We get to see him at two different ages, and watch him as he subtly code-switches between each of the different sets of people around him. Reggie Absolom also delivers a wonderful performance as the 10-year-old Arlo. He’s charismatic and charming but conveys the fear and uncertainty we expect from a child in his situation.
The direction in Club Kid is something to behold, whether showing us the throbbing, frantic club scene or the quiet, shallowly buried terror of unexpected fatherhood. It seems unbelievable that Jordan Firstman pulled off the combined feats of writing, directing, producing, and starring in what seems like an instant classic. I’m a believer. He’s a major talent, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.
Club Kid screened at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
"…It seems unbelievable that Jordan Firstman pulled the combined feats of writing, directing, producing, and starring in what seems like an instant classic."
