Peter, a club promoter who roams New York’s wild nightlife, is caught off guard when his ten-year-old son Arlo suddenly shows up. As a gay man, Peter has long since forgotten that he ever slept with a woman, only to suddenly find himself fumbling his way through fatherhood. Arlo enters Peter’s world and becomes a DJ. And just like that, the film’s title is quietly passed down to the next generation. Club Kid marks Jordan Firstman’s feature directorial debut, with Firstman also serving as writer and lead actor. The film generated buzz after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, where A24 acquired distribution rights for $17million. Having started out as a TV comedy writer before making a name for himself on social media with inventive videos during the pandemic, Firstman projects his own boisterous public persona onto Peter while drawing out the vulnerability and tenderness that lie beneath it. In the film’s final shot, as Peter looks up at the party, his figure quietly evokes the realities of adulthood— leaving behind a night of frenzy and stepping into a morning of responsibility. (HAM Yoonjeong)