Club Kid: the queer Cannes phenomenon everyone is talking about

Cara Delevingne et Eldar Isgandarov

Jordan Firstman’s debut mixes nightlife chaos, emotional vulnerability and viral Cannes energy into a major festival breakout.

Among the breakout discoveries of this year’s Un Certain Regard lineup, Club Kid has rapidly become one of the festival’s most talked-about films. Directed by Jordan Firstman, the film combines queer comedy, emotional drama and social commentary with remarkable confidence for a debut feature.

The story follows Peter, a chaotic New York party promoter whose life revolves around nightlife, drugs, hookups and emotional instability. Everything changes when he discovers that he has a ten-year-old son, Arlo, born from a casual encounter years earlier. After the child’s mother dies by suicide, Arlo suddenly arrives from the UK to live with him.

At first glance, Club Kid embraces excess. Loud music, neon lights and absurd humor dominate the screen. Yet beneath this euphoric surface lies a deeply melancholic film about loneliness and emotional survival.

Peter is immature, impulsive and often completely overwhelmed. But Jordan Firstman carefully avoids caricature. Instead of turning the story into a conventional redemption arc, the film explores how fatherhood slowly forces Peter to reconnect with himself and with the possibility of genuine emotional attachment.

The relationship between Peter and Arlo becomes the emotional center of the film. Arlo’s quiet sensitivity and passion for music create a powerful contrast with Peter’s chaotic existence. Their bond feels fragile, awkward and authentic.

Visually, the film is constantly energized by movement and music. The nightclub sequences are immersive and vibrant, yet they also carry a hidden sense of exhaustion beneath the glamour. Jordan Firstman demonstrates an impressive command of tone for a first-time director.

Beyond its queer aesthetics, Club Kid also explores deeper themes: emotional isolation, fear of aging alone and the difficulty of building meaningful relationships in contemporary urban life.

The narrative grows darker when British child protection services begin investigating Peter because of his history with drugs and illegal parties. Suddenly, this improvised family collides with institutional reality and social judgment.

But the film’s impact at Cannes now extends far beyond the screen itself.

During the official photocall on the Croisette, Jordan Firstman and Diego Calva shared a playful kiss in front of photographers, creating one of the most viral moments of this year’s festival.

The gesture perfectly captured the spirit of Club Kid: provocative, joyful, unapologetically queer and emotionally fearless.

Rarely has an Un Certain Regard photocall generated this level of attention from photographers, journalists and festivalgoers. And at Cannes, moments like these often become part of a film’s awards momentum.

Because Club Kid is no longer only a critical success — it has become a true Cannes phenomenon. The enthusiastic reception surrounding the film, combined with its emotional sincerity and contemporary queer perspective, now positions it as one of the strongest contenders for the Un Certain Regard prize.

With Club Kid, Jordan Firstman delivers one of the festival’s most exciting directorial debuts — and potentially one of the future winners of Un Certain Regard 2026.