‘Club Kid’ Review: ‘Big Daddy’ With One Big Difference
Club Kid could easily fall into the trap of being labeled a Big Daddy ripoff. The film involves an immature young man with no clear direction in life who abruptly inherits a kid. He then finds maturity through caring for someone else. The third act even shares some similar scenarios as the Adam Sandler movie.
However, despite its familiar story beats, Club Kid finds its identity through its sentimental exploration of fatherhood, its navigation of the LGBTQ experience, and its more poignant message about personal growth. If Big Daddy is about how becoming a father can change someone, then Club Kid is about choosing to change for yourself, no matter what world you inherit.
What is the movie Club Kid about?
Written and directed by Jordan Firstman, Club Kid centers on Peter (Firstman), a member of the LGBTQ community, living an extremely unhealthy lifestyle in New York as a club event promoter. Our very first introductions to Peter are dizzying, loud, and full of music, drugs, and everything in between. We see him mingling with the regulars, supplying hard substances as well as sampling the substances, as he puts it, to protect the clients.
Sophie (Cara Delevingne) runs most of the events and seeks investors for future club experiences. But Peter’s lifestyle catches up with him during one of the first business meetings, and he shows up with little sleep and a hangover all over his face.
The result sends the meeting sideways and forces Sophie to fire Peter for his recklessness and irresponsibility. While Peter might have an upbeat, humorous demeanor, it’s clear he’s caught in a vicious cycle of unhealthy patterns.
Out of the blue, a friend named Edison (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) shows up with a kid, stating that they just flew all the way from Europe. The reason is that an old friend of theirs recently died. And even though he is not straight, it turns out that, during a drug-induced evening, Peter might have slept with her.
The kid, named Arlo (Reggie Absolom), is allegedly Peter’s. As hard as he tries to resist taking care of him, Edison leaves the apartment, saying she’ll be right back. And well, she doesn’t come back.
Jordan Firstman and Reggie Absolom have tender chemistry
Once he is alone with Arlo, Club Kid begins to incorporate some of that Big Daddy format. Peter tries to give Arlo the one thing most children would enjoy: a slice of pizza. But the choice backfires as Arlo reveals he is allergic to dairy. The narrative, for better or worse, shares much of the Adam Sandler structure, showing Peter taking baby steps toward maturity as he slowly falls in love with this kid he didn’t know he had.
Like Big Daddy, he has a strange, hilarious cast of eccentric characters around him to help Peter improve Arlo’s quality of life. For instance, after Peter kicks out his gay roommate, the roommate seemingly forms a questionable relationship with an older woman who lives next door to Peter. And even though they have a weird thing going on next door, they still help with Arlo whenever Peter needs it.
However, the chemistry between Jordan Firstman and Reggie Absolom in Club Kid is heartfelt. We can authentically see how Arlo is impacting Peter’s mindset and that he has to make the right choice for his son.
One of the best examples happens in a scene where we see Arlo’s hidden mindset. He is a genuinely charming kid, but when put in a stressful situation, a quiet anger unleashes on another kid. So much that the event even surprises Peter. It’s a moment of clarity that makes him understand that for Arlo to be healthy, Peter must also be healthy to get him the right help.
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Club Kid (2026) overall thoughts on the film
As Club Kid approaches the final lap, we again fall victim to the Big Daddy formula. We won’t get specific, but anyone who’s seen a film understands that a conflict must eventually arise for things to get resolved. And the prospect of Peter being a father to this kid brings an unexpected challenge, much like it does for Adam Sandler’s character in the final act of Big Daddy.
But one massive change elevates Club Kid into a more emotional turning point. Big Daddy is more about a man-child learning how to be a more mature man-child. Club Kid is about a man-child who changes because he has a son, then learns to keep choosing that change, whether he has a kid or not.
For instance, growing up, I had a friend who became addicted to one of the worst substances out there. It became clear that no matter what we said to him, if he wanted a better life, it was something he had to choose. I am happy to report that friend is doing quite well, has become clean, and is living his best life, happily married with a kid and everything.
There is a final shot in this film that resembles that moment quite well. It lingers in your head long after the movie ends. But it’s a shot that we all experience in one way or another. It’s the sliding-door moment when we decide whether to stay in one existence or change course and break the habit.
For this reason, Club Kid is an excellent film. Even though it heavily borrows from the Big Daddy formula, it’s a heartfelt dramedy about how life can unexpectedly push you to grow up. And sometimes growing up isn’t enough; it means keeping on making the right choice for yourself, not just for somebody else.
- Film Title: Club Kid
- Director: Jordan Firstman
- Writer: Jordan Firstman
- Cast: Jordan Firstman, Cara Delevingne, Reggie Absolom, Kirby Howell-Baptiste
- Genre(s): Drama, Comedy
- Rated: R
- Running Time: 121 minutes
- Theatrical Release Date: November 26, 2026 (United States), November 13, 2026 (Canada), January 8, 2027 (United Kingdom)
- Reviewer’s Score: 4 out of 5 stars
