Jordan Firstman Is an Unexpected Dad in Club Kid Trailer

Jordan Firstman, the comedian and writer best known for his breakout role in the 2023 dark comedy Rotting in the Sun, is stepping into surprisingly paternal territory. The first trailer for his upcoming film, Club Kid, has just dropped, and it presents the actor in a role that flips his usual chaotic, self-involved persona on its head: a reluctant father figure thrust into the vibrant, often overwhelming world of nightlife.

The trailer opens with Firstman’s character, a man clearly past his club-hopping prime, being saddled with an unexpected responsibility - a teenage kid who appears to have no one else to turn to. What follows is a fish-out-of-water comedy that trades the sun-bleached, metafictional chaos of Rotting in the Sun for neon lights, pounding bass, and a series of awkward parenting attempts. Early footage shows Firstman trying to navigate a crowded dance floor while holding a juice box, attempting to explain the concept of “quiet hours” to a group of glitter-faced ravers, and delivering a deadpan lecture about the dangers of overpriced bottle service. It’s a comedic shift that plays directly into Firstman’s strengths: his signature blend of exasperated disbelief and manic energy, now weaponized against the absurdities of both adolescence and club culture.

For those who only know Firstman from Rotting in the Sun, the new role is a notable pivot. In that film, directed by Sebastián Silva, Firstman played a heightened, fictionalized version of himself - a narcissistic social media personality who becomes entangled in a mystery while ignoring the obvious signals around him. That performance, which earned significant critical attention for its fearless, cringe-comedy physicality, established Firstman as a singular voice in independent film. Club Kid appears to channel that same fearless energy into a more grounded, if equally ridiculous, emotional arc.

The trailer’s comedy is rooted in the collision of two worlds. On one side, there’s the gritty, demanding reality of raising a teenager - homework, curfews, and the constant need for snacks. On the other, there’s the glitter-soaked, hedonistic realm of clubs, where nothing is age-appropriate and the concept of a schedule is a foreign language. Firstman’s character is clearly unprepared for both, and the trailer milks that tension for all it’s worth. One standout beat shows him attempting to lecture his young charge about the dangers of peer pressure while accidentally sipping from a stranger’s suspicious-looking drink. Another shows him Googling “how to appear cool” on his phone, only to have the screen immediately filled with ads for retirement communities.

The supporting cast remains largely under wraps, with only Firstman prominently featured in the trailer’s promotional materials. That focus is a smart move, as it sells the film squarely on his ability to carry a scene through sheer force of personality. The movie’s director, genre, and release date have yet to be officially announced, with the studio keeping those details tightly under the radar for now. What is clear, however, is that the film is aiming for a tone that balances broad physical comedy with a genuine, if unconventional, heart. The final shot of the trailer shows Firstman and the teen sitting on a fire escape, looking down at a city full of blinking lights, with the actor sighing, “I guess this is what growing up feels like… for you.” The kid responds with a side-eye that suggests the lesson might be going both ways.

The project marks another interesting chapter in Firstman’s post-Rotting career, which has seen him lean into increasingly offbeat choices. He’s cultivated a reputation for selecting roles that refuse to play it safe, often blurring the line between performance and self-parody. Club Kid looks to continue that trend, offering him a character that, on paper, could be a stock sitcom dad, but in practice, seems to be anything but. The trailer suggests a film that’s less interested in a conventional redemption arc and more fascinated by the awkward, messy, and often hilarious process of two very different people learning to tolerate - and maybe even like - each other.

Given the lack of confirmed release details, fans will have to wait a bit longer to see the full film. But the trailer serves as an effective, energetic tease, promising a comedy that’s stylish, a little bit raucous, and firmly anchored by a leading man who knows exactly how to find the funny in feeling completely out of place. For now, the buzz is building, and the question on everyone’s lips is simple: can Firstman survive the night, or will Club Kid end up raising him?

Source: Hollywood Reporter