Powerful and passionate, colorful and compelling, Larry Clark’s KIDS is 24 frenetic hours in the life of a group of contemporary teenagers who, like all teenagers, believe they are invincible. With breathtaking images from one of the world’s most renowned photographers, KIDS is a deeply affecting, no-holds-barred landscape of words and images, depicting with raw honesty the experiences, attitudes and uncertainties of innocence lost. KIDS gets under the skin and lingers, long after it is viewed. The kids at the core of the story are just that: teenagers living the urban melee of modern-day America. But while these kids dwell in the big city, their story could, quite possibly, happen anywhere.
Larry Clark’s controversial film about New York City adolescents walking the AIDS tightrope is also an unblinking look at the dehumanizing rituals of growing up. But it really doesn’t add up to more than the sum of its various shocks–virgin busting, skinny-dipping, male callousness–overlayed with middle-class disapproval. Clark is hectoring us for cutting kids loose at a terrible time in modern American history, but so are a lot of other people, who also offer alternatives and ideas. The film does nothing to push us toward new thoughts, new solutions, new dreams. It is more like a window onto our worst fantasies about what our children are doing out there on the streets. –Tom Keogh
March 5, 2010
#1
I would personally picket stores to stop carrying this movie. It is horrible in every sense of the word.
March 5, 2010
#2
“Kids” made out when I was nine. Then, I didn’t want to see it nor did I know anything about it. My parents saw it in 1999, and their sheer reluctance to me watching the film told me that it was NOT for kids. I finally saw it and was I ever shocked! This is not a ‘brutally honest’ look into kids today. Real kids are not as stupid as these were. The girls that Telly deflowered were pathetic and the only sane character in the entire film was the taxi driver. As a virgin myself, I would never want to lose my virginity to someone as UGLY as Telly. And besides, Darcy knew Telly for like, what…two hours before they had sex? Who is really this stupid? I’m not saying it’s a bad movie, but it’s NOT real. Probably one out of every five hundred kids are really like these idiots. All I saw in the movie were carnal boys and spineless girls. One life lesson for all girls: “IF A GUY TELLS YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO HEAR, HE’S FULL OF IT”.
March 5, 2010
#3
I hated this movie. SO unrealistic. Sure, maybe there are some little freaks running around raping and drinking and beating. But I AM a teenager in a city. NOBODY acts like this!
What the hell is the point of this movie? To scare the crap out of parents?
Also, the rape scene was vile. At first I respected the director for showing it and not shying away. A FULL MINUTE LATER, I started feeling awkward and uncomfortable. It wasn’t even artistic, it was just disgusting and truly disturbing.
March 5, 2010
#4
I have never seen this movie and never will. First of all, i ain’t aloud(I’m 11). Second, based on other reviews this movie sounds so disturbing. kids as young as 10 smoking illegally, drinking, swearing, having sex, beating, and getting and delivering sexually transmitted diseases just AIN’T right! i mean there are some things i do and can’t stop because of habits(swearing) and it is not so bad but this kinda stuff is WRONG!there are some things i will encounter in my life that are wrong and i won’t do like the kids in this movie that I’m reading about in reviews. this movie is a true wake up call.
March 5, 2010
#5
THIS MOVIE MAKES YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR LIFE AND HEALTH.I RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE TO YOUNGER KIDS,AS YOUNG AS 15.THIS MOVIE WAS RIGHT ABOUT ONE THING NEW YORK CITY IS A NASTY PLACE TO LIVE AND VISIT.I RECOMMEND YOU TO NEVER GO TO NEW YORK.