Kids

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Kids

Released Jul 28, 1995

1h 30m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

47%

Tomatometer

58 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Amoral teen Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick) has made it his goal to sleep with as many virgin girls as possible -- but he doesn't tell them that he's HIV positive. While on the hunt for his latest conquest, Telly and his best friend, Casper (Justin Pierce), smoke pot and steal from shops around New York. Meanwhile, Jenny (Chloë Sevigny), one of Telly's early victims, makes it her mission to save other girls from him. But before she has a chance to confront him at a party, everything goes horribly wrong.

Critics Consensus

Kids isn't afraid to test viewers' limits, but the point of its nearly non-stop provocation is likely to be lost in all the repellent characters and unpleasant imagery.

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Lisa Jervis

Bitch Media

The parallel seductions serve to show the audience that male sexuality is predatory and female sexuality is passive and victim-based.

Dec 17, 2020

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Kids is stunningly anti-erotic, though not untainted by sensationalism. By condensing all this inflammatory material into a 24-hour time frame, Clark and Harmony Korine create an overwrought narrative that's sometimes tedious in its relentlesshess.

Feb 16, 2018

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C+

Sep 7, 2011

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Common Sense Media

This savagely controversial, deeply brutal movie, the debut of many notable talents, was notorious in its day and still is. 'Kids' is definitely not for "kids," but it's an unsettlingly effective cautionary tale.

Rated: 4/5

May 18, 2024

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Sheila Reid

Women in the Life

[Kids'] rough, in-your-face approach to exposing the perils of teenage promiscuity teaches a harsh lesson.

May 13, 2022

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Jas Keimig

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

The film's lack of thesis and use of realistic sex/rape scenes provides no medicine to the wound it gives the viewers, offering nothing interesting to declare about the problems it presents to us. Instead it only sticks the knife in deeper.

Dec 9, 2021

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Audience Member

This was a weird movie. From what I can tell, this is a very accurate depiction of the troubled youth in the slumps of New York. I mean, it's all there: The weed, low income households, the parties, you just don't see that stuff at least where I come from. The dialogue is immensely accurate as well, they really do talk like that. It makes you wonder about Larry Clark because this was a very shocking film. That final scene with Casper and Jenny wasn't what I expected to happen at all. I honestly found the subplot of Jenny grieving over what she contracted from Telly a lot more interesting than the main plot. At the end of the day, it's a film that won't be for everybody, but should still be seen. 3/5 stars.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/24/24

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A.L.Jude P

It shook me in the head like a spear, and it's easy to imagine that the movie is a true depiction of average American kids in NYC, perhaps in many other states. The situation of the US young generation is pathetic, even though it's not completely realistic, given the day-to-day situations. It is a frightening and no hope of overcoming to be on par with European average class.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/11/24

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Arid S

Just incredible gripped me from the start, I have never felt so uncomfortable and I watched this on my own! Chloe is beautiful.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/07/24

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Jerod S

A dirty, cramped look at parentless kids. For the 90s, I'm sure it was "groundbreaking" - but it's not art - it's depressing.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/06/24

Full Review

M'lagroOG D

People always dunk on it for being a hard watch when thats the fucking point. Did you expect to be able to jerk off to the sex scenes or something? This movie is definitely a must see. Very depressing in tone and look, captures the griminess of NY pretty well. The movie may not have an easy answer to the problems plaguing youth, but it can definitely say a lot. Plus I adore the shot of them walking down the highway to go swimming

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/02/24

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Shioka O

It's really a rough film depicts the 90s. Looks natural because young actors delivered convincing performances.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/14/24

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Larry Clark

Director

Leo Fitzpatrick

Telly

Justin Pierce

Casper

Chloë Sevigny

Jennie

Sarah Henderson

Girl #1

Rosario Dawson

Ruby

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Synopsis

Amoral teen Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick) has made it his goal to sleep with as many virgin girls as possible -- but he doesn't tell them that he's HIV positive. While on the hunt for his latest conquest, Telly and his best friend, Casper (Justin Pierce), smoke pot and steal from shops around New York. Meanwhile, Jenny (Chloë Sevigny), one of Telly's early victims, makes it her mission to save other girls from him. But before she has a chance to confront him at a party, everything goes horribly wrong.

Director: Larry Clark
Producer: Cary Woods
Screenwriter: Harmony Korine, Jim Lewis, Larry Clark
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Miramax Films, Independent Pictures
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 28, 1995, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 28, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.4M
Runtime: 1h 30m
Sound Mix: Stereo