Kids (1995)
Kids, the directorial debut of Larry Clark and the screenwriting debut of Harmony Korine, was criticized at the time of its release for its blunt depiction of a hedonistic teen world filled with sex, drugs, and exploitation. The lead character, Telly (an excellent Leo Fitzpatrick) is an unrepentant 17-year-old predator who targets very young girls.
As Roger Ebert noted, the film “doesn’t tell us what it means.” But that’s not what makes Kids sleazy — depicting behavior isn’t endorsing it, and Kids can be read as an important message movie about kids’ need for attention and guidance.
What’s uncomfortable about the film, in retrospect, is its leering camerawork with young subjects. One could argue that its cinematography, while sleazy, serves the film by making viewers into bystanders who do nothing to intervene and save the kids onscreen.
It’s a fascinating, well-done film, notable for being the debut film of the great actresses Chloë Sevigny and Rosario Dawson. It also has one of the best soundtracks of the ’90s.
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