Nice effects though.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

This is, in my opinion, one of the greatest teen films of all time. No doubt we all think of other types of titles when the words "teen film" are brought up, such as the works of John Hughes, romantic comedies along the lines of "10 Things I Hate About You", or the nostalgia of "American Graffiti" or "Dazed and Confused" (all films I would recommend, by the way). Yet it does what all the best teen films do-it shows an uncanny accuracy in observing one particular facet of adolescence.The film is not meant as a portrait of all teenagers-rather, as a study of some of the worst extremes (writer Harmony Korine has said as much). The film is dripping with a sense of realism and looking at the people who made it, it's not hard to see why. Director Larry Clark struggled with a longtime heroin addiction and gained infamy shooting photographs of subjects similar to the ones in this movie. Korine was involved in the same types of circles as his characters, as were many of the actors, including Leo Fitzpatrick and Justin Pierce. These people knew what they were talking about."Kids" is basically a series of encounters over one day and night in New York City. Reader, I must admit I've always loved movies that follow an odyssey. Here, there are two parallel ones. First, we follow Telly (Fitzpatrick), Casper (Justin Pierce), and their pals as they leave a booze- and drug-filled path in their wake and Telly attempts to deflower two virgins in one day. Secondly, we follow Jennie (Chloe Sevigny) on her quest to find Telly and inform him that he has given her AIDS before he can spread the disease even farther.These events are for the most part seen without judgment and without comment, and this gives them a greater power than so many films which feel the need to moralize. The actions these characters take are grotesque; we don't need this made obvious to us. The lives of these kids are wastelands. They're like sharks that need to keep swimming or they die; their only concern is where more drugs, alcohol, and sex can be found. They've limited their options to the point where nothing else can give them pleasure. This is most poignantly summarized in the final moments, where Telly reflects that if he didn't have sex, then he would have nothing at all.Larry Clark's direction is pitch-perfect. There are no fancy shots, no stylistic tricks, just a level of surveillance that feels documentary-like in its execution. He shows confidence in his story by never letting his camera overwhelm it.Harmony Korine's script is absolutely fantastic (written when he was only nineteen), possibly his best. Korine has stated that watching a large multitude of movies in his youth gave him a pretty good grasp on how one should be structured, and it shows. He would later transition into more dreamlike narratives, but here, his structure is doubly impressive considering that he wrote the script in about a week. This is a movie with no fat on it; even for 90 minutes, it passes quickly. Many of the film's most affecting moments come from Korine's subtle little touches-Leon the amiable cab driver, the performance of "Danny Boy" in the subway, and Jennie's sorrow when she realizes she'll have to tell her little brother she's going to die.The three lead actors in particular are all outstanding in their debuts. Justin Pierce is a loose cannon of charisma and bravado, and it's almost painful to see him in the film knowing that he would take his own life five years later. Chloe Sevigny is heartbreaking as a girl who is emotionally drained as she's forced to come to grips with her own death. And, of course, Leo Fitzpatrick, with his grating voice, persuasive speech, and a seemingly total lack of humanity, is downright scary as Telly.This is a film specific to its setting ('90s New York during the height of the AIDS crisis), and the film is valuable as a record of a certain time and place. Ultimately, the point of the film seems to be that we all need hobbies, interests, and things to give us joy besides our animal instincts. Otherwise, we're no better than the characters.

Many said this movie is more directed to 90s since it's release at the period. I think it will still relate to some kids in present time. However, I do think that nowadays kids are more mature, and are able to think for themselves maybe due to higher standard of living and etc. I just feel that the film don't give good reason for kids to behave this way. Maybe the film can include scenes of how low socioeconomic status can cause these behaviors.

I could not even get myself to finish watching this. The first shot is a CU of high schoolers making out for way too long. That wasn't the only cringy scene in the film. The entire first twenty minutes cuts between a group of guys talking about sex and a group of girls talking about sex. All the guys keep acting like they're the best and it is just monotonous and quite annoying. I remember a lot of use of the N word by white teens. The worst part about this film is that it isn't a fun bad movie to watch i.e. Birdemic, The Room. All I did was cringe. That goes for anything Harmony Korine has done. I've never been able to finish any of his films. So my advice for you is to not even try.

An excellent account on youth. Maybe it's the extreme end of youth, with sex and drugs, but an accurate account of those types. This film isn't trying to label all kids like these ones but label kids like these ones as kids like these ones, no sugar coating it. It's disturbing, it's full on and it's as raw as possible without making it a snuff children's film. Truly an excellent piece by Larry Clarke, finally someone who is not afraid to do what he wants and does what he pleases. Gritty and raw, there is no escaping the grasp of Kids. A not-so-thoughtful nod to the children of the world, but a realistic one of the hoodlums of society.