Kids (1995)

Last updated:
July 31, 2025

Kids (1995), directed by Larry Clark and written by a then-19-year-old Harmony Korine, is a raw, gritty, and highly controversial independent film that follows a group of teenagers in New York City over the course of one summer day. Shot in a cinéma vérité style, it offers an unfiltered look at youth culture, teenage recklessness, and the AIDS crisis of the 1990s. This film sparked massive debates upon release for its disturbing content and perceived realism.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

A Day in the Life: Telly’s Mission

The film begins with Telly, a 17-year-old boy, seducing a 12-year-old girl. Telly has a pattern—he targets virgins under the false belief that it reduces his chances of contracting HIV. After this disturbing opening, he meets up with his best friend Casper, and the two begin wandering the streets of New York, stealing, talking about girls, and trying to find their next conquest.

This early part of the film firmly establishes the characters’ world—one devoid of parental guidance, full of reckless behavior, drug use, and moral ambiguity. The film’s unrelenting realism immediately grabs the viewer, not just to shock, but to immerse.

Jennie’s Discovery

Parallel to Telly’s exploits, we follow Jennie, a teenager who recently had her first sexual experience—with Telly. Concerned, she goes to a free clinic and is shocked to discover that she has tested positive for HIV, despite only having been with one person.

Horrified and desperate, Jennie begins searching the city for Telly to warn him and possibly prevent him from infecting anyone else. This storyline builds the film’s emotional core and provides its most urgent tension.

Drugs, Violence, and Despair

As the day progresses, the teens steal from stores, take drugs, go to parties, and get involved in altercations. Telly continues his predatory quest, eventually zeroing in on another young girl, unaware that he’s HIV-positive.

Casper, a hedonistic and impulsive character, provides some of the film’s most disturbing moments, especially as he grows more intoxicated as the day goes on.

The film offers no respite—it doesn’t moralize, and it doesn’t let its characters off the hook. Instead, it forces the viewer to witness the chaos of a generation left largely to their own devices.

Movie Ending

The film’s conclusion is devastating and stark. Jennie finally tracks down Telly, but she arrives too late. He has already had unprotected sex with another virgin, continuing his pattern and unknowingly spreading HIV further. The final blow comes when Casper, heavily intoxicated and unaware of Jennie’s diagnosis or Telly’s condition, rapes an unconscious Jennie, potentially passing the virus on to another person.

The next morning, Casper wakes up next to Jennie, completely unaware of what he has done. As he looks around the room, hungover and dazed, he says aloud:
“Jesus Christ, what happened?”

The screen cuts to black.

The film ends not with closure, but with an open wound. There is no justice, no redemption—just the implication that the cycle of recklessness, ignorance, and pain will continue.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Kids does not have a post-credits scene. The film ends abruptly and definitively, matching its bleak, documentary-like tone.

Type of Movie

Kids is a coming-of-age drama that leans heavily into social realism and urban horror. It has also been described as a morality tale and cautionary film, though it rarely takes a traditional narrative stance. The style is almost documentary-like in its commitment to authenticity.

Cast

Most of the cast were non-professional actors at the time, discovered by Larry Clark on the streets and skate parks of New York City:

Leo Fitzpatrick as Telly
Justin Pierce as Casper
Chloë Sevigny as Jennie (her acting debut)
Rosario Dawson as Ruby (her acting debut)
Jon Abrahams as Steven
Harold Hunter as Harold

Film Music and Composer

There was no traditional film score. Instead, the film features a soundtrack curated by Lou Barlow (of Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh fame). The music includes tracks from Folk Implosion, Daniel Johnston, A Tribe Called Quest, and others—songs that give the film a gritty, lo-fi, 90s New York feel.

Filming Locations

Kids was shot entirely on location in New York City, mostly in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The real streets, apartments, and skate parks lend a documentary-like authenticity to the film. The grittiness of 90s NYC—far from its sanitized image today—is a critical part of the movie’s atmosphere.

Awards and Nominations

While it didn’t receive mainstream awards, the film was a major hit in the indie circuit and at international festivals:

Nominated for the Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival
Chloë Sevigny received nominations and praise for her breakout performance
It has since gained cult status and is often included in lists of most controversial or impactful indie films

Behind the Scenes Insights

The script was written in just three weeks by Harmony Korine.
Most actors were real teenagers from NYC skate culture, not professionals.
The film was originally rated NC-17, but was released unrated due to its graphic content.
Larry Clark and Harmony Korine both intended to make a statement about the consequences of neglecting youth.
Justin Pierce, who played Casper, tragically died by suicide five years later at age 25.

Inspirations and References

Inspired by real youth culture observed by Larry Clark.
Harmony Korine based the script on real conversations and people he knew.
The film was influenced by Clark’s earlier work in photography, especially his book “Tulsa“, which also explored youth and addiction.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

No alternate endings have been released. Clark and Korine were committed to the film’s brutal final scene. However, deleted footage exists showing more of the teens’ idle daily routines, but these were cut for pacing and to maintain narrative focus.

Book Adaptations and Differences

Kids is an original screenplay and not based on a book. However, the screenplay was published later due to the film’s cult popularity. The rawness of the film is directly tied to its being grounded in real-life experiences rather than adapted material.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

Telly’s opening scene seducing the young girl.
Jennie finding out she has HIV.
The party scene where drugs, sex, and chaos escalate.
Casper’s horrific final act.
Jennie wandering through New York, lost and desperate.

Iconic Quotes

“I have no legs. I have no legs.” (a haunting moment from a street performer)
“It’s like my dream girl, man. She’s got like, the body of Christy Turlington and the soul of Mother Teresa.”
“Jesus Christ, what happened?” – Casper’s chilling final line.

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

Several of the skateboarders featured were real NYC legends, including Harold Hunter and Justin Pierce.
Harmony Korine appears in a cameo at the party scene.
Many background extras were actual locals from NYC’s Lower East Side.

Trivia

The film was banned or heavily censored in several countries, including Australia and parts of Europe.
It was financed by Miramax, but released under Shining Excalibur Films because Disney (Miramax’s parent company at the time) refused to be associated with it.
Rosario Dawson was discovered on her front porch in the East Village and cast without any acting experience.
The film was made on a budget of just $1.5 million and grossed over $20 million worldwide.

Why Watch?

Kids is a time capsule—an unfiltered look into 1990s New York youth culture. It’s shocking, unsettling, and emotionally raw, but it’s also a necessary and thought-provoking piece of filmmaking that demands to be discussed. It challenges viewers to confront difficult truths about sex, adolescence, and the failure of adult systems.

Watch it not for entertainment, but for understanding.

Director’s Other Movies

Bully (2001)
Ken Park (2002)
Wassup Rockers (2005)
Marfa Girl (2012)
The Smell of Us (2014)

Kids (1995)