Technology

Excel has a funny habit of giving you useful little tools and then making you work to find them. That can be frustrating, but you can fix a lot of Excel annoyances with a few small tweaks until it works the way you want. That's where I landed with table names. I wanted them to be easier to see, and it turns out Excel gives you a couple of ways to make that happen. That small change has made life far easier than I'd imagined.

Let me be clear about something — I've been looking for a way to desperately cut down on my screen time. Not just for an article, but like, actually. I think it's a problem. Turns out, actively integrating your smartwatch into attempts to curb that is actually a great idea.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Greninja ex Premium Collection is on sale for $50.37 at Amazon, down from its $62.97 typical price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Greninja ex Premium Collection $50.37 at Amazon
$62.97 Save $12.60   Get Deal

The Mega Greninja ex Premium Collection has been no stranger to discounts since its July release, but Amazon's latest offer is putting the eight-pack Pokémon TCG box close to its best-ever price. It's a few dollars less than the last deal we covered in September.

As of Oct. 9, the Pokémon TCG Mega Greninja ex Premium Collection is available for $50.37 at Amazon, down from its $62.97 typical price. That's $12.60 saved in your pocket with 20% off, through third-party seller reVend.

This is not only $4.15 cheaper than the $54.52 Amazon price we spotted back on Sept. 9, but is also only 50 cents above its record-low price of $49.87 (confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel) — which also happens to be its exact market price currently estimated on TCGplayer. 

SEE ALSO: Pokémon TCG Delta Reign Booster Bundle preorders are live on Amazon — and they're under market price

With eight booster packs of trading cards included, you're now paying the equivalent of around $6.30 per pack before considering the other fun extras in the box. 

Those boosters consist of four Perfect Order packs, two Chaos Rising, and two Phantasmal Flames. There's also a playable foil Mega Greninja ex promo card, a larger lenticular version for collectors to display, and a reusable tech sticker.

Ryobi's popular 18V ONE+ line of power tools includes over 350 products that all use the same battery, and you'll love just about all of them. However, if you're a new homeowner just getting started or on a budget, once you get a battery or two, here are some essential tools worth adding to your collection for under $80.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Booster Bundle is on sale for $79.95 at Walmart, down from its $94.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Booster Bundle $79.95 at Walmart
$94.99 Save $15.04   Get Deal

Amazon had been making a string of 30th Celebration discounts with this week’s Pokémon Prime Day deals, but Walmart has just dropped one of the best offers for the expansion’s Booster Bundle. 

As of Oct. 9, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Booster Bundle is available for $79.95 at Walmart, down $15.04 from its last $94.99 listing price. That is a 16% discount overall, with the order sold by third-party seller Realgoodeal and fulfilled by Walmart.

That’s undercutting Amazon once again, where the lowest offer currently sits at $92.40 through marketplace seller RareVoid — with this new Pokémon offer putting Walmart ahead by $12.45.

SEE ALSO: Pokémon TCG Delta Reign Booster Bundle preorders are live on Amazon — and they're under market price

For anyone after more 30th Celebration trading cards, the six-pack Booster Bundle works out to roughly $13.33 per pack at Walmart's latest price. Each booster contains six holographic cards, including one of 30 different Pikachu rare variants, while the wider set also features Mewtwo ex, Mew ex, Umbreon ex, Salamence ex, and Greninja ex.

If you’re buying packs to hunt the expansion’s chase cards, you can buy almost any single 30th Celebration chase card right now at TCGplayer — including the $6k+ RGB Rare Mew, the $80+ SIR Mew ex, and the $70+ SIR Gengar ex. 

SAVE OVER $90: As of Oct. 9, select colors of the Ninja Luxe Café Premier are on sale for $499.95 at Amazon. That's $99.05 off their typical price of $599.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Luxe Café Premier 3-in-1 Espresso Machine $499.95 at Amazon
$599 Save $99.05   Get Deal

Even though the Prime Big Deal Days sale has come to an end, a few kitchen deals are still lingering around on Amazon. Among them is a price cut on one of our favorite Ninja appliances, the Ninja Luxe Café Premier.

As of Oct. 9, both the green and cyberspace colors of the Ninja Luxe Café Premier are roughly $100 off their list price at Amazon, marked down to $499.95 (the lowest-ever price for the former and very close for the latter). The stainless steel model is also on sale for a few cents extra at $499.99, so you have a few options to choose from if you're still shopping around.

SEE ALSO: Oster's new 2026 lineup takes on the 3 biggest blender problems — where to buy new range

Whether you want a straight cup of espresso or just a standard cup of drip coffee, the versatile Ninja Luxe Café Premier can handle it with its various brewing styles. For espresso, you can choose between a double shot or a quad shot, while your drip coffee options range from classic to rich to over ice. There are also two cold brew styles — cold-pressed espresso or cold brew coffee — so you don't have to settle for just one drink type during the day.

If you enjoy lattes or cappuccinos, it also features a Dual Froth System that combines steaming and whisking to deliver textured microfoam in your drinks. To make it easy to whip up, the machine also has four preset programs to get it done: steamed milk, thin froth, thick froth, and cold foam.

We consider it to be Ninja's best espresso and coffee machine, as it "strikes the perfect balance of user-friendly design with high-end settings." If it has caught your eye, don't miss out on this chance to save at Amazon.

"I always do what I say. If you look back, promises made, promises kept."

That's a comment made by Trump at a recent rally and, as you can probably imagine, Jimmy Kimmel has some feedback. In the clip above the late night host tests Trump's statement with some year-old footage of the president saying he thinks gasoline will be "below $2" at some point in the near future — accompanied with a huge red X and a buzzer sound.

"Ooh, sorry, that is incorrect, that average price of gasoline is $4 and 36 cents," says Kimmel. "You know a lot of people don't know, the word 'bullshit' has a 'b' in it."

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

SAVE $79.80: As of Oct. 9, the Shark Matrix Plus is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon. That's a 25% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark Matrix Plus $199.99 at Amazon
$279.79 Save $79.80   Get Deal

If you want to make it easier to keep your floors clean, a robot vacuum is a great upgrade. These handy gadgets take the hassle out of keeping your floors clean, with many models offering features such as self-emptying bins, smart mapping, and mopping capabilities. And as of Oct. 9, you can get a great deal on the Shark Matrix Plus at Amazon, which is now down to $199.99.

This is the best-ever price for this robot vacuum, so now's the time to buy.

This robot vacuum from Shark combines powerful suction with sonic mopping to tackle both dirt and tough stains across carpets and hard floors. Its Matrix Clean technology uses a precision grid pattern to make multiple passes over messes, and the CleanEdge Detect uses blasts of air and corner recognition to pull debris out from awkward edges and corners into its cleaning path.

And like some of the best models, it also has automatic dustbin emptying. The bagless base can hold up to 30 days' worth of dirt and debris. It also has a Recharge & Resume function. This lets the robot return to its base when the battery runs low, recharge, and then pick up where it left off.

Get this robot vacuum deal now.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Booster Display Box is available to preorder for $239.88 at Walmart. That's well below its $261.06 market price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Booster Display Box $239.88 at Walmart
  Pre-order Here

Only a day after the first Amazon preorders for the Pokémon TCG Delta Reign expansion dropped, Walmart has come along with an even better price on the expansion’s biggest booster box. With the new Mega Evolution collection arriving in less than a month, there's now a chance to secure 36 packs for considerably less than market value.

As of Oct. 9, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Booster Display Box is available to preorder for $239.88 at Walmart, sold and shipped by third-party seller RIPMART. 

That puts Walmart $30.06 below Amazon’s now-cheapest listing of $269.94, and undercuts TCGplayer's current market price of $261.06. Even the lowest available TCGplayer listing can’t compete, currently at $261.34.

There's a small catch with Walmart's cheaper preorder. While free shipping is included, delivery is currently estimated for Nov. 17. That's 11 days after Delta Reign's Nov. 6 release. As a silver lining, the preorder price guarantee means you won’t be charged until dispatch (unless paying with PayPal or a gift card), but in this case, all orders will be final and non-returnable. 

SEE ALSO: Pokémon TCG Delta Reign Booster Bundle preorders are live on Amazon — and they're under market price

Delta Reign is a 135+ trading card expansion with the spotlight on Rayquaza and plenty of powerful ex Pokemon cards, including plenty of Mega Evolutions and high-value Special Illustration Rares and Mega Hyper Rares as chase cards. 

Delta Reign’s equivalent Japanese expansion, Storm Emerlada, came out earlier this year. The cards that come out in the Western release aren’t always the same as the Japanese version, but if you’re a Pokemon fan who just loves to collect the artwork, you can view and buy single Storm Emerlada Storm cards right now on TCGplayer.

SAVE $150.04: As of Oct. 8, the Beats Studio Pro are on sale for $149.95 at Amazon. That's a 50% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Studio Pro $149.95 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $150.04   Get Deal

Beats Studio Pro are still on sale following Prime Day, so if you're hoping to snag a great audio deal, this is a great choice. It has risen slightly from its Prime Day low of $119, but they're still down to $149.95, which is 50% off the usual list price.

They are really impressive headphones, designed to give you clear audio in both directions, with voice-focused microphones that help filter out background noise during calls. They also support lossless audio via USB-C and offer three sound profiles: Beats Signature, Entertainment, and Conversation, letting you adjust the listening experience to suit your activity.

Noise cancellation is also incredibly strong, with modes including Adaptive Active Noise Canceling and Transparency, whether you want to block out distractions or hear more of your surroundings.

Another bonus is the battery life. According to Beats, you can expect up to 40 hours of listening on a full charge. Plus, a 10-minute Fast Fuel charge will give you up to four hours of playback, a great feature when you're running low and short on time.

Head to Amazon to grab this Beats deal now.

SAVE $20: As of Oct. 9, the CMF Watch 3 Pro is on sale for $59 at Amazon. That's a 25% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro $59 at Amazon
$79 Save $20   Get Deal

If you've been on the lookout for an affordable fitness tracker deal, consider your search over. The CMF Watch 3 Pro has dropped in price at Amazon, making an already budget-friendly watch even easier on the wallet.

Normally $79, it's dropped to its best-ever price, now just $59. This price applies to all colorways, so you can choose from ash gray, light green, orange, and dark gray.

Despite its low price, this watch has plenty to offer in the way of fitness tracking. There are more than 130 workout modes and GOMORE-powered insights into aerobic and anaerobic performance, training load, and recovery. The watch can also automatically detect seven types of movement, making it easier to log exercise even if you forget to start tracking manually. It also has built-in GPS to provide more accurate location tracking.

Health monitoring is impressive thanks to a four-channel heart rate sensor, round-the-clock heart rate monitoring, and SpO₂ measurements. It even has advanced sleep tracking that provides a breakdown of sleep stages, along with stress monitoring.

This deal is available at Amazon now, but only for a limited time.

Tropical Storm Rachel is threatening to drop several inches of rain on the Southwest this weekend into early next week.

The storm, which has weakened slightly as of Friday morning, is expected to make landfall as a tropical storm late Saturday or early Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service, which offers online storm-tracking forecasts and graphics on the National Hurricane Center website.

Tropical Storm Rachel has 50-mph maximum sustained winds and is currently heading northeast at 3 mph. as of 5 a.m. ET Friday, according to the NHC forecast.

The storm is expected to pick up speed over the next couple of days as it approaches the Baja Peninsula, though little strengthening is expected, according to the National Hurricane Center's prediction cone.

The NHC forecasts up to five inches of rain as the storm moves inland this weekend. The latest forecasts, updated multiple times daily, can be tracked online on the National Hurricane Center website.

SAVE $170.99: As of Oct. 9, the Garmin Venu 3S is on sale for $279 at Amazon. That's a 38% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Venu 3S $279 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $170.99   Get Deal

Prime Day is well and truly over, but the discounts have in no way stopped.

We're still seeing record lows across a number of products, including this latest deal on the Garmin Venu 3S. As of Oct. 9, this Garmin fitness tracker is down from $449.99 to $279, saving you over $170. This is the lowest-ever price for this watch. The watch comes in five colors: French gray, sage gray, ivory, dust rose, and pebble gray, and all colorways are discounted to the same low price.

This Garmin is a great choice if you want a watch with plenty of health and fitness tools, but still want it to look nice on your wrist. Built-in tools include Body Battery, which uses data from sleep, naps, stress, and activity to estimate your energy levels. Its sleep-tracking features also provide a daily sleep score, HRV insights, and tailored coaching.

When it comes to exercise, you can record a wide range of activities, including running, swimming, Pilates, and hiking. There's also a feature called Workout Benefit. This breaks down how each session affects your body, along with recovery time estimates to help you gauge when you might be ready to train again.

This Garmin deal is available to buy at Amazon right now.

SAVE OVER $30: As of Oct. 9, the 100-quart Coleman Marine Cooler is on sale for $99.99 at Amazon. That's $35 off its full price of $134.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Coleman Coleman Marine Cooler $99.99 at Amazon
$134.99 Save $35.00   Get Deal

The next round of sales might be a little way away, but Amazon isn't holding off until then to drop more deals. Actually, if you're searching for discounts on outdoor items, there are plenty of deals still live after Prime Big Deal Days.

Coleman's 100-quart Marine Cooler is one of the best. It's still sitting at its Prime Day price, though probably for not much longer.

As of Oct. 9, this Coleman cooler is still on sale for $99.99 at Amazon post-Prime Day, a $35 price cut from its normal list price. It's not exclusive to Prime members, which is an exciting bonus. However, its "limited time deal" tag indicates the clock is ticking to save, so be quick to add it to your shopping cart.

SEE ALSO: October Prime Day is over: 100+ best deals still live, including $200 off MacBooks and $79 AirPods

This 100-quart Coleman cooler offers plenty of space to store your favorite drinks. It can hold up to 160 cans, so you can stock up for your next camping trip or gathering. It's also fully insulated, can keep ice for up to five days, and features a UV coating that helps protect it from the sun.

Moving it around won't feel like a hefty chore, as it's fitted with sturdy six-inch wheels and a handle to grab and wheel it around. But again, it may not be at this sale price for long, especially the further away we get from Prime Big Deal Days.

Be quick to save $35 on Coleman's 100-quart Marine Cooler while it's still on sale at Amazon.

Hurricane Isaias could reach Category 3 this morning as it approaches landfall on the Gulf Coast.

While the forecast calls for the storm to weaken slightly ahead of landfall, the storm is still expected to make landfall as a hurricane late Friday or early Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service, which offers a suite of online storm-tracking forecasts and graphics on the National Hurricane Center website.

As of 5 a.m. ET Friday, Hurricane Isaias has 110-mph maximum sustained winds and is moving north-northeast at 15 mph. It's located about 200 miles away from the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to the NHC forecast.

The National Hurricane Center's prediction cone shows the storm turning north today as it approaches the Gulf Coast.

Most of the spaghetti models predict the storm will make landfall between Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida, according to storm tracking site Cyclocane. It's important to remember that the impacted areas are far larger than the plotted points of a spaghetti model.

Hurricane warnings are in place from Ocean Springs, Mississippi to the Bay and Gulf County lines in Florida, with tropical storm warnings extending even further east and west of the storm's path. A storm surge warning is in effect from between the Mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River.

A spaghetti model is a collection of storm-tracking forecasts that plot their predictions of a storm's path, all overlaid on a map to provide an estimated visual track of the storm.

The latest forecasts, updated multiple times daily, can be tracked online on the National Hurricane Center website.

TL;DR: Iniu has launched its all-new Rugged 10,000mAh Power Bank for $54.99 on Amazon, with an exclusive $49.99 introductory price on the Forest Camo version at Target. It packs 45W fast charging, dual USB-C ports, IP67 waterproofing, and built-in emergency lighting into a trail-ready 6.9-ounce frame.

Opens in a new window Credit: Iniu Iniu Outdoor Rugged 10,000mAh Portable Charger $54.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now

Portable chargers are great until you get caught in an unexpected downpour or find out the hard way that dust ruined your charging port.

Iniu has debuted its Rugged 10,000mAh Power Bank, built specifically for day hikes, cycling routes, and weekend camping trips. This trail battery cranks out 45W fast charging from a lightweight 6.9-ounce shell wrapped in thick silicone armor.

It carries an IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating to survive full submersion and muddy campsites, plus military-grade drop protection for falls up to 3.9 feet. A sealed rubber flap keeps grit out of the dual USB-C ports, which deliver enough juice to give an iPhone 17 roughly 1.7 charges.

What makes this power bank practical on a trail is how effortlessly you can mount it to your gear. It comes with a detachable carabiner so you can clip it onto your backpack straps for easy access on steep climbs. If you are on a bike, there is an integrated 1/4"-20 tripod thread built into the frame, letting you screw the battery straight onto handlebar mounts to feed continuous power to a GPS unit or bike light during long rides.

Credit: Iniu Credit: Iniu

Iniu also tossed in an integrated emergency LED flashlight on the side with three distinct settings: a steady white beam for searching inside your tent, a steady red light to preserve your night vision, and a flashing red beacon for emergency signaling.

Snag the Iniu Rugged 10,000mAh power bank and upgrade your next hike with reliable, trail-tested power.

If you grew up in Spain or know your arts, you'll likely know Federico García Lorca. If not, be seated. The iconic, Granada-born 20th century poet and playwright — a friend of Salvador Dalí, and a gay man — lived during the Spanish Civil War, a time when political violence was rife and queerness was persecuted. 

Lorca began writing the play La Bola Negra in 1936, the first year of the war between Republicans and Franco's fascist Nationalists — and the same year he was murdered by right-wing Nationalists. And it's this piece of unfinished theatre that lies at the heart of Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi's extraordinary 2026 film, a magnificent epic that draws threads between Lorca's work and the Spanish gay men connected to it. 

SEE ALSO: 'Behemoth!' review: Pedro Pascal's cellist drama is (mostly) music to our ears

It's a devastating film that will leave you heartbroken, for sure, but it's a vital, transcendent experience. With exemplary performances, transfixing cinematography, and a non-linear narrative fuelled by a family mystery, La Bola Negra brings lost pages of queer, literary, and political history to life. And we won't be forgetting that musical appearance from Penélope Cruz anytime soon, either.

La Bola Negra humanises history, drawing threads from the Spanish Civil War to the present.

A film of three contexts, La Bola Negra connects gay men across time within Spain: Carlos in 1932, Sebastián in 1937, and Alberto in 2017. Here, Calvo and Ambrossi, with fellow screenwriter Alberto Conejero, run parallel to Mascha Schilinski's Sound of Falling, with both films weaving a complex tapestry of characters across time. But here, thanks to editor Alberto Gutiérrez, these men's stories are directly connected, and it's the puzzle of the film to bring them together.

We first meet Sebastián (an exceptional debut from Álvaro Lafuente Calvo, aka musician Guitarricadelafuente), who is forced into the Nationalist army. We meet this gentle trumpet player in a shocking opening scene in which his northern Spanish village in Cantabria is destroyed by Italian forces. It's a sequence visually reminiscent of Pablo Picasso's 1937 masterpiece Guernica, the nearby site of similarly devastating Civil War violence (and painted in the same year as Sebastián's storyline). Horses run in terror, homes burn, children mourn slain mothers, and Nationalist soldiers surround the village, as Raül Refree's haunting choral score sounds.

Forced into the ranks of fascists, Sebastián is assigned to a Nationalist army hospital near key battleground Santander, where truckloads of wounded bodies arrive daily, very few alive. He's ordered to guard injured Republican lieutenant colonel Rafael Rodríguez Rapún (a wonderful Miguel Bernardeau), a prisoner of war peeled from the pile. No hate in his heart, Sebastián feels drawn to this beautiful stranger, supposedly the enemy. As for Rafael, he holds the key to the whole triptych, the heart of La Bola Negra itself.

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Second, we meet the young Carlos (talented newcomer Milo Quifes) in pre-war Granada, rejected from an aristocratic casino because of his homosexuality. Third, with a rattling cut to modern smartphone technology, we meet Alberto (an excellent Carlos González) in the near-present, a historian and playwright whose casual Grindr dalliances are interrupted by an unexpected family inheritance. Such a mystery sends him on a quest into the past — and into uneasy conversations with his chaotic mother (a flawless Lola Dueñas). 

How these three storylines connect is the true magic of La Bola Negra, with each tale shedding light on the other, and building a powerful portrait of queer identity across decades.

La Bola Negra weaves queer desire through decades.

Like Glenn Close's historian character in the film (she's in it!), La Bola Negra is more concerned with the people between the historical events, especially those of the LGBTQ community, existing surrounded by violent heteronormativity and political chaos. Each storyline simmers in the Spanish heat, with all three mainly set in the height of summer in Granada, Santander, and Madrid.

A profound, steamy connection in the aftermath of violence, the forbidden love story between Sebastián and Rafael simmers with longing, melancholy, and inevitability, with director of photography Gris Jordana exquisitely crafting a glimmer of desire in a hopeless place. In the film's sparkling musical highlight, a dazzling Penélope Cruz plays Nené Romero, a cupletista who performs for the rowdy Nationalist troops and opens Sebastián's perspective to the queer experience. (This performance feels deeply linked to Marlene Dietrich's performance in Witness for the Prosecution as the military crowd grows more and more aggressive). 

In Granada, the socially rejected Carlos finds solace with fellow outcasts in sweaty tavernas with his friends, the openly queer Lorenzo (Mario Silva) and painfully tempting Enrique (Hugo Welzel). And in the 2010s, Alberto's queerness is inextricable from his everyday existence, living a full life in Madrid with his beloved Juan Pablo (a wonderful appearance from Problemista's Julio Torres), a historian hesitant to investigate his own story.

And while you're figuring out the connection between all three storylines, and surviving the tragedies within them, the film thrives from some of the most jaw-dropping production design you'll see onscreen.

La Bola Negra boasts exquisite historical (and surreal) production design.

Giving you a complicated glimpse into Spain during the Civil War, art director Roger Bellés and costume designer Ana López Cobos have crafted something truly staggering — particularly within the two storylines set in the 1930s. The bloody halls of wartime in Sebastián's narrative are set against cocktail-abundant Granadan casino parlors in Carlos' story, the spilt blood and festering wounds of the army hospital contrasting with pure pre-war decadence. The film also plays with surrealism through some stunning sequences, particularly in Carlos' storyline.

And beneath all of this, Lorca's poetry and prose burns, the inspiration for such an ambitious triptych. In La Bola Negra, Calvo and Ambrossi not only pay tribute to the Spanish icon, but examine common threads through queer history, ask important questions of inheritance and secrets, and craft a love story so real and devastating you'll be unlikely to forget it. It's probably best expressed by Lorca himself, who makes an appearance in the film courtesy of the magnetic Alberto Cortés. "This country has too many love stories buried in the fields," he says of Spain, but really, you could be anywhere. 

La Bola Negra was reviewed out of BFI London Film Festival. It will open in NYC and L.A. on Oct. 16.

Jordan Firstman has forged his reputation in comedy with a spiky and unapologetically queer sense of humor, as seen in his writing for Search Party, and his performances in Sebastián Silva's dark comedy Rotting in the Sun, and Rachel Sennott's chic satire I Love LA. Firstman stays strongly on brand with his directorial debut, Club Kid. But this New York City story is also a hopeful fairy tale about growing up and getting your shit together. 

Smartly cast and full of energy, Club Kid is a feel-good movie that doesn't fall into the trap of being overly sentimental. It's far less broad that Big Daddy, Mr. Mom, or Three Men and a Baby, and exponentially more queer. But reflective of the film itself, it's the throbbing heart at its core that suggests Firstman's perspective is growing as his hero is. 

Club Kid is a comedy for the fuck-ups. Jordan Firstman and Reggie Absolom co-star in "Club Kid." Credit: A24

Imagine someone made a movie about your messiest friend. And if you are that friend, brace yourself to be seen. (We listen, and we do judge a little!) 

Written, helmed, and starring Firstman, Club Kid centers on Peter Green, a flailing party promoter who's spent the last decade or so doing hard drugs, staying out all night, and hooking up with untold men in Manhattan (and perhaps some of the cooler outer boroughs). 

Now in his thirties, this lifestyle isn't as cute as it used to be. Crashing on his couch is Nicky (Eldar Isgandarov), a surly twink who fancies himself a "low-key philosopher." Thrashing his business is his inability to resist the coke and ketamine that he's selling on the side of party planning. Showing up sloppy high to a sales meeting puts him on the outs with his ferocious business partner (Cara Delevingne), who feels smugly superior for being able to handle a bump before lunch. 

It's into all this chaos that Arlo (Reggie Absolom) is dropped. Kirby Howell-Baptiste, in an explosion of British party girl charisma and comedic outrageousness, turns up as Edison, who drops a bomb with a smile. Ten-year-old Arlo is Peter's son, spawned from a forgotten threesome a decade ago. His mom, a Brit he knew as "Innit babes," went back to London, had the kid, got abused by her boyfriend, and ultimately died by suicide. So, Edison reasons, Arlo belongs to his bio dad now. 

Peter is so bad at adulting he can't even begin to make sense of this. But he does give the kid a place to stay and begins to grow attached. They bond over music. And being raised by a mom addicted to the party scene, Arlo is familiar with Peter's world in some vague way, and so quickly wins over a clutch of overgrown club kids, including a beguiling trans DJ called Saffron (Saturn Risin9). 

Meanwhile, Peter sees himself in a new light through Arlo's eyes. Could he be more than a dealer and an aging addict? Could he be a responsible dad? Could he abstain from casual sex and hard partying and settle into a loving relationship with Arlo's therapist (Diego Calva)? Club Kid paves a path where this could be possible, but not without some logical bumps along the way. 

Club Kid shows Firstman has a distinctive vision as a director.  Jordan Firstman directs "Club Kid." Credit: A24

As you might expect of a New York City-set movie premiering at NYFF, Club Kid depicts the city with an authentic intimacy. For starters, the film begins inside an Uber, where the stoic driver (Jamil Zraikat) speaks gently on the phone in a foreign language, before his car is overrun with tweaking club kids who crank up house music and sing along, while their bodies shimmy in feathers, sequins, sweat, and glitter.  

Cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra follows Peter from the cab into a club, where the lights are a bleeding purple neon, and the music blares so loud the theatrical audience might be tempted to cover their ears. Yet, it's clear from Firstman's onscreen thrall that Peter feels at home in this cacophony. Later, after Arlo becomes part of his life, the lights are red, blurring more features, and the handheld camera that once expressed enthusiasm turns panicked. A strobe light that bursts white in a relentless pulse throws the audience into a desperate search to make out what's on screen, reflecting Peter's panic as he seeks a missing Arlo. 

In calmer moments, the static camera captures everyday New York events with awe, like flipping through the bins of a vintage record shop, chatting on a park bench with a friend, or moving a gifted piano up an unwelcoming staircase. The use of 35mm enhances the romance of the city, imbuing each frame with the familiar grain distortion many generations still associate with cinema. Firstman and Newport-Berra create a terrific balance of the beauty and unpredictability of New York. So, when Arlo speaks simply of his affection for the city, there's a flush of comfort in knowing he gets it. 

Club Kid is brilliantly cast.  Jordan Firstman writes, directs, and stars in "Club Kid." Credit: A24

First up, Firstman wrote a role for himself that's strategic and well-suited. He gets to deliver the kind of snarky jokes his fans might expect. But then, the plot probes deeper, giving him the chance to earnestly portray vulnerability, worry, adoration, and desperation. This is not a vanity project, as Peter is a bit of a clown. 

Beyond him, casting director Carmen Cuba has selected a superb array of supporting players to build out Peter's chosen family. Delevingne, who has her own reputation as an eccentric socialite, strides smoothly into the role of a party monster. Howell-Baptiste is a one-woman show as the human tornado that is Edison, beaming and enchanting while delivering darkly hilarious dialogue. Risin9 is a standout in the party posse, radiant, warm, and mischievous, like that cool cousin we all aspired to be. Isgandarov is terrific as Nicky, swiftly capturing a familiar queer archetype, then plunging in with jubilant spontaneity. He's perfectly paired with Colleen Camp (Clue), who plays Peter's downstairs neighbor Evelyn, a kind of chosen godmother who has money, scads of style, and a big heart exploding with tough love. 

And then there's Arlo. Absolom, who some might recognize from The Other Bennet Sister, is simply terrific. He offers a open stare that comes off not as naive but knowing. And in that, there's a bit of tragedy. But this child is fueled by hope, hope that tomorrow will be better than the yesterday he's seen. He hopes Peter can be his real dad. He hopes he can weave himself into the club scene, in part because he has a true love of it from his mom's influence, and in part — it seems — so he can ingratiate himself to his newly revealed father. In moments of tension, you see this façade of maturity crack as Absolom and Firstman make sure the audience sees past the precociousness to the simple truth: He's just a kid. He needs a security that he's never known. And the film grows slower and more meditative as Peter grapples with what that means. 

In the end, Club Kid gives an ending that is happy and earned. Firstman doesn't abandon the path in favor of a Hollywood ending that will have audiences cheering. Instead, he delivers something more realistic, but still hopeful and aspirational. It's a happy ending the way New York City understand them, and that's a hard-won gift. 

Club Kid was reviewed out of the New York Film Festival. It opens in theaters on Nov. 6. 

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