I think when my generation first watched the film Kids, we felt like someone understood us. Although it a lot of people had issues with the context, it wound up grossing millions at the box office and becoming a favorite for teens all over the world.

Written by Harmony Korine and directed by the one and only Larry Clark, Kids gives you a sneak peak into the lives of a group of kids living in New York City. The story focuses on the rising HIV epidemic in the mid 90s and how young people continued to be irresponsible about sex. As nature takes its course, reality hits after one of the girls learns she tested positive for HIV and she searches for the boy who gave it to her. Watching this unfold through the characters gives you a sense of sadness and allows for a special kind of empathy towards this particular generation.

Filmed in a documentary type style, Larry Clark did an amazing job at capturing New York City street life and how kids saw the world at that time. I am personally part of this generation and know first hand the scene and style of the film. The characters were all played by first timers, most of which were just city kids with no experience, who we all know now to be rising actors in the field. Kids started the successful relationship between Clark and Korine, who have continued to work together on other films such as Bully and Ken Park.

The color palette for the film is pretty much as true as it gets. The dark neutrals of the city streets with the accent of nature inspired hues from local parks and greenery. The pops of color come through by the wardrobe of the characters and various storefronts in certain scenes. Exploring the everyday issues and hardships of generation x as well as the unbreakable feeling most of us felt when we were young in such a straightforward way was truly a sight to see. All in all, the film was a breaking point for story telling, giving all of us kids a voice to be reckoned with.