KIDS 2 OF 5

KIDS A FILM BY LARRY CLARK PART 2 OF 5

****VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED****

The film depicts undisguised habitual and social use of profanity, marijuana, alcohol, nitrous oxide, tobacco, and MDMA, also known as "Ecstasy". The original version of the film was rated NC-17 in the US; an R-rated, less explicit version is also commonly available. Because of its unexpurgated subject matter centering on relatively young teenagers, the film has been controversial, however, it has also been critically acclaimed.

The movie includes a lot of explicit sexual dialogue, and also depicts scenes of date-rape, physical violence, drug dealing, theft, seduction of barely post-pubertal minors, and (non-explicit) teenage sexual displays, as well as (apparently) adolescent actors/actresses in near but not quite explicit exposure.

Film critic Janet Maslin of the New York Times called the film a "wake-up call to the modern world" about the nature of present day youth in urban life. Meanwhile, other critics have labeled it exploitative (in the lascivious sense) as borderline "child pornography".

Still others find it exploitative (commercially and emotionally) of both youth subculture and parental fears of the dangers to and mistakes of juveniles, deeming it an implausible story on many plot points (including the character Telly's seemingly effortless success at seducing multiple virginal females per day into sexual activities, and Jennie's lighthearted amusement at public bisexual eroticism at the rave, just hours after discovering she is HIV-positive, among numerous other examples).