‘Kid’ Film Review: A Look at the Creative Process

Ryan J. Smith’s Kid is an earnest, straightforward look at the creative process which holds its story together despite some awkward bits.

Kid follows music producer Henry (Harry McLafferty) as he tries to compose his debut album. His relationship with a young girl named Roxy (Rhiann Millington) is a bit of a distraction from his songwriting, but she also serves as his muse and supporter as he creates his greatest work. Henry is a character people want to root for and his knack for music feels believable, which adds to the idea of how this work came from the heart. As a still new director, Ryan J. Smith appears to be injecting a bit of himself into this movie. 

What makes Kid work is its realism and honesty when displaying the creative process. People can support but also distract from making a true masterpiece, and the frustration with never getting things exactly right will always be a problem no matter what one is creating. What helps is how the songs performed in the film are all great, and worth listening to on their own. The dialogue scenes do go on a bit long and many of them can interrupt the flow and pacing of the dialogue free moments, but overall they do not drag the movie down too much. 

The cinematography makes this film a bit confusing. At times, it is shot like a horror movie, with dim lights and intense closeups to read the character’s faces. This adds a sense of intimidation and tension in a scene where the dialogue does not suggest such high stakes. The opening scene builds suspense by having a dimly lit room with some close, intimate shots, when all it shows is a normal conversation between two characters. Whether or not this contrast is intentional is hard to tell. Either way, Kid is a bit disjointed in its presentation, making the message hard to glean from certain scenes. 

Kid is a movie for the creative in all of us. It may not be perfect, but it is sincere enough in its tone and captures its struggles in a realistic manner without sinking too much into melodrama. Ryan J. Smith, with just his second film, makes a statement and shows a level of creativity and insight in his style. Anyone who has struggled creatively has been at this point in life, and lived this movie. Seeing it on the screen will put their struggles into a meaningful context.

Kid had its World Premiere at the Manchester Film Festival on March 19, 2025.