[Film Review] Kiddo (2022)

Set amongst a bleak and certainly grim landscape, Kiddo introduces viewers to a dystopian world where humans are divided into those who eat, and those who are eaten.

Somewhat reminiscent of Agustina Bazterrica’s book Tender Is The Flesh, Kiddo follows a herd of young adults all dressed in pink jumpsuits as they are transported to an unknown facility. One of these humans, her name from which the film is titled, has a connection to the family who are transporting the herd.  She has been kept as a “pet” also being allowed to age by the family’s son, who is soon to join the family business, despite warnings from his father that she is still “one of them”. As the bus transporting the pink clad human beings reaches its destination, Kiddo and another of her kind soon realise this is not a day trip from which they will return and must attempt their escape from a fate most inevitable.

With the thematic undertones splayed out before viewers from the very beginning, Kiddo is a smart and thought-provoking exploration of the meat industry and its treatment of animals, with the young people in pink overalls representing pigs. By species-swapping, it shines a spotlight on the brutal world of raising pigs for slaughter and the practices carried out in the slaughterhouses, as well as the hypocrisy on classing one animal as beloved family pet, and one as food. Pieces of media that portray the horrors of the meat industry sometimes fall into the unfortunate camp of preachy extremism, however Kiddo manages to avoid this pitfall, instead proving to be more of a think piece for those who consume meat regularly. 

Despite being imbued with the cannibalistic tones reminiscent of 1970s exploitation cinema, the griminess of the cinematography that made exploitation films so effective, is missing from Kiddo. The addition of 16mm or 35mm film effects would have really driven home the nauseating shock factor of life for animals destined for the slaughterhouse. Regardless of this single downfall, Kiddo is a short film that really plays to its strengths. Lisa Howard in the titular role is quietly powerful, with a strong performance demonstrated with very little dialogue, relying on portraying the pain and confusion through facial expressions instead. The sound design aspect of the film is of particular note, between the bizarre and surreal opening musical number, to the creepy juxtaposition of jolly circus style music set against the horrific realisation of the pink jumpsuits’ final destination and the inevitable fate that awaits them. 

Kiddo is a twisted and gut-wrenching exploration of the meat industry, depicting the questionable practices and cruelty acted out on animals. Combining a bold subject matter with discernible imagery, Kiddo is definitely food for thought for meat-eating audiences.

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