Mid90s (2018)

Rating: 6.5/10

Mid90s is a coming-of-age story about Stevie, a misfit who is navigating a difficult home life without the presence of a father and suffering at the hands of his abusive older brother. He soon finds a local skate shop and throughs himself into the LA skate scene, and here starts his journey of self-discovery, street skating, and friendship.

I have to start by saying a huge well done to Jonah Hill. He's created a funny, authentic, and personal film that cinephiles can slot next to all their indie favorites. He has executed this film with such precise attention to detail that it's truly a time capsule. This film has all the nuances of the 90's, through the clothing, brands featured, and the attitude of a generation in the wake of the grunge boom. The decision to shoot on film instead of digital is the cherry on top of this nostalgia cake. A few filmmakers within the past five years have decided to go back and shoot on film, and more often than not, I think it doesn't really make much of a difference, but Mid90's really benefited from this older technology. After watching this, I gained a newfound respect for Jonah. If you want something heartfelt, sad, and inspiring, you should turn your attention to Mid90's.

The themes for mid90's are topics that have been explored numerous times, and there's is not much groundbreaking in that regard. It's difficult being young, feeling like your life's impossible, and you have it so much worse than everyone else… it's a story we have seen time and time again. However, what the story might lack in originality, it makes up for in authenticity. These areas are so often explored by filmmakers because they are so infinitely relatable. Because of this, I don't think I will ever get bored of consuming stories of this nature. Sunny Suljic is absolutely captivating as Stevie, and I can say without a doubt that this kid has a huge future ahead of him if he keeps churning out performances like this. He painted a beautiful picture of a kid being in awe of the "cool kids", looking up to them and being inspired by them while being so vulnerable. This character is so complex with so many nuances, and Sunny does a perfect job of letting them all shine through. The themes of an absent role model, self-harm, and the attitude of a young skater finally finding his place in the world are so powerful.

I couldn't help but feel like the rest of the actors were not quite as captivating as Sunny. It turns out that's because they are skaters, not actors. I think this is another testament to how vital authenticity was to Jonah. To be clear, these guys aren't as good as Sunny, but by no means are they bad. In fact, considering they are not full-time actors, they did a fantastic job. In an interview with Complex Jonah Hill said he wanted to create a message to everybody that caring about something, that having ambitions and wishing to be successful in life doesn't make you a loser. It makes you the opposite of a loser. This is something he touched on beautifully and is a beautiful message to leave the audience.

Conclusion

You don’t need to be a skater to appreciate this film, it offers all you can want from a coming-of-age story and more. But, if you are a skater, you’ll find a lot here that will make you feel seen. Either way, Mid90s is worth every minute of your time.