Mid90s (2018) Movie Review

Directed by: Jonah Hill

Written by: Jonah Hill

Starring: Sunny Suljic, Lucas Hedges, Na-Kel Smith, Olan Prenatt, Gio Galicia, Ryder McLaughlin, and Katherine Waterston

Studio: A24; 4:3

In 1990s Los Angeles, 13-year-old Stevie escapes his turbulent home life by hanging out with a new group of friends he meets at a local skate shop, plunging him into a world of fun, danger, and excitement.

Making his directorial debut, Jonah Hill tackles a concrete coming-of-age story in a very stylish way! The film is a love letter to the skaters along with everything that was the ’90s. Jonah Hill made the film to be extremely ’90s aesthetic, even having the film’s aspect ratio be 4:3 as if it was presented on a classic television screen. While most directors go for big-budget films for their directorial debut, Hill plays it safe and makes a simple and riveting film. Hill packed so much heart and emotion to something so simple and it’s stunning!

Jonah Hill’s style isn’t the only thing to be blown away by, it’s also his story! Centering the story around this teenager having no friends, a brother that always bullies him, and a single mom can come across as something seen before but it’s how Hill depicts these characters that make his writing so engaging! The main character, Stevie, wants to be cool, he wants to hang out with new people, and he wants to be out of his house. When he meets this group of teenage skaters who live life to the fullest, he starts to be like one of them. At first, it seems like he’s having a blast but then, the conflict appears. A formula sounding simplistic but with Jonah Hill’s writing, his use of comedy and emotion makes it more than just simplistic.

It’s not just Stevie that Hill puts in the most with, it’s the group of teenagers he hangs out with as well. Ray, who’s the “leader”, is fleshed out really well, having a very touching story of why he skates and why he’s best friends with Fuckshit. Don’t worry, that’s only the character’s nickname, but Fuckshit is the comedian of the group and the one who loves to party. Hill did a good job implementing comedy to a character like this. Then there’s Fourth Grade — again, just the character’s nickname — he’s the “Twister Rodriguez” of the group, he’s always filming on his VHS camcorder. Then there’s Ruben, a teenager Stevie first becomes friends with. Ruben’s character, as well, is fleshed out with his backstory being emotional as well. Hill did such a good job at giving these teenagers special traits and life so they wouldn’t be a one-dimensional character.

The tone that Hill sets is very much like most films from A24. It’s very lighthearted, seeing this kid finally have some fun in his life as if it was missing all of these years. The tone carries throughout the movie until the conflict comes into play. Scenes become quieter in sound and in tone. There’s this feeling of being worried about Stevie and what will happen next. It’s good to see Hill switch tones that are different from people know him for.

There’s a message to be had in Mid90s but it isn’t quite clear to grasp. The message could simply be live life to the fullest. Take a risk while you’re young and see what life has to offer you. Maybe the message is don’t get into predicaments you can’t get out of. A situation could happen if you’re not too careful. It really depends on the viewer, a lot of messages can be picked up. Nevertheless, there is a message for sure.

The performances from the teenagers are all really good. Sunny Suljic as Stevie is a delight! Whenever his character is given recognition or something from the group of teenagers, he always cracks a smile, given the perception that he’s accepted and is close with them. Na-Kel Smith as Ray is great, he sees Stevie as someone who just wants to fit in so he treats him as a little brother. Olan Prenatt is good as Fuckshit, he really got the skater who loves to party trait down. He’s very uncensored so he will say what he wants to say … including the words “fuck” and “shit”. Ryder McLaughlin doesn’t say much as Fourth Grade but he did a good job at being the camera guy. Gio Galicia as Ruben was fine, he plays a good part as the one who tries to make Stevie fit in.

Lucas Hedges as Stevie’s brother, Ian, is what you expect a brother from the ’90s to be like. He’s not a role model, he’s always beating up Stevie, and he shows this hatred towards him. He starts to show emotion when he notices that something is not right with Stevie. Katherine Waterston as Stevie and Ian’s mother is fantastic! She seems sweet and caring for the boys and when she sees Stevie starts to change in personality, that’s when the emotion kicks and Waterston delivers a compelling performance.

Production design is a huge aspect here. Clothes, hairstyles, cars, houses, everything looks like it was taken straight out of the ’90s. It feels so refreshing to be transported in an era without smartphones, without social media, or any big technology. Stevie’s room looks the ’90s with posters on his walls and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles bed sheets. It’s really good to see these teenagers just get out of the house and have fun.

The film doesn’t fault to technical specifics issues. It’s well paced, actually going by fast in an 84-minute film. The editing is quite good, including a sequence where cuts follow a rhythm of a song that is being played. It went really well and matched up nicely. The cinematography is amazing, including wide shots of the teenagers skateboarding in the middle of the street as the sunsets. Good work from Christopher Blauvelt. Sound mixing plays a huge role in a dire sequence. Fantastic work from the sound crew. The soundtrack is filled with so much ’90s rock and hip-hop! Pure nostalgia!

There are no major issues here other than the fact that the story isn’t anything new or original. That being said, Jonah Hill adds a little something to change it up a bit. He’s got the setting, tone, and performance to have an outstanding debut!

Mid90s is full of heart, emotions, and laughs. Very lighthearted in its tone, something different from Jonah Hill. He did a great job with these characters, fleshing them out and giving them different traits. Excellent job at depicting a coming-of-age story of a teenager who wants to be free. Superb job from the cast, and Sunny Suljic’s got a bright future ahead of him. A great start for Jonah Hill! Here’s to more if he looks to continue.

82/100