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'Mid90s' - Joe's Take

Updated: Oct 8, 2020

2018 I 15+ I 85 Mins I Dir: Jonah Hill


Stevie, a thirteen-year-old in 1990s-era Los Angeles spends his summer navigating between his troubled home life and a group of new friends that he meets at a Motor Avenue skate shop.

Those who grew up in the 90's will naturally find plenty to love about Hill's reflective directorial debut. There is a calming, sentimental approach to the filmmaking here. The whole thing feels very unrehearsed and thrown together in the best way possible (much like the camcorder skateboard videos of the era it's depicting).


The film is shot on 16mm film and displayed in a 4:3 aspect ratio which certainly works to establish the films era and when combined with the observational camera and naturalistic sound design, Mid90s eventually starts to feel a memory and encourages us to reflect on the beauty of adolescence despite it's imperfections.


Certainly worth noting is the young cast who all had little-to-no acting experience when making the film. The performances here could occasionally seem slightly awkward in a different setting, however the approach Hill has taken to create a world that see's the beauty in it's imperfections not only forgives this but relishes in it.


First time director Jonah Hill is clearly pouring his heart into this well crafted coming of age, skateboarding drama. I can't wait to see what he has comes up with next.


Joe Gist

Creative Director


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

BEST QUOTE: "A lot of the time we feel that our lives the worst, but I think that if you looked in anybody else's closet, you wouldn't trade your shit for their shit. So let's go."

FUN FACT: After a test screening, the projectionist said to the filmmakers that it was so cool that they found a movie from the '90s that they were releasing.

IF YOU LIKED: Honey Boy, Lady Bird


'Mid90s' Trailer



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