Mid90s — Review
Great Movie
Without a doubt, Mid90s belongs in the same conversation of great films produced by A24 such as Lady Bird, The Florida Project, and Moonlight. Mid90s tells the story of 13-year-old Stevie (Sunny Suljic) who befriends a gang of skaters at Motor Avenue Skate shop in Los Angeles. Stevie is innocent, curious, and the youngest amongst his friends. His friends consist of Ruben (Gio Galicia), Ray (Na-Kel), Fuckshit (Olan Prenatt), and Fourth Grade (Ryder McLaughlin). Ruben was the former youngest member of the group, and early on, bullies Stevie as he tries to make his way into their circle. Fuckshit is the loudest member of the group, always down for a party or live up to his nickname and participate in some “fuck shit”. Fourth Grade has a dream of being a film director and constantly records his friends with a camcorder. Ray, without question, is the leader of the group — frequently shows the most wisdom. Ray is the most serious about skateboarding and he aims to go pro. Although Mid90s is not a film that will likely be well received by a huge audience, the film’s success doesn’t depend on making as many people as possible happy. The film is successful because it captures a particular time and culture so well.
This film is Jonah Hill’s directorial debut, and it’s a film made by a skater, intended for skaters. While being interviewed at the Toronto International Film Festival, Hill said two rules he had for the film were no nostalgia porn and no skate porn. The film is clearly 90s but avoids the pitfall of being a movie over saturated with references from the time period. The soundtrack features artists popular among skaters from the time such as Bad Brains, The Pharcyde, Big L, and GZA to name a few. Each song from the soundtrack is effortlessly stitched into the fabric of the story and serves as a genuine compliment to the narrative. Christopher Blauvelt’s cinematography gives the film a look that skaters from the mid-1990s era would be familiar with. The 4:3 aspect ratio renders a square frame, and Blauvelt uses this square from in conjunction with shooting the movie on 16mm film to give Mid90s the aesthetic of old-school skate videos.
Like many independent films, Mid90s is about Stevie and his upbringing more than it is about a singular plotline. Stevie doesn’t succumb to the peer pressure but is willing to do anything to gain the respect and approval of his friends. A pivotal scene is when Stevie tries to follow a far more advanced skater in ollieing over a huge gap. Stevie smacks his head hard enough after failing the trick that he drips blood from his skull. Stevie begins young and inexperienced but as the film goes on he earns the respect of everyone around him and proves he’s a dude that can hang. Stevie’s mother, Dabney (Katherine Waterston), strongly disapproves of his skater friends and the influence they have on her son. Both Stevie and his brother Ian (Lucas Hedges) distribute boisterously “I hate authority” personalities, which truthfully reflect the skater lifestyle. At its core, Mid90s is sincere representation and appreciation for skate culture. The kids speak without a filter and for an audience member, who grew up without skateboarding, the way boys act and talk could potentially be confusing. But for someone who grew up skating and has apprehensions about this film, this movie certainly “gets it”. The film doesn’t denote skateboarding as a footnote of the 90s, instead, it reveals the beauty in the sport and shows how a simple activity can form friendships and generate a community.
