[Warning: This review contains spoilers.]
The 2018 comedy-drama “Mid90s” provides audiences with an unfiltered and genuine portrayal of the complexities of youth within the skateboarding scene of Los Angeles in the 1990s, exploring themes of friendship, rebellion and identity affirmation.
In “Mid90s” we follow the journey of Stevie (Sunny Suljic), a thirteen-year-old grappling with the challenges of living in a toxic household. Raised by his single mother Dabney (Katherine Waterston), Stevie deals with daily torment from his older teenage brother Ian (Lucas Hedges), whose bullying behavior makes Stevie’s home life miserable.
Stevie was able to find his community of people with similar troubled home lives. This group consisted of local skater kids Fourth Grade (Ryder McLaughlin), Fuckshit (Olan Prenatt), Ray (Na-Kel Smith) and Ruben (Gio Galicia), who work at the Motor Avenue skate shop.
As depicted in the film, friendships possess the remarkable ability to transcend the confines of a negative home environment, enabling individuals to cultivate personal growth and find inner peace.
The film’s social commentary effectively addresses the pressure felt by adolescents to act older and fit in with adults, while also delving into the ’90s skateboarding culture. Furthermore, it incorporates themes of growing up in toxic households and substance abuse, expanding its narrative depth and focus beyond just the skateboarding scene.
While watching the film, a specific line of dialogue from Ray stood out to me, “A lot of the time, we feel like our lives are the worst. But I think if you looked in anybody else’s closet, you wouldn’t trade your shit for their shit.” This advice, not only meant for Stevie’s benefit but also for viewers’, serves as a reminder to cultivate gratitude for the positives in life, even amidst struggles.
I appreciated the use of a fisheye camera attachment in the ending segment of the movie. This extreme-wide shot, reminiscent of the video camera used by Fourth Grade, offers viewers a glimpse of the final product of the summer recap video he’s been working on throughout the film.
One of my only complaints is that the overall pacing of the plotline felt dragged out. The film incorporated a lot of B-roll filler clips of the friend group skating in different areas of town which could have been shorter or cut to help with the film’s flow.
Fun fact: Jonah Hill, an actor known for his comedic roles in other films like “Superbad” and “21 Jump Street,” is the director and screenwriter of “Mid90s.” Some elements of Stevie’s storyline were inspired by Hill’s childhood experiences growing up in the ’90s.
Final Rating – 8.8/10
For those interested in watching movies similar to “Mid90s,” I recommend adding these heartfelt drama films to your watchlist: “Boy Erased,” “Kids,” and “Thirteen.”
