Mid90s

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SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

     In Mid90s, Stevie (Sunny Suljic) lives in Los Angeles with his mom (Katherine Waterston) and older brother (Lucas Hedges). When he meets a group of skateboarders (Na-kel Smith, Olan Prenatt, and others), Stevie embarks on a whole new set of experiences—both good and bad. But his coming-of-age comes at a cost, putting a strain on his relationships at home and his new friendships, too. Mid90s is the directorial debut of Jonah Hill, who also wrote the script.

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     Mid90s is an indie movie in the vein of Linklater’s Boyhood, and like that movie, it’s an insightful portrait of a young man in a very specific context. Hill proves adept at composing short, vivid scenes that say something precise and interesting about what it means to grow up like Stevie. As a whole, the movie operates more like a string of these scenes than a cohesive, deliberate narrative; only a small through-line connects the story from beginning to end.

     If you like this type of movie—comparatively plot-light indie features like Boyhood or even Gerwig’s Lady Bird—you’ll probably enjoy Mid90s. If that’s not your type, you might still get a kick out of Mid90s’ sense of humor, which channels Hill’s usual style but with an appreciably lighter touch. But otherwise, you’ll probably want to steer clear, because Mid90s is way more observational, more “hands-off” than it is narratively driven. In other words, it could be described as one of those movies where nothing really happens (though that’s not entirely true).

photo courtesy of newyorker.com

     Mid90s is undoubtedly a strong, agreeable film, but it’s not the best of its kind. The short runtime keeps it from saying too much, for one thing. It also doesn’t quite know how to capitalize on some of its emotional arcs, leaving several of them unresolved by the time the movie’s (rather abrupt) ending comes around. Limited by these factors, Mid90s is transcendent only within its small scope.

Mid90s is rated R.

TRAILER

Watch the trailer here. 

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