90's

I was a little nervous when I read that Jonah Hill was writing and directing a skateboarder drama. Being a skateboarder myself all my life, I really focused on how this movie was. Was it gonna be a wacky comedy or something serious? I walked out of the movie theatre with a massive smile on my face! This movie had the perfect tone to it. You really do feel for the characters and you really feel for Stevie. Growing up a skater, I really related to Stevie in the movie. while it focuses on a little kid becoming a skateboarder, it also deals with a lot of real life problems. Future, health, how hard some people's lives are. And this movie portrayed that beautifully! Hat tipped to Jonah hill! This is a must see not just for skateboarders for for everybody!

As Jonah Hill debut ... bravo ,, he aced it both ways,, directing and writing ,, the movie has solid plot ,, as i was a 10 years old kid, Back in the mid 90's, even though i wouldn't say i relate to the events per say "smoking and drinking and all" but I have just felt it through the lingo, trying to fit in , find your group of friends and the music, Oh my!! the music was and emotional captivation. .. anyway , the script was really good ,, so balanced ,, when it gets somewhat slow, just for a second it picks up real fast..

The cast was amazing ,, don't know how these kids are or how they found them but they did one perfect job,, first time seeing Sunny Suljic ,, wow ,, his face and acting skills we really good,, as for Lucas Hedges "the brother" i mean i knew him ,, i think he was nominated for an Oscar some years back ,, he was good too.. the other kids , F#ck-sh!t, Fourth Grade, Ray they were a perfect fit for the roles. and Na-kel Smith first movie ,, and his emotional scene was wow.

Final say,, I don't think the movie is specifically about skateboarding as much as it's about friendship/ family/ trying to fit in and about life, Just life, so Recommended.

Where "Jonah Hill" places his characters, the way they speak, his direction. All of this speaks to me, cus a lot of us lived through moments like this. The love on display, carrys through any contrivances that you expect from a film like this.

Aside from a couple minor issues I had with this film, I loved it. It just felt incredibly real. I didn't feel like I was watching actors. I felt like I was watching the lives of these kids unfold, and that those lives would just continue unfolding even when the camera wasn't rolling.

When I first saw the trailer for this movie months back it was hard to not see some similarities from Larry Clark's teenage slice of life movies from the late 90s and early 2000s. Once I saw the movie I was pleased to see while some parts may be influenced by Clark, the Mid 90s stands on its own as true winner.

Much like Clark did, Hill has brought in some kids who have no acting experience here to play Stevie's crew. They all really knock it out of the park and add to the sense of realism. The film is short and sweet setting up the main points quickly and then taking some great turns, some of which are a bit dark. I was a big fan of Lucas Hedge's character and how the dynamic of him and Stevie plays out. The soundtrack also is really quite amazing and adds a lot to the film in some scenes. Also Mid 90's may have the best jump scare of the year!

Some people may complain that while the film does have good characters, setting and so on, it lacks a standard plot. While this is true I'd argue that it sets out to tell the story of Stevie in a realistic fashion and gets the job done. While Mid 90s does have some shortcomings like some cliches and some heavy predictability, I didn't feel like they hindered the film much. A strong 8/10.