Mid90s (2018)
Stars: Sunny Suljic, Katherine Waterston, Lucas Hedges
Runtime: 85 minutes
Synopsis: Follows Stevie, a thirteen-year-old in 1990s-era Los Angeles who spends his summer navigating between his troubled home life and a group of new friends that he meets at a Motor Avenue skate shop.
Performances: 7/10
Screenplay: 7/10
Costumes/Makeup: 8/10
Editing: 8/10
Cinematography: 9/10
Score/Soundtrack: 8/10
Verdict: He has proven himself as a comedic actor. He has proven himself as a dramatic actor. And now, he has proven himself as a director. Jonah Hill's debut behind the camera sees him tackling the story of Stevie, a young boy trying to fit in with a group of skateboarders in 1990s Los Angeles. And it was nothing short of impressive.
Through his direction, Hill was able to capture all the emotions felt by our protagonist despite working with a script that could've been more polished. I felt Stevie's entrapment through the very claustrophobic 1.33:1 aspect ratio used. His conflict through the appropriately paced editing. His pain through the lack of music in the concerned scenes. His excitement and freedom through the upbeat score and soundtrack that also beautifully set the period in which the movie takes place. Hill's feature not only deals with the themes of friendship, freedom, and self-discovery; but also serves as a nostalgia-fest that will surely move anyone that grew up in the 1990s. The dialogue, when not cheesy, felt genuine, and the characters' look will fool anyone into thinking that the movie was actually shot 25 years ago.
I thoroughly enjoyed "Mid90s", and that is despite its flaws in its screenplay, which include a few questionable character decisions or an ending that wasn't as satisfying as I was expecting it to be. Jonah Hill truly showed a side of him I never thought I'd ever see, and I will definitely be closely tracking whatever he tackles next.
FINAL GRADE: 8/10
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