Mid90s

Directed by Jonah Hill | Comedy, Drama | 1h 25m

“F*** s*** that was dope” is characteristic of Jonah Hill’s gritty yet funny writing style, and encapsulates this film perfectly. Written and directed by Jonah Hill, Mid90s is raw, real, and perfectly unsentimental. I had no idea what to expect from a film about kid skaters in the 90s, and so I went in with absolutely no expectations. By the time I left, I was thoroughly winded from all the ups and downs that the film had taken me through.

Shot in 4:3 aspect ratio with a cast of real skaters but amateur actors, the film is anything but traditional cinema. Hills’ directorial debut is less about skating or the 90s, and more about 13-year old Stevie’s struggles with life and his relationships with a his new skater friends from the streets. The film is dominated by small moments between characters — a glance, a skateboard trick, a hit from a joint, the hopeless sound of a fist crunching into a face. By doing so, Hill creates a film without a framework. Unlike many other period pieces, little time is spent on a self-conscious effort to the bring back the 90s by imagining its aesthetic and mannerisms. Mid90s opts to flow quietly and minimalistically throughout its duration, letting its actors and their dialogue set the tone. It is content with just happening: it doesn’t try to present any grand narrative or fill the frame with sappy nostalgia, and it certainly doesn’t try to censor itself.  Instead, the perfectly undramatic story really takes the audience into the lives and hearts of the boys it features.

To call the film undramatic is not, however, to call it flat or easygoing. Hill proves himself a master of making the audience intensely uncomfortable. There were a couple times when I felt so much empathy for the characters that I nearly choked, and I think those moments were balanced well by quieter scenes.

Filled with uncomfortable scenes and tensions that draw attention to the funny and incoherent contradictions that make growing up so messy, Mid90s is gritty, beautiful, and a must watch for anyone who loves indie film.