Film Review: Mid90s

Written by Martay Whitfield

Jonah Hill wears many hats in the creation of Mid90s. Mid90s focuses on 13-year-old Stevie’s (Sunny Suljic) teenagedom in the 1990s. Stevie lives in a low-income neighborhood of Los Angeles with children of different ethnicities, experiencing troubles of their own. Stevie escapes his troubled home by making new at the local skateboard shop. Through this group of teens and young adults, Stevie partakes in fun, but dangerous, discoveries.

Stevie’s new friends aren’t the best role models. Many drink and smoke at young ages, leaving Stevie to become a product of his environment. The relationship that you start to build with Stevie is very strong throughout the film, from the opening – when you see a sweet boy trying to fit in – to the ending.

His character development from the beginning of the film to the very end is amazing. In the film, there is a point where you start to see him fitting in with the other guys coming out of his shell. The most powerful scene in Mid90s was when the character Ray (Na-kel Smith) and Stevie have a conversation about the problems that all the boys are having. This sparks the reason that they all stay friends. They learn they can escape from home to skate with one another.

Now, I must admit the beginning seemed very challenging to hold attraction to regarding the plot. It seemed a little forced. However it quickly regains itself and captivates the attention of the audience. This film is full of comedy mixed with heartfelt emotion. This is a good film and I highly recommend it.