This October marks one year since actor Jonah Hill’s directorial debut with Mid90s (2018). Best known for his comedies like Superbad (2007) and 21 Jump Street (2012), for his first writer-director credit Hill jumped out the gate with what I’ve deemed a masterpiece. Not to be a fangirl or anything, but I adored this movie the first time I saw it in theaters, and I still feel the same way a year later.
Let’s take a look back at this hilarious yet inspiring nostalgia-driven masterwork of 90s skate culture, set in sunny Los Angeles. I can still recall the day I drove down to Dallas to see an advanced screening of it at the Alamo Drafthouse. On a rainy Tuesday in October, 21-year-old Alex could hardly contain her excitement. Being the person and the skate enthusiast that I am, I just had to see it before everyone else did.
Mid90s tells the tale of an impressionable young teenage boy named Stevie who finds solace and friendship away from his codependent mother and abusive older brother in a group of adolescent skaters named Ray, Ruben, Fourth Grade and Fuckshit. Yes, you read that correctly, there is indeed a character in this film named Fuckshit. But you know what, Fuckshit and his curly blond hair and boyish good looks make him a very lovable character.In the same way that The Sandlot (1993) gives viewers a glimpse into 1960s era baseball and youth culture while following a ragtag group of kids, Mid90s does the same for 1990s skate and youth culture. The film will transport you back to a simpler time before cell phones and social media ruled everything. Viewers will see the world of skating through Stevie’s young, adolescent eyes and that is where the film truly succeeds. Not to get too deep, but Mid90s can actually be seen as representing an allegory for life, as the overarching theme is about finding your place in the world and discovering who and what’s important to you. Bursting with all the right nods to mid-90s pop culture like a hip hop and alternative rock heavy soundtrack as well as baggy clothes aplenty, the film feels authentic in all the right ways. Additionally, Hill’s decision to cast actual skaters, such as Olan Prenatt and Na-kel Smith, over more known actors paid off, as it only added to the film’s authenticity.
I won’t go into a full-blown character analysis, but I do want to give each character their moment to shine. Ruben is Stevie’s first friend among the group and his “in” into the world of skating. Fourth Grade is the quiet one of the bunch and is just happy to be along for the ride; he’s also in to film-making which, spoiler alert, viewers will get a taste of at the end of the film. Fuckshit is easily the most brash one of the group (not surprising…) but he’s a dope skater and a nice kid when you get to the core of who he really is. And did I mention his hair?! Lastly, we have Ray. While just a kid like the rest of them, Ray acts as the father figure to not only Stevie, but the entire group. Ray’s moral compass and passion for skating and where it could potentially take him in life keep him from falling too hard into vices such as drugs and alcohol. Additionally, Ray helps Stevie to feel right at home among the bunch and even pens his nickname “Sunburn.”
Growing up, I was always fascinated, enchanted even, by the nostalgia different decades before my time had to offer. In the same token, I’ve also been enthralled with skate culture for as long as I can remember, so it only makes sense that I would enjoy a movie such as this one. That is why, even a year later, I’m still just as excited to watch this movie and commentate on the joy that it brings me.
With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 81%, Mid90s is certified fresh. It’s currently available on Amazon Prime, so make some popcorn, then go watch it and see for yourself why this trip back to the 90s is such an awesome, amusing and important film for the culture.