Movie review: kickflipping back into the nineties with Mid ‘90s
We were invited to go to the preview of Mid '90s in The Roxy Theatre in Koersel. Since there were lots of young skateboarders present, it sometimes felt like we were in the actual movie! Director Jonah Hill succeeded in creating a relatable story for everyone who learned or tried to learn skateboarding at a young age.
Review by Jonathan Wynnyk
The story of Mid '90s revolves around the summer of a 13-year-old boy called Stevie (played by Sunny Sulvjic) living in L.A. Stevie has an abusive brother, a worried mother, an almost always absent father and no friends. When he meets some older skateboarders, he’s stoked to learn how to skate and starts spending more time on the streets.
STEVIE'S NEW FRIENDS
The older skateboarders in the movie are a band of misfit teens who all have their own personal problems. The movie discusses subjects like parental expectations, poverty and abuse. The only thing we missed was a backstory to Stevie's life. The self-harm he puts himself through was something the movie never discussed, it was just there. Also, the ending felt kind of empty, not really giving closure to the movie.
But overall, the darker themes of the movie are well written and really help you connect with Stevie’s mind and his comings and goings. Director Jonah Hill said during a Late Night with Seth Meyers interview that the inspiration for this movie came from his own life and that he related to feeling lonely like Stevie does at the start of the movie. While dark movies aren’t really what you would usually connect with Hill, he knows how to bring it to his audience.
THE CAPTIVATING HOMEMADE VIDEO-STYLE CINEMATOGRAPHY
The homemade video-style filming is something we really loved. While not easy to pull off and having the risk of making your movie look cheap, it really worked in Mid '90s. With a good soundtrack full of forgotten hip-hop and amazing outfits, the movie really brings you back to the '90s. Director Jonah Hill succeeded in creating a relatable story for everyone who learned or tried to learn skateboarding at a young age.
Mid '90s is out now in most independent cinema's.
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