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Mid90s

Mid90s is a 2018 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Jonah Hill in his feature-length directorial debut.^[1] The story centers on Stevie, a 13-year-old boy portrayed by Sunny Suljic, who navigates a troubled home life marked by an abusive older brother (Lucas Hedges) and a distracted single mother (Katherine Waterston) while forming bonds with a crew of older skateboarders in 1990s Los Angeles.^[2] Released by A24 in a limited theatrical run on October 19, 2018, followed by a wide release the next week, the film draws from Hill's own experiences in skate culture to depict the raw dynamics of adolescence, friendship, and risk-taking without romanticizing the era's subculture.^[3]^[4] Shot on 16mm film by cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt to evoke a gritty, authentic 1990s aesthetic, Mid90s features non-professional skateboarders in key roles alongside established actors, emphasizing realism in its portrayal of street skating and peer influences.^[5] The film's dialogue-heavy, episodic structure highlights small, unvarnished moments of bravado, injury, and camaraderie among the group, reflecting causal links between familial neglect, thrill-seeking behavior, and personal growth rather than imposed moral lessons.^[6] Critically, it earned an 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on aggregated reviews praising its energetic authenticity and Hill's assured shift from acting to directing, though some noted its familiarity within the genre.^[7] While not a major box-office success with a domestic gross of $7.4 million against a modest budget, Mid90s garnered recognition including a Golden Trailer Award for best independent trailer and acclaim at festivals like Toronto for its cultural specificity.^[3]^[8] No significant controversies surrounded its production or release, though its unfiltered depiction of teenage rebellion, profanity, and physical hazards prompted parental guidance warnings for violence and language. The soundtrack, featuring period hip-hop and punk tracks, further immerses viewers in the mid-1990s milieu, underscoring the film's empirical nod to verifiable subcultural elements over narrative contrivance.^[7]

Synopsis

Plot summary

In 1990s Los Angeles, 13-year-old Stevie resides in a modest home with his single mother, Dabney, who is often preoccupied with her social life, and his domineering older brother, Ian, who subjects him to regular physical abuse, including beatings over minor infractions like borrowing Ian's skateboard without permission.^[6]^[9] Seeking escape, Stevie frequents the Motor Avenue skate shop, where he observes and gradually befriends a tight-knit crew of older skateboarders: Ray, the skilled and aspirational leader; Fuckshit, the charismatic and irreverent showman; and Fourth Grade, the reserved member who films their antics on VHS camcorders.^[10]^[11] The group dubs him "Sunburn" for his pale complexion prone to reddening, and they immerse him in their world of street skating, hip-hop music blaring from car stereos, crude banter, and spontaneous escapades that capture the raw energy of mid-1990s youth subculture.^[6]^[12] Stevie eagerly attempts skate tricks under their guidance, enduring falls and bruises as he bonds over shared risks and camaraderie, contrasting sharply with his volatile home dynamics where Ian's aggression intensifies amid Stevie's growing absences.^[10]^[9] The crew's adventures escalate to include a raucous house party involving alcohol and marijuana, where Stevie's inexperience leads to reckless behavior and a physical altercation with a peer, heightening his initiation into adult-like temptations.^[6] Emboldened, Stevie pushes boundaries with daring skate stunts to earn respect, culminating in a severe accident that lands him in the hospital with significant injuries, forcing a tense family reckoning as Ian confronts the consequences of their fractured relationship.^[13] Through these trials of friendship, failure, and familial strain, Stevie navigates toward personal growth amid the unpolished freedoms of skateboarding life.^[10]^[6]

Production

Development and writing

Jonah Hill conceived Mid90s as his feature-length directorial debut, inspired by his personal experiences skateboarding in mid-1990s Los Angeles, where he observed the raw dynamics of adolescent crews blending skate culture with hip-hop influences.^[1]^[12] The project stemmed from Hill's desire to portray the unvarnished realities of pre-digital youth, including physical risks from unsupervised skating and interpersonal conflicts, without idealization or contemporary safeguards like helmets and parental oversight.^[14] While drawing on real-life elements from LA's skate subculture, the narrative is not strictly autobiographical, instead synthesizing composite characters and events to reflect broader causal patterns of independence and consequence in that era.^[15] Hill began script development around 2015, emailing the initial draft unsolicited to producer Scott Rudin's office, which facilitated its advancement as a spec script.^[16] Over the subsequent three years, he revised the screenplay through approximately 20 drafts, focusing on authentic, era-specific dialogue derived from 1990s slang, unfiltered adolescent vernacular, and observed interactions among skate groups to evoke the period's unpolished perspectives.^[1]^[17] This iterative process incorporated insights from mentors like Spike Jonze, emphasizing structural games to refine narrative flow and character motivations rooted in real-world behaviors rather than contrived sentimentality.^[17]^[18] The writing prioritized causal fidelity to the freedoms and hazards of analog adolescence, such as street-level decision-making absent digital distractions or instant accountability.^[14]

Casting

Jonah Hill prioritized casting non-professional actors from the Los Angeles skateboarding community to ensure authentic portrayals of teenage skaters, opting to train skaters in acting rather than the reverse approach common in films depicting skate culture. This decision stemmed from Hill's aim to capture unfiltered dynamics among actual youth immersed in the subculture, emphasizing participants who embodied the era's raw energy without theatrical pretense.^[19]^[20]^[21] Sunny Suljic, an 11-year-old proficient skateboarder with limited prior acting experience from The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), was chosen for the protagonist Stevie to convey the vulnerability and eagerness of a young initiate into the skate crew. Na-Kel Smith, a professional skateboarder making his acting debut, portrayed Ray, the group's influential leader, selected for his natural charisma and deep ties to the skate scene. Similarly, Olan Prenatt, Gio Galicia, and Ryder McLaughlin—recruited from local skate spots—filled roles like Fuckshit, Ruben, and Fourth Grade, respectively, bringing firsthand credibility to the ensemble's banter and maneuvers.^[22]^[19]^[21] To balance the newcomers, established actors like Lucas Hedges as Stevie's brother Ian and Katherine Waterston as their mother Dabney provided grounded support, with minimal reliance on celebrities to preserve subcultural fidelity. Hill's scouting at skate parks yielded this mix, fostering age-appropriate interactions among preteens and teens during the summer 2017 shoot, which enhanced the film's realistic depiction of unsupervised adolescent bonds.^[5]^[23]

Filming

Principal photography for Mid90s took place primarily in Los Angeles neighborhoods during 2017, capturing authentic urban skate spots such as the West LA Courthouse Skate Plaza at 1633 Purdue Avenue and streets along Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles.^[24]^[25] The production wrapped in approximately 35 days, adhering to a modest budget of $2.8 million that necessitated efficient, location-based shoots in public spaces to evoke the raw energy of 1990s street skating.^[26]^[3] Cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt employed Kodak Super 16mm film stock, including VISION3 50D for day exteriors, 250D for twilight, and 500T for nights, shot on ARRI 416 cameras with Zeiss Super Speed primes in a 4:3 aspect ratio to mimic the grainy, intimate aesthetic of VHS-era skate videos.^[5] Techniques such as under-exposure, pull-processing at Fotokem, and reliance on natural light minimized setups, fostering a documentary-like verisimilitude while avoiding digital post-production effects for period authenticity.^[5] Skate sequences prioritized genuine stunts performed by the young cast, many of whom were experienced skateboarders, eschewing heavy CGI in favor of practical action that highlighted physical risks integral to the narrative's themes of perseverance and growth through adversity.^[15] This approach, constrained by the low budget, occasionally resulted in real injuries, such as lead actor Sunny Suljic skating despite a prior MCL strain, underscoring the film's commitment to unfiltered realism over safety protocols common in higher-budget productions.^[27] The guerrilla-esque urban filming enhanced the unpolished, immersive quality, with handheld and minimal rigging allowing spontaneous captures that mirrored the improvisational nature of skate culture.^[15]

Post-production and soundtrack

Post-production for Mid90s involved editing techniques that emphasized contrasts between Stevie's domestic isolation and his vibrant street experiences, using jump cuts to alternate between silent, tense home scenes and noisy montages of skating and camaraderie, thereby evoking the fragmented emotional recall of adolescence.^[28] Quick cuts were employed in high-tension sequences, such as the car accident, rapidly shifting from dialogue to the crash impact accompanied by a blaring horn, heightening the adrenaline of physical risks central to the skate culture depicted.^[28] Director Jonah Hill collaborated closely on these choices to maintain a raw, immersive pace reflective of 1990s youth experiences.^[28] Color grading was handled by Alex Bickel at Technicolor PostWorks New York, working directly with Hill to achieve a period-appropriate aesthetic that complemented the film's Super 16mm footage and 4:3 aspect ratio, evoking VHS-era skate videos without digital over-polishing.^[29] The soundtrack curated authentic 1990s tracks to ground the narrative in mid-90s Los Angeles subculture, featuring hip-hop from A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, Souls of Mischief's "93 'Til Infinity," and The Pharcyde's "Passin' Me By," alongside punk influences like Pixies' "Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf)."^[30]^[31] Hill selected these to underscore cultural realism, framing artists like A Tribe Called Quest and Wu-Tang Clan as era-defining equivalents to The Beatles for their generation, ensuring no anachronistic elements disrupted historical fidelity.^[32] Original scoring by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross consisted of four minimalist instrumental pieces characterized by piano motifs, ambient textures, and subtle fluttering effects, used sparingly to avoid overpowering the diegetic audio landscape.^[33] Sound design prioritized natural, on-location elements such as skateboard impacts, urban ambient noise, and conversational diegetic audio during interactions, with strategic silences amplifying emotional discomfort and immersion in a pre-digital era of unfiltered sensory experiences.^[28]^[34]

Release

Theatrical release

Mid90s had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2018, in the Special Presentations program.^[35]^[36] A24 distributed the film theatrically in the United States, with a limited release commencing October 19, 2018, followed by wider expansion on October 26.^[37]^[38] The distributor positioned the release toward arthouse venues and younger demographics drawn to coming-of-age narratives, capitalizing on Jonah Hill's established reputation as an actor transitioning to directing.^[11] Marketing emphasized Hill's personal connection to 1990s Los Angeles skateboarding subculture, with promotional trailers showcasing unpolished skate sequences, period-specific hip-hop, and group dynamics to evoke authenticity over polished sentimentality.^[1]^[39] The international rollout occurred primarily in 2019, including a United Kingdom theatrical debut on April 12 amid constrained screen counts suited to the film's specialized appeal to skate enthusiasts and indie cinema patrons.^[40]^[41]

Home media

The film became available for digital download and streaming on platforms including Amazon Video and iTunes on December 21, 2018.^[42] Physical home media releases followed with the DVD and Blu-ray editions on January 8, 2019, distributed by Lionsgate Home Entertainment in the United States.^[43] ^[44] These editions included a digital copy of the film.^[45] Subsequent international physical releases occurred later, such as in the United Kingdom on August 26, 2019, via Altitude Film Distribution.^[46] By 2025, the title remained accessible primarily through video-on-demand services like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home, without notable reissues or special editions.^[47] ^[48]

Commercial performance

Box office results

Mid90s, released on October 19, 2018, in a limited theatrical run before expanding, had an estimated production budget of $1.7 million.^[10] The film earned $258,157 in its opening weekend across four screens, averaging approximately $64,539 per screen, which marked a strong per-screen debut for an independent release in the specialty market.^[3] ^[49] Domestically, it grossed $7.36 million over its full run, with a multiplier of 2.47 times its opening weekend, indicating sustained performance driven by word-of-mouth among youth and urban audiences interested in skateboarding culture and coming-of-age narratives.^[3] Internationally, earnings added roughly $1.94 million, for a worldwide total of $9.3 million.^[10] This result represented a favorable return on investment for Jonah Hill's directorial debut, exceeding the budget by more than fivefold before distribution and marketing costs, though it did not achieve broad mainstream appeal and remained confined to niche circuits.^[3]

Reception

Critical reception

Mid90s received generally positive reviews from critics, with an 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 228 reviews, and a consensus praising Jonah Hill's directorial debut for its authentic depiction of 1990s skate culture and adolescent camaraderie.^[7] On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 69 out of 100 from 45 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reception.^[50] Reviewers frequently highlighted Hill's ability to capture the raw energy and grit of youth subcultures, with A. O. Scott of The New York Times noting the film's success in portraying tough choices amid challenging circumstances, evoking a sense of nostalgic realism without overt sentimentality.^[51] Critics appreciated the film's unfiltered portrayal of male bonding and its resistance to modern sanitization, aligning with conservative-leaning outlets' commendation of its anti-political correctness stance on era-specific behaviors like casual profanity and risk-taking.^[52] However, detractors argued that the emphasis on stylistic authenticity overshadowed narrative depth, with NPR's review describing it as viewing skater culture through a "blank lens," resulting in an astroturf-like artificiality despite surface-level truths.^[53] Sheila O'Malley at RogerEbert.com awarded it 2.5 out of 4 stars, acknowledging its avoidance of clichés but critiquing the rough, draft-like edges that left themes of violence and growth unresolved.^[6] Some progressive critiques focused on moral ambiguity, suggesting the film's non-condemnatory stance toward homophobic slurs, sexism, and reckless actions implicitly endorses rather than interrogates them, potentially glorifying insensitivity under the guise of historical accuracy.^[54] National Review echoed concerns from a different angle, faulting the film for misrepresenting 1990s pop culture's role in expressing youth alienation, viewing its nostalgia as self-deceptive rather than insightful.^[55] Vanity Fair concurred on superficiality, stating that while atmospheric, the movie has "little to say" beyond evoking period vibes.^[56] Overall, the reception balanced acclaim for visceral immersion against reservations about substantive engagement with its characters' flaws.

Accolades

Mid90s earned recognition primarily within independent film circles for Jonah Hill's directorial debut and its technical elements, though it did not secure major Academy Awards contention.^[57] At the 69th Berlin International Film Festival in 2019, Hill won the Blue Angel Award for Best Director in the Panorama section.^[8] The film was also nominated for the C.I.C.A.E. Award in Panorama.^[8] The film received a nomination for Best Editing (Nick Houy) at the 34th Film Independent Spirit Awards in 2019.^[58] Sunny Suljic, who portrayed the protagonist Stevie, was nominated for Best Young Actor/Actress at the 24th Critics' Choice Awards in 2019.^[8]

Analysis

Themes and motifs

The film Mid90s examines adolescent self-reliance through the lens of skateboarding culture, where protagonist Stevie learns resilience via repeated physical risks and injuries that teach empirical boundaries of capability and failure.^[59] In this subculture, falls and bruises function as direct feedback mechanisms, fostering independence without adult mediation, as Stevie progresses from novice wipeouts to attempted feats like the dangerous roof jump on July 4, 1996, symbolizing a rejection of sheltered existence in favor of trial-and-error mastery.^[6] Director Jonah Hill, drawing from his own mid-1990s immersion in Los Angeles skating, portrays this risk-taking not as reckless but as a causal pathway to personal agency, contrasting with overprotective environments that empirically correlate with diminished grit in youth development studies.^[12] Family dysfunction recurs as a motif, rooted in causal absences: Stevie's absent father leaves a void filled by his older brother Ian's volatile abuse, manifesting as physical beatings and emotional dominance that displace unresolved paternal frustrations onto the younger sibling.^[6] Ian's aggression, depicted in scenes like the bedroom confrontation on Stevie's 13th birthday, serves as an outlet for unaddressed trauma, perpetuating intergenerational patterns without external societal intervention or blame-shifting.^[53] The single mother, Dabney, embodies codependent neglect—self-absorbed in her real estate work and fleeting relationships—failing to disrupt the cycle through meaningful boundaries, as evidenced by her superficial scoldings that ignore underlying causal voids.^[56] Unmediated male friendships emerge as a redemptive motif, with the skate crew—older boys like Ray, Fuckshit, and Fourth Grade—offering raw mentorship and belonging that surrogate familial roles, emphasizing loyalty forged in shared vulnerabilities rather than therapeutic oversight.^[60] These bonds, unfiltered by adult supervision, enable Stevie's social integration and emotional ballast, as seen in group rituals like late-night hangs at the skate shop, underscoring the value of peer-driven accountability in male adolescent rites absent in atomized modern settings.^[53] Recurring 1990s motifs highlight analog-era freedoms—VHS tapes, boomboxes, and unstructured street time—that cultivate resilience through unsupervised exploration, implicitly critiquing contemporary helicopter parenting's causal links to heightened anxiety and reduced autonomy in youth.^[1] The film's period-specific details, such as payphones and absence of cell tracking, motif unscripted play that builds causal toughness, aligning with empirical observations that pre-digital childhoods correlated with higher self-efficacy before pervasive oversight norms emerged post-2000s.^[12]

Directorial style and influences

Jonah Hill's directorial debut in Mid90s (2018) drew heavily from 1990s independent cinema and skateboarding videos, aiming for a raw, observational style that eschewed overt moral commentary in favor of immersive authenticity. Influences included Larry Clark's Kids (1995) for its unfiltered depiction of adolescent rebellion, as well as films like Ratcatcher (1999) and This Is England (2006), which emphasized naturalistic youth dynamics without didactic resolution.^[61] Hill also cited Martin Scorsese's ensemble-driven narratives and Spike Jonze's verité-infused skate documentaries, adapting their techniques to evoke the pre-digital era's tactile rebellion through sensory details rather than narrative judgment.^[62] Technically, Hill employed Super 16mm film stock to achieve a grainy, high-contrast texture that mirrored the era's analog skate footage, enhancing the film's documentary-like realism and distinguishing it from polished digital productions.^[5] Cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt's use of this format captured subtle imperfections, such as visible film grain and dynamic lighting, to immerse viewers in a pre-CGI sensory experience reflective of 1990s Los Angeles street culture. Complementing this, the 1.33:1 (4:3) aspect ratio evoked early television and home videos, constraining the frame to foster intimacy and mimic the boxed-in perspective of period skate tapes, thereby prioritizing perceptual fidelity over expansive widescreen aesthetics.^[63]^[20] Hill's approach rejected prescriptive storytelling, allowing events to unfold with causal consequences inferred by the audience rather than imposed through authorial voiceover or resolution, a deliberate contrast to more interventionist coming-of-age narratives. This method aligned with influences like Kids, where outcomes emerge organically from character actions, fostering viewer engagement through unadorned realism over emotional manipulation or nostalgia.^[1]^[64] By forgoing moral overlays, Hill emphasized empirical observation of youth autonomy, akin to the non-judgmental gaze in Sean Baker's The Florida Project (2017), though executed via period-specific tools to underscore the film's grounded, evidence-based portrayal of risk and camaraderie.^[16]

Controversies

Depiction of language and violence

The film Mid90s features pervasive profanity reflective of 1990s Los Angeles skate culture, including nearly 100 uses of the word "f—k," over 55 instances of "s—t," more than 30 utterances of "n-gga," and repeated homophobic slurs such as "f—s–t" as a nickname for one character.^[65] Director Jonah Hill defended this language as an authentic depiction of how adolescent skateboarders spoke during the era, drawn from his personal experiences, arguing that omitting such terms would sanitize history and fail to convey the raw vernacular that bound diverse crews together amid racial tensions.^[66] While some reviewers cautioned that the slurs risk normalizing derogatory attitudes without explicit condemnation, Hill contended that presenting their ugliness—without modern moralizing—highlights the unlearning process underway today, prioritizing historical fidelity over contemporary sensitivities.^[67]^[66] Violence in the film encompasses sibling abuse, peer fights, and skateboarding injuries, portrayed without tidy resolutions to underscore the physical toll of seeking belonging in hierarchical boyhood groups. Protagonist Stevie's beatings by his brother include punches to the face and body, face-shoving into the ground, and being thrown against walls, while crew dynamics involve brawls and falls resulting in head trauma, broken bones from a car crash, and self-harm attempts.^[65] These elements draw praise for realistically capturing skate falls and fights as rites of maturation, where enduring pain builds status and resilience in an era of minimal adult oversight, fostering independence through unmanaged risks rather than framing all such experiences as systemic harm.^[68] Critics who view the unvarnished brutality as potentially glorifying toxicity overlook the film's intent to expose peer-enforced toughness as a double-edged path to growth, evidenced by Stevie's evolving agency amid the crew's flawed camaraderie.^[68]^[65] In Mid90s, 12-year-old Sunny Suljic portrayed the 13-year-old protagonist Stevie, including in an implied sex scene with the character Estee, played by 27-year-old Alexa Demie during principal photography in late 2017.^[10] The sequence involves kissing and partial undressing but no nudity or explicit acts, reflecting Stevie's awkward initiation into sexual activity as a marker of his integration into the older skate crew.^[67] This casting choice sparked post-release debate, primarily on social media, over the suitability of a child actor simulating intimacy with an adult co-star, citing potential power imbalances and emotional impact on the minor.^[69]^[70] Production followed standard protocols for minors under California law, including parental presence, a closed set, and restrictions on work hours and content exposure, with no reported incidents of coercion or discomfort from Suljic or his guardians.^[71] Director Jonah Hill described the scene as intentionally "harsh" to convey the unromantic reality of such experiences for young boys, aligning with the film's unvarnished depiction of 1990s youth culture.^[66] Critics of the backlash argue it exemplifies retrospective moral scrutiny, projecting 2020s sensitivities onto a 2017 project where artistic intent prioritized causal authenticity—youthful errors leading to growth—over sanitized portrayals, absent any evidence of exploitation.^[72] The controversy highlights tensions between realism in coming-of-age narratives and protective measures for young performers, akin to depictions in 1990s films like Kids, which featured teen actors in mature scenarios without similar contemporaneous outcry.^[73] Proponents of stricter age protocols contend such scenes risk normalizing statutory dynamics, even fictionally, though the film's narrative frames the encounter as a naive misstep with sobering consequences, underscoring personal agency and learning rather than endorsement.^[67] Ultimately, the absence of legal challenges or participant regrets supports the view that supervised, brief intimacy simulations served the story's truth-seeking aim without compromising welfare.

Legacy

Cultural impact

Mid90s contributed to a resurgence in interest for authentic 1990s skateboarding depictions in media, accurately capturing the era's vernacular, low-budget video aesthetics, and communal dynamics as a counterpoint to more polished modern representations.^[74]^[12] The film's use of real skaters in key roles and period-specific brands like Girl Skateboards emphasized subcultural integrity over broad commercialization, prompting discussions on preserving raw skate ethos amid evolving trends.^[75]^[76] Lead actor Sunny Suljic, portraying protagonist Stevie, gained prominence post-release, voicing the character Atreus in the God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök (2022) video games, leveraging his skate background for roles blending physicality and vulnerability.^[77] Similarly, cast members Na-Kel Smith and Olan Prenatt, professional skaters transitioning to acting, saw expanded profiles in skate-adjacent media and music, with Smith pursuing multifaceted careers in skateboarding, hip-hop, and film tied to Los Angeles creative circles.^[78]^[19] While direct effects on skate gear sales were muted—owing to shifts away from baggy 1990s styles—the film spotlighted era-specific apparel and boards, enhancing appreciation for unfiltered subculture over mainstream commodification.^[79] In youth storytelling, Mid90s advanced narratives framing risk-taking and peer bonds as causal to personal resilience, diverging from sanitized tropes and informing indie films' emphasis on gritty, subculture-rooted adolescence in the late 2010s.^[80]^[81]

References

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Jonah Hill on Mid90s, His Directorial Debut, and Making It ... - Vogue
Oct 17, 2018 · Jonah Hill's directorial debut is a coming of age story about feral skateboarding kids in L.A. that's rigorously unsentimental, hilarious, ...
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Mid90s (2018) - Plot - IMDb
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 ...
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Mid90s (2018) - Box Office and Financial Information - The Numbers
Domestic Releases: October 19th, 2018 (Limited) by A24 October 26th, 2018 (Expands Wide) by A24 ; International Releases: February 22nd, 2019 (Wide) (Netherlands)
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Film Review: 'mid90s' - Variety
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Mid90s movie review & film summary (2018) - Roger Ebert
Rating 2.5/4 · Review by Sheila O'MalleyOct 19, 2018 · Stevie, abused by his brother on a daily basis, raised by a mother (Katherine Waterston) too self-obsessed to see what's going on in her own ...
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Rating 81% (228) Original Language: English. Release Date (Theaters): Oct 26, 2018, Wide. Release Date (Streaming): Dec 21, 2018. Box Office (Gross USA): $7.4M. Runtime: 1h 24m.Mid90s | Reviews · Mid90s: Full Cast & Crew · Trailers & Videos
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Mid90s (2018) - Awards - IMDb
Golden Trailer Awards · Sunny Suljic in Mid90s (2018). 2019 Nominee Golden Trailer. Best Independent · Sunny Suljic in Mid90s (2018). 2019 Winner Golden Trailer.Missing: reception | Show results with:reception
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“Mid90s” Film Review & Analysis - Scriptophile
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Mid90s (2018) - IMDb
Rating 7.4/10 (85,691) Mid90s: Directed by Jonah Hill. With Sunny Suljic, Katherine Waterston, Lucas Hedges, Na-kel Smith. Follows Stevie, a thirteen-year-old in 1990s-era Los ...Parents guide · Full cast & crew · Filming & production · Release info
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In 1990s Los Angeles, a 13-year-old spends his summer navigating between a troubled home life and a crew of new friends he meets at a skate shop.
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Oct 26, 2018 · Stevie, a thirteen-year-old in 90s-era LA, spends his summer navigating between his troubled home life and a group of new friends that he meets at a Motor ...mid90s ending is... kinda weird? : r/movies - RedditWow... Mid 90's (directed by Jonah Hill) was really good - RedditMore results from www.reddit.com
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Mid90s: Jonah Hill on His Directing Debut, Hating Cell Phones & More
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Jonah Hill on His Directorial Debut 'Mid90s' - Vulture
Sep 4, 2018 · Get Back Up.” Mid90s is a coming-of-age story set in L.A., so you might expect that it's strictly autobiographical for Hill, but it's not.
[16]
How 'Superbad' Helped Jonah Hill Make 'Mid90s' - IndieWire
Oct 24, 2018 · Hill emailed Scott Rudin's production office out of the blue in 2015 with his first draft of the script. ... And Hill does acknowledge his comedy ...
[17]
Jonah Hill on Writing and Directing Mid90s — and Tips He Learned ...
Oct 4, 2018 · Hill described a game that he and Jonze would play together when they were working on a script for an unfinished project.
[18]
Jonah Hill on His First Film, 'Mid90s,' And What He ... - Newsweek
Oct 22, 2018 · Actually, Jonze's screenwriting wisdom helped shape the entire narrative of Mid90s, which Hill directed and spent three full years writing, ...
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Soul Skaters: The Young Stars of “mid90s” - FLOOD Magazine
Oct 25, 2018 · ... Jonah, who was casting for a movie about young skateboarders in LA. Rather than teach actors how to skate, Hill found skaters who could act.Missing: non- | Show results with:non-
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Mid90's - Jonah Hill Interview (Extended Version) - Vague Skate Mag
Apr 1, 2019 · In anticipation of the release of mid90's in the UK on 12th April we thought it would be suiting to publish the extended version Jonah Hill's interview online.<|separator|>
[21]
Interview: The Young Cast of Mid90s On Getting the Part, Skating ...
Oct 26, 2018 · Jonah's goal was to find skaters and then teach them how to act, instead of finding actors and teaching them how to skate. I was at the skate ...
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Sunny Suljic of 'Mid90s' Checks Out His Favorite Skate Shop
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Jonah Hill On Why Casting Non-Pros In 'Mid90's' Was ... - Deadline
Jan 7, 2019 · "Skateboarding is often butchered in movies," Jonah Hill said during A24's presentation at Deadline's first The Contenders New York event.
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Mid90s (2018) Los Angeles Filming Locations
This is the West LA Courthouse Skate Plaza, a famous skate spot. 1633 Purdue Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90025
[25]
Mid90s Jonah Hill. 2018 Street 5849 Whittier... - Filmap - Tumblr
May 18, 2019 · Filmap Film locations on GoogleMaps. Mid90s Jonah Hill. 2018 Street 5849 Whittier Blvd, East Los Angeles, CA 90022, USA.
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I Tried Making A Film Like Mid 90 | TikTok
jonah hill would spend a lot of time with the film's cast both on and off-set to make the movie more authentic. the movie was filmed in los angeles in 35 days ...
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The Star of 'Mid90s' Falls and Gets Back Up - PAPER Magazine
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Editing Techniques in Jonah Hill’s Mid90s (2018)
### Summary of Editing Techniques in *Mid90s*
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Technicolor PostWorks Finishes Jonah Hill's Debut “Mid90s”
Nov 29, 2018 · Post-production finishing for the film was completed at Technicolor PostWorks New York where colorist Alex Bickel worked directly with Hill ...
[30]
Jonah Hill on How He Got Iconic 1990s Music in 'Mid90s'
Oct 22, 2018 · Jonah Hill explains how he got music from legends like Morrissey and A Tribe Called Quest in his directorial debut, 'Mid90s'.
[31]
Mid90s Soundtrack - playlist by SoundtrackStunners - Spotify
Mid90s Soundtrack ; Tearz. Wu-Tang Clan ; Gyöngyhajú lány. Omega ; Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf). Pixies ; Regulate. Warren G, Nate Dogg ; Where Did You Sleep Last ...Missing: details | Show results with:details
[32]
The 'Mid90s' Soundtrack Is Full Of Hip Hop & Punk & You Can Start ...
Oct 19, 2018 · So a large ambition in making this film was to frame A Tribe Called Quest or Wu-Tang Clan in the same way that the Beatles were framed to our ...
[33]
Review: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' 'Mid90s' Soundtrack
Oct 19, 2018 · Its four short and surprisingly sweet moodpieces are marked by idyllic piano playing, Eno-esque ambiance and tremulant, fluttering sound effects.Missing: details | Show results with:details
[34]
'Mid90s' soundtrack is more than a period piece copout
you guessed it — Hungarian folk rock ...
[35]
TIFF 2018: Mid90s - Solzy at the Movies
Sep 14, 2018 · Mid90s held its world premiere during the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival in the Special Presentations program. A24 will release ...
[36]
'Mid90s': Film Review | TIFF 2018 - The Hollywood Reporter
Sep 9, 2018 · Jonah Hill's directing debut 'Mid90s' watches as a preteen learns the social value of skateboarding.
[37]
Everything You Need to Know About Mid90s Movie (2018)
Rating 4.0 (1) Mid90s on DVD January 8, 2019 starring Katherine Waterston, Sunny Suljic, Lucas Hedges. Follows Stevie, a thirteen-year-old in 90s-era LA who spends his ...
[38]
Mid90s Movie Trailer: Jonah Hill's Directorial Debut for A24 is Here
Jul 24, 2018 · A24 plans to release Mid90s on October 19, which is right around the same time the studio has had awards season success with other coming-of ...
[39]
Mid90s | Official Trailer HD | A24 - YouTube
Jul 24, 2018 · ... director Jonah Hill – Mid90s – Now available for rent or purchase (links below). RELEASE DATE: October 19, 2018 DIRECTOR: Jonah Hill ...
[40]
Jonah Hill on Mid90s: “Being a Filmmaker Is All I Ever Wanted to Be”
Apr 9, 2019 · With his directorial debut Mid90s, out this week, the formidable actor looks set to become an equally formidable filmmaker.Missing: timeline | Show results with:timeline
[41]
Facts - Mid90s - Wiki: The Story of the Shooting, The Plot - Kinorium
Release. Mid90s had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film ... The film was released in UK and Irish cinemas on April 12, 2019. Home media.
[42]
Mid90s DVD Release Date January 8, 2019
Mid90s (2018). Mid90s DVD and Blu-ray release date was set for January 8, 2019 and available on Digital HD from Amazon Video and iTunes on December 21, 2018.
[43]
Mid90s Blu-ray (Blu-ray + Digital HD)
Rating 7/10 Dec 25, 2018 · the release will be available for purchase on August 26. • Mid90s Blu-ray - November 19, 2018. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has officially ...
[44]
mid90s Blu-ray Review - DVDizzy
Feb 25, 2019 · Buy mid90s from Amazon.com: Blu-ray + Digital HD • DVD • Instant Video ... Release Date: January 8, 2019. Suggested Retail Price: $24.99. Single ...
[45]
Mid90s - Blu-ray News and Reviews | High Def Digest
Mar 1, 2019 · The Blu-ray Mid90s comes with a 25GB Blu-ray Disc and a Digital Copy of the film from Lionsgate Films. The disc is housed in a hard, blue plastic case.
[46]
Coming-of-age drama mid90s on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital in August
Jul 23, 2019 · mid90s will be released on main digital platforms on 5th August 2019 and then available on Blu-ray and DVD on 26th August 2019 by Altitude.
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mid90s streaming: where to watch movie online? - JustWatch
Rating 89% (3,373) You can buy "mid90s" on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Fandango At Home as download or rent it on Amazon Video, Fandango At Home, Apple TV online.
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mid90s (2018) Streaming - Where to Watch Online - Moviefone
'mid90s' is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via subscription on Fandango At Home, Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, and Google Play Movies . ' ...<|separator|>
[49]
Jonah Hill's 'Mid 90s' Posts Big Debut at Indie Box Office - TheWrap
Oct 21, 2018 · “Old Man & the Gun,” meanwhile, expanded to 802 screens and grossed $2 million to bring its total to $4.2 million. “Free Solo” expanded to ...
[50]
Mid90s Reviews - Metacritic
Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 45 Critic Reviews ; User Score Generally Favorable Based on 163 User Ratings ; My Score. Drag or tap to give a rating Saved.
[51]
Review: 'Mid90s' Skates Back to a Less Innocent Time
Oct 17, 2018 · It's a movie about making choices in tough circumstances, and for the most part Hill makes pretty good ones.
[52]
Jonah Hill's Mean Streets - National Review
Oct 16, 2018 · Mid90s eschews the larkish qualities of a 1980s teen sex comedy or the fondness of Richard Linklater films such as Boyhood or Dazed and Confused ...
[53]
In 'Mid90s' Jonah Hill Looks At Skater Culture Through A Lens, Blankly
Oct 18, 2018 · Written and directed by Jonah Hill, Mid90s is an astroturf movie, though it's spackled with enough truth to feel like the real thing.
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Review: 'Mid90s' is a nostalgia trip without a destination | AP News
Oct 24, 2018 · Their dialogue is laced with homophobic and sexist slurs, which is surely just as authentic to the period as a DiscMan. But, like so much else ...<|separator|>
[55]
Mid90s: Nostalgia for Self-Deception - National Review
Oct 22, 2018 · Jonah Hill's latest misrepresents how pop culture expresses youth alienation. Mid90s betrays the legacy of the pop culture on its soundtrack — ...
[56]
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/10/mid90s-movie-review-jonah-hill
[57]
Spirit Awards Nominations Led by 'We the Animals' - Variety
Nov 16, 2018 · "We the Animals" scored five Spirit Awards nominations, with "Eighth Grade," "First Reformed" and "You Were Never Really Here" taking four.
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These Are Your 2019 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominees!
Nov 16, 2018 · These Are Your 2019 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominees! · Eli Bush, Scott Rudin, Christopher Storer, Lila Yacoub · Jack Binder, Greg Clark, ...
[59]
Jonah Hill's Directorial Debut "Mid90s" Is As Earnest As He Is
Oct 17, 2018 · Hill is the unexpected product of his own personal 10-year self-directed film school, where he studied under some of the greatest modern ...
[60]
We Talk Skating, '90s Music, Youth Culture and More With Jonah ...
Oct 19, 2018 · We Talk Skating, '90s Music, Youth Culture and More With Jonah Hill and the Cast of Mid90s ... skate scene, family dynamics, and his own puberty.
[61]
#JonahHill said that Kids (1995), This Is England (2006), Ratcatcher ...
Nov 10, 2023 · 433K likes, 15K comments - chrovies on November 10, 2023: "#JonahHill said that Kids (1995), This Is England (2006), Ratcatcher (1999), ...
[62]
Mid90s served as a passion project for Jonah Hill, who was inspired ...
Dec 20, 2024 · Influenced by filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Spike Jonze, Hill aimed to authentically portray 1990s skate culture.
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Mid90s (2018) Technical Specifications - ShotOnWhat
May 24, 2024 · Mid90s was shot on film using ARRIFLEX 416 cameras, Zeiss Super Speed lenses, 2K, 24fps, 1.33:1 and 1.78:1 aspect ratios, and 4K scan ...
[64]
Jonah Hill and the cast of 'Mid90s' on Embracing Authenticity and ...
Oct 18, 2018 · We discuss his desire to avoid nostalgia-porn, the challenge of capturing an authentic performance, and how the 4:3 ratio was necessary to seize that ...
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Mid90s - Plugged In
Oct 19, 2018 · I will give credit to Hill for the realistic vibe of this film, especially its wince-inducing snapshots of emotional and physical abuse. You ...Missing: criticism | Show results with:criticism
[66]
Jonah Hill interview: Mid90s director explains racial, homophobic ...
Oct 19, 2018 · To start with: What about Lucas Hedges, who plays the central character's wayward sibling, said to you “terrifying, abusive older brother”?Missing: absent father
[67]
Mid90s Movie Review - Common Sense Media
Rating 4.0 · Review by Michael OrdonaAug 13, 2025 · Edgy coming-of-age comedy has language, drinking, violence. Read Common Sense Media's Mid90s review, age rating, and parents guide.
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"Mid90s" exposes the violence of boyhood: Teen trauma is a ...
Nov 4, 2018 · “Mid90s” exposes the violence of boyhood: Teen trauma is a masculine rite of passage, too · Jonah Hill shows how the mandates of coolness hurt ...
[69]
Sunny Suljic - Wikipedia
In 2018, Suljic had his first lead role in Jonah Hill's film Mid90s, for which he received a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer nomination.
[70]
The extremely uncomfortable sex scene in mid90s... what did you ...
Feb 19, 2019 · But it was literally depicting statutory rape, additionally the actress was in her 20s at the time, now 31, and they were real life kissing for ...Mid 90's Lack of Controversy : r/movies - Redditr/movies on Reddit: In Mid90s, an 11 year old makes out with a 22 ...More results from www.reddit.com
[71]
Problematic On-Screen Kisses Between Child Stars Much-Older ...
Jun 22, 2024 · Alexa Demie (28) & Sunny Suljic (11) ... In the movie MID90s, Sunny Suljic's character has his first sexual encounter with Alexa Demie's character ...
[72]
Parents guide - Mid90s (2018) - IMDb
Rated R for pervasive language, sexual content, drug and alcohol use, some violent behavior/disturbing images - all involving minors. Sex & Nudity: Mild.Missing: criticism | Show results with:criticism
[73]
'Mid90s' Uses a Super-Uncomfortable Sex Scene to Make Its Young ...
Oct 25, 2018 · So, clearly she is no longer 12, which means that whatever age she is, she is certainly older than Suljic's 11. Which makes this sex scene even ...
[74]
'Mid90s': Jonah Hill's Film Strives for Authenticity - The Atlantic
Oct 17, 2018 · For Stevie (Sunny Suljic), the main character in Jonah Hill's film Mid90s ... scene revolving around an early sexual experience for Stevie.
[75]
Video Days: How Jonah Hill Got Skateboard Culture Right in 'Mid90s'
Oct 18, 2018 · The first-time director talks about the challenge of accurately depicting the skater lifestyle—something very few feature films have succeeded ...
[76]
the 90s skate looks and brands that inspired jonah hill's 'mid90s'
Apr 11, 2019 · Here are some of the brands and looks that inspired Hill's directorial debut, many of which were painstakingly reproduced from the era by costume designer ...
[77]
The Flourishing of Skate Culture in a Sellout Era | The New Yorker
Oct 29, 2018 · Carrie Battan writes about a recent crop of authentic movies about skate culture, including Jonah Hill's “Mid90s,” Crystal Moselle's “Skate ...
[78]
Sunny Suljic on Acting, Mid 90's, & Becoming Atreus in God of War
Jan 11, 2024 · You've seen him in the movies, now he's here with Gary Rogers. Listen in as Sunny Suljic talks about skating, starring in 'Mid 90's, ...
[79]
Na-Kel Smith: A Day in the Life of a Renaissance Man - Highsnobiety
Oct 16, 2019 · Na-Kel Smith is a polymath. Spending his youth skateboarding in the sunshine and traffic of LA, he weaved his way between cars and career ...
[80]
Can Jonah Hill's 'Mid90s' Movie Impact Skate Shoe Sales? - Yahoo
Oct 18, 2018 · “The biggest challenge for 'Mid90s' to impact skate shoe culture is that skate fashion as a whole has moved on so much since the '90s. It used ...
[81]
This Dark Film Sets Itself Apart From Other A24 Coming-of-Age Movies
Aug 17, 2024 · This Dark Film Sets Itself Apart From Other A24 Coming-of-Age Movies. Sunny Suljic as Stevie in Mid90s Image Via A24.
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"Mid90s" Is The Biggest Skateboarding Movie Of The Year, But It's ...
Nov 3, 2018 · Like its adolescent hero, Mid90s doesn't inhabit its community of skaters so much as it uses it as an accessory, a look, and a means of ...