A vivid, emotionally observant coming-of-age snapshot with strong atmosphere, naturalistic performances, and a convincing sense of adolescent drift. It’s rough around the edges by design, but the skating, music, and lived-in details give it real momentum.
mid90s
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Drama · Comedy
Fri · 1h 26m
Director: Jonah Hill
Starring: Sunny Suljic, Katherine Waterston, Lucas Hedges
Overview
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.
Director
Jonah Hill
Cast
Sunny Suljic, Katherine Waterston, Lucas Hedges
Curator Review
Verdict
A vivid, emotionally observant coming-of-age snapshot with strong atmosphere, naturalistic performances, and a convincing sense of adolescent drift. It’s rough around the edges by design, but the skating, music, and lived-in details give it real momentum.
Best for
coming-of-age dramas
skate culture stories
1990s nostalgia
naturalistic ensemble acting
messy teen friendship dynamics
Skip if
you want a tightly plotted story
you dislike lo-fi or grainy visual style
you need a clean moral viewpoint
you’re sensitive to crude language and adolescent sexual content
Overview
mid90s works best as a memory piece: less a plot-driven drama than a summer spent inside a kid’s head while he tries on new identities. The skate-shop hangout energy feels authentic, and the film captures the thrill of being accepted by older, rougher kids even when that acceptance is clearly dangerous.
Worth noting
What gives it weight is the contrast between freedom and damage. The home life is bruised, the friendships are volatile, and the movie keeps finding small moments of tenderness inside all the posturing. The performances, especially from the young cast, do a lot of the heavy lifting.
Bottom line
It’s not flawless, and some viewers will find the style a little self-conscious or the narrative too loose. But if you respond to mood, texture, and the uneasy poetry of adolescence, it lands hard.
Top Letterboxd reviews
LetMeExplain (4★) · 9378 likes
The scene between Stevie and Ray
Laura (4★) · 5686 likes
every time i watch this i fall in love with fourth grade.. just want to hang out with him & his gecko and encourage him to make his strong baby film 😔
james💫 (3★) · 5092 likes
There’s a character named Fuckshit
Lucy (2★) · 4805 likes
“you’re just a little fucking kid” i’ve been avoiding reviewing this for days. don’t get me wrong, at first i was enjoying this on the surface, but underneath, i found it dry and lifeless. the only source of true energy is what the kids bring to the table and the natural chemistry they bounce around during a scene. otherwise, it fell completely flat. the throwback style of the grainy and colorless variety gets old fast. the plot is non-existent and… more
Sarah🐉 (3.5★) · 4496 likes
“A24 says it’s my turn to use the f slur” - Jonah Hill
Themes
coming of age, male adolescence, friendship, family dysfunction, class and neglect, skateboarding, identity formation, peer pressure
Topics
coming-of-age, teen drama, skate culture, 1990s, nostalgia, indie realism, male friendship, family trauma, ensemble cast, slice of life