Mid 90’s

Oh Jonah Hill. Look how far you’ve come from Super Bad. I’m not going to lie, I was very wary of seeing this film. Mainly because Jonah Hill as a writer/director of a drama? C’mon, I know I’m not the only one who was skeptical. I’m happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It’s set in, you guessed it, the mid 1990’s in Los Angeles. We are introduced to thirteen year old Stevie (Sunny Suljic) who is kind of a loner. That is until he meets a gang of older and cooler teens who skateboard. Stevie buys a skateboard and soon becomes a member of the group. It’s an interesting look at growing up and struggling to find your place in the world. It’s also an ode to the 90’s and skateboard culture but Hill does a good job of avoiding cheesy nostalgia. Easily the best part of the film is Suljic whose slight frame and intense desire to fit in made me root for him. I also loved Na-Kel Smith’s performance as Ray, the quintessential leader of the group. Smith was a definite scene stealer and added a charge of emotion to even mundane scenes. The film is only 90 minutes so even if you wind up hating it, it won’t waste too much of your life. But I tip my cap to Jonah Hill for what I consider to be an excellent first film.

Film or movie: Film
You'll like this film if:
1. You are into skateboarding
2. You grew up in the 90's and want to relive those cell phone free years
3. You like coming of age stories