A few days ago I was extremely blessed to go to the World Premiere of Jonah Hill's Directorial Debut, Mid 90s.
The film has a sunny aesthetic and good-times vibe much like Richard Linklater or Harmony Korine’s early work, mixed with raw, emotional undercurrents. The 4:3 ratio added so much depth to the world building, as it felt exactly like something you would quite literally see on the television in the 90’s, with some nice scratches on the film that add even more raw element. The soundtrack was full of delightfully thought out tunes - that I’m not sure will stay in the public release, but, WOW - that suggest an eagerness to play around with various styles while still providing exactly what this specific film needs. It’s fun, haunting, and moving in equal measure. The film is very much rooted in skate culture, but Jonah also did a terrific job making it stay universal by tapping into all of the places that we hit growing up. There are so many banal moments in our childhood and teenage years that shape us into who we are, and this film hit them on the head. I have always been a fan of Jonah Hill through my shared love for comedy, but he just gained a huge fan of his Directorial work as well. If this is his first feature length film, I cannot wait to see where he goes from here. I also cannot wait to discuss this film with EVERYONE I KNOW! It’s a must watch (and by must watch I mean, it’s going to be a cult classic that people will want to see over and over again). xx
