Mid90s is one of those rare gems that appears seemingly out of nowhere with a cast that would seem destined to fail under the supervision of an actor attempting to make his uncertain debut as a director, but it's somehow managed to be pulled off excellently against the odds.
Featuring a cast that is either not really known at all or simply known for their professions outside of filmmaking, such as skateboarding, Mid90s is an homage to a lost generation, one that many grew up in and will forever remember for its chaotic and troublesome youth, but its remaining innocence from the upcoming plague of technological advancements.
While it is an homage to a specific period, it is far from nostalgia bait -- a good example of nostalgia bait can be seen in Stranger Things or Ready Player One -- it never attempts to thrive on references, it instead attempts to accurately depict the period through language, music, and simple additions through shoes and clothing which are never mentioned or referenced. This allows Mid90s to distance itself from the world of nostalgia bait and tell its simplistic narrative.
In terms of narrative, Mid90s is about youth and attempting to find a place in which you belong. In this case, skateboarding is where these troubled kids find solace. Skateboarding together in various settings every single day, with high aspirations to take the sport to higher levels and escape the world that's around them, one that seems infectious and lacking a future for many. We see the ways in which their surroundings can bring out the worst of them, but how for some it serves as additional motivation to succeed and escape.
At its core Mid90s is a skateboarding film from the perspectives of those who it matters to the most: the amateurs. Those who find solace in riding a piece of wood throughout various environments, encouraging each other to perform and achieve difficult tasks -- does that end part sound familiar? It's also the foundations to a true friendship, ensuring that those around you are always there and encouraging you to do better. A common theme that's displayed throughout the film as well.
Jonah Hill's debut as a director with Mid90s is certainly a strong one, and as said he has said himself: you only get one chance to make a good film as a first-time director.