In 2017, the conversation in Hollywood was dominated by two directorial debuts: Jordan Peele's Get Out and Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird. While Guillermo del Toro ended up being the big winner at the Oscars with The Shape of Water, Peele and Gerwig put their unmistakable stamp on a great year for film, albeit in very different ways. Peele announced himself as a new horror auteur, someone who could craft a blend of satire and genre thrills in a fresh, exciting package. On the other hand, Gerwig came into her own as a master of the modern indie after years of screenplay work, creating a hilarious and heartfelt mini-masterpiece.
When it was revealed that Oscar nominated actor Jonah Hill would be making his directorial debut for A24 (the same studio as Lady Bird) in 2018, his new film immediately drew comparisons to Gerwig's instant teenage classic. Could Mid90s emerge as a coming-of-age sleeper hit in the fall? Watch the first trailer below!
After watching this trailer for the first time, I wasn't really sure how to feel. It felt like Hill was stretching for a potentially unattainable sense of edginess, from both the perspective of content and craft. This is a very R-rated first look at Mid90s, filled to the brim with f-bombs and a sense of visceral intensity. Obviously I don't have any problem with that, but it felt like a statement right off the bat. Then there are the eye-catching cinematic grace notes, including the Academy aspect ratio and the apparent cinéma vérité style, serving to create a blend of documentary and fiction. These are fine ideas on paper, but something felt off about the execution on first glance.
But I watched the trailer again, and I've warmed to what Hill is doing here. Mid90s looks more experimental than I expected from his debut, which is always a welcome decision by a new director. There's a tangible sense of time and place on display here, like Hill went back in time and shot this movie in that era. Perhaps best of all, it appears that he's picked two incredible actors to lead his debut. Sunny Suljic will probably always be the kid from The Killing of a Sacred Deer to me, but he looks phenomenal as young Stevie. And of course, it goes without saying that Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges seems to give another terrific performance as Stevie's twisted older brother.
Mid90s is going to be a tricky, uncomfortable watch, but I'm putting my trust in Hill and A24. It appears that the actor-turned-filmmaker has made something truly bold with his debut, and I'm interested to see how it all plays out. Could we see Hill's film listed as part of the TIFF lineup this morning? I've got my money on a world premiere at the festival.
Mid90s opens on October 19 in limited release.
When it was revealed that Oscar nominated actor Jonah Hill would be making his directorial debut for A24 (the same studio as Lady Bird) in 2018, his new film immediately drew comparisons to Gerwig's instant teenage classic. Could Mid90s emerge as a coming-of-age sleeper hit in the fall? Watch the first trailer below!
After watching this trailer for the first time, I wasn't really sure how to feel. It felt like Hill was stretching for a potentially unattainable sense of edginess, from both the perspective of content and craft. This is a very R-rated first look at Mid90s, filled to the brim with f-bombs and a sense of visceral intensity. Obviously I don't have any problem with that, but it felt like a statement right off the bat. Then there are the eye-catching cinematic grace notes, including the Academy aspect ratio and the apparent cinéma vérité style, serving to create a blend of documentary and fiction. These are fine ideas on paper, but something felt off about the execution on first glance.
But I watched the trailer again, and I've warmed to what Hill is doing here. Mid90s looks more experimental than I expected from his debut, which is always a welcome decision by a new director. There's a tangible sense of time and place on display here, like Hill went back in time and shot this movie in that era. Perhaps best of all, it appears that he's picked two incredible actors to lead his debut. Sunny Suljic will probably always be the kid from The Killing of a Sacred Deer to me, but he looks phenomenal as young Stevie. And of course, it goes without saying that Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges seems to give another terrific performance as Stevie's twisted older brother.
Mid90s is going to be a tricky, uncomfortable watch, but I'm putting my trust in Hill and A24. It appears that the actor-turned-filmmaker has made something truly bold with his debut, and I'm interested to see how it all plays out. Could we see Hill's film listed as part of the TIFF lineup this morning? I've got my money on a world premiere at the festival.
Mid90s opens on October 19 in limited release.
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