7/10
An authentic, period-piece which tackles the pursuit of purpose under the scrutiny of peer pressure. It’s a coming of age story that almost has a sort of Sandlot feel to it. Since this is considered comedy/drama and was also directed by Jonah Hill, I expected it to be more comedic. Well.. I definitely didn’t laugh that much.
Look, I’m a fan of skateboard culture and the nostalgia of the 90s so this movie grabbed me. Jonah executed a fantastic 90s setting without getting too MTV and flashy. This is Jonah’s passion project and you can tell he poured his heart and soul into it. He has consistently voiced his love for this 90s through his fandom of hip-hop artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, early skateboard culture, and Adidas shoes.
The plot line is based primarily around this 13-year-old boy, played by Sunny Suljic, who is trying to find himself, make friends, and be cool. He's a charming little guy with a lot of ambition and charisma. His brother is the classic older-brother, bully character who instills the drama and conflict into their single-mother household. It makes sense that this kid needs to find a way to make a name for himself and rise up.
Without saying too much, you can see why I would call this an “influence”/ coming of age film.
The music, cinematography, and acting was excellent. Didn't recognize any of the actors so this could be their big break. The only down side that I would note is just that, it could be a bit of a serious movie at some point. It was a little hard for me to watch this kid reap the repercussions of peer pressure and trying to be cool. That is not to discourage you from watching it, I’m just saying! This is the reality of the situation and Jonah is not at all glamorizing under-age party culture.
I have many friends ingrained in skate culture that could truly relate to this story.
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tl;dr
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Date Movie? – Yea, this could be a good date movie.
Great Movie? - Yes, Jonah once again proves he can't be pigeon held to comedy.
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