I, admittedly so, went to see this movie primarily off of the fact that it was Jonah Hill’s directorial debut. And, I was not disappointed. The 80’s baby/90’s kid in me was instantly excited at the sight of such throwback mementos as WWF accessories, Nintendo games and, of course, Jordan basketball sneakers. It wasn’t immediately evident what this movie was about, however. We soon get a glimpse into the home of a single mom and her two young sons who share the typical older-brother-bullies-younger-brother-but-is-still-looked-up-to-as-cool relationship.
But, just as I prepared to dive into said relationship, the young protagonist Stevie (played by the very talented Sunny Suljic) seems to decide to take his chances with befriending some kids he overheard shooting the shit at a skate shop instead of with his older, seemingly loner, brother Ian (played by another talented young actor in Lucas Hedges). Stevie is quickly drawn to the camaraderie shared by this group of kids, which does everything from skateboard to drink/smoke cigarettes to watch TV and discuss life together. Having seemingly made up his mind to find a niche within the group, Stevie tries his hardest to learn the ways and language of the group while still retaining some of his innocence.
The movie then sort of shifts into a display of the beautiful mess that is Stevie’s efforts to become a more integral part of the group. He sort of develops the “little brother” moniker within the group, but grows increasingly appreciated for his willingness to try almost anything. This gives the movie more of a “reality tv” feel with little plot arc; but, it lends itself to a bunch of laughs along the way. Just as I found myself wondering exactly how this story would end and what will try to be conveyed by the end of it, there’s a shift in energy and focus to a number of real life repercussions that stem from the carefree and even rebellious nature of Stevie’s recent ways. It is at this point that I realized the movie is more of a fun ride that actually sets you up to forget about the bad that can happen when you’re having so much fun- until the film reminds you very abruptly. The film draws some comparison to the movie “Kids” in the way it focuses on street culture; but, this film is much more lighthearted; perhaps, if not most likely, in order to appeal to a wider audience.
All in all, the movie is a FUN time that only takes 90 minutes to get through. It will most certainly give 70’s and 80’s babies several chances to reminisce on the “good ol’ days.” I would most certainly watch this again on a “Netflix and chill” sort of night, although I am glad I watched it in theater because it does boast a “throwback” quality to it that I unknowingly longed for after watching so many forward-looking, futuristic movies this year. If you're looking for something that is easy to watch and won't lead to many arguments or intellectual debates, this should work perfectly. For being an enjoyable time that engenders loads of memories of my own childhood, this film gets 3 out of 5 reps from me.
Did you happen to catch Jonah Hill's first venture into being a director? If so, how did you think he and this film did?
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