Kid 90

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2:26

Kid 90

2021

1h 11m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

As a teenager in the ‘90s, Soleil Moon Frye carried a video camera everywhere she went. She documented hundreds of hours of footage and then locked it away for over 20 years. After all this time, kid 90 unlocks the vault and presents a true time capsule of a group of friends growing up in Hollywood and New York City in the ‘90s, balancing childhood and fame pre-internet and social media explosion. It is a deeply personal coming-of-age story that explores how “sometimes we need to look back to find our way forward.” Soleil is joined by lifelong friends and fellow child stars who provide commentary on growing up in the ‘90s; including David Arquette, Stephen Dorff, Balthazar Getty, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Brian Austin Green, Tori Leonard, Heather McComb and more.

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Critics Consensus

It's insular and uneven, but Kid 90 also presents a raw and affecting first-person look at the experience of growing up in the spotlight.

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Robert Levin

Newsday

Kid 90 shows the extent to which being subject to this strange life can also lead to the creation of powerful and lasting bonds with those experiencing it alongside you.

Rated: 2.5/4

Apr 5, 2021

Full Review

Keith Uhlich

(All (Parentheses)) (Substack)

Breezy on the surface, brutal underneath.

Mar 26, 2021

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Christy Lemire

FilmWeek (LAist)

It feels very small and kind of a vanity project.

Mar 22, 2021

Full Review

Caffeinated Clint

Moviehole

A sincere, brave and very unique look at the hardships of being not only a star but simply, a teenager, in the '90s.

Apr 21, 2021

Full Review

Todd Jorgenson

Cinemalogue

Frye adeptly mixes lighthearted nostalgia with deeper insight.

Apr 21, 2021

Full Review

Shani Harris

Culturess

Kid 90 is a grainy slice of nostalgia set to a Pearl Jam and Cranberries infused soundtrack, which will have you yearning to pull out the photo album, while fondly thumbing through your own past.

Mar 24, 2021

Full Review

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David F

This film, made by Soleil Moon Frye, is a nostalgic look back at the 90s through the video tapes, diaries, and phone messages of a child actor whose career kind of cratered once she started going through adolescence. Frye crossed paths with a ton of celebrities, and her diaries, and extensive video tape library bring back the world of ‘Saved By the Bell’ actors and their social set. There is innocence, heartbreak, drugs, suicide, and much more. It doesn’t quite pull together into a cohesive narrative, but that’s okay because it’s just an honest, authentic autobiography told through the medium of video, diary excerpt, and phone message clips. Very interesting and very fun.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/22/25

Full Review

Laurie F

Unboxing a period in life that was so well documented. Funny, Sad and moving. I really related to this film, though it's a world away from my life, I think its a very singular film...thank goodness for camera obsessives

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/06/24

Full Review

Mike J

This documentary makes the cardinal sin of wanting to be universally relevant and thus underscoring how non-typical the life of a child actor is. Who can relate to hanging out with pornstars, dating famous rappers, and losing your virginity to Charlie Sheen? OK maybe the last thing is typical, but the rest feels so out there that it alienated me. There are vanity projects, and then there’s this. It all feels like Soleil wants to remind us that she was once famous and knew Leonardo Dicaprio.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/21/24

Full Review

D K

This tries way too hard to be important and messaged. The footage and the story simply don't have it. I think that the "make it a struggle" angle is played way too hard here. We're talking about someone who has had a very charmed life above the standard of a vast majority of people. That person then wants to still look like an underdog or an outsider without any substance other than a few microaggressions. I don't think their adolescent "struggles" are greater than that of an average person with far less fame or money. I only gave it a few stars for the nostalgia factor and the critic pulse seems to have a similar sentiment.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/25/24

Full Review

Patrick F

This was clearly a very personal story for Soleil Moon Frye. I was expecting more a general 90s nostalgia documentary. Instead, the movie is a deep dive behind the curtain for a group of young people in Hollywood growing up in the 90s. It was raw and poignant at times. Thoughtful overall. Decent film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/13/24

Full Review

Scott W

Pretty well done …..

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

Full Review

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Soleil Moon Frye

Director

Soleil Moon Frye

Self

David Arquette

Self

Stephen Dorff

Self

Balthazar Getty

Self

Mark-Paul Gosselaar

Self

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kid 90: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

As a teenager in the ‘90s, Soleil Moon Frye carried a video camera everywhere she went. She documented hundreds of hours of footage and then locked it away for over 20 years. After all this time, kid 90 unlocks the vault and presents a true time capsule of a group of friends growing up in Hollywood and New York City in the ‘90s, balancing childhood and fame pre-internet and social media explosion. It is a deeply personal coming-of-age story that explores how “sometimes we need to look back to find our way forward.” Soleil is joined by lifelong friends and fellow child stars who provide commentary on growing up in the ‘90s; including David Arquette, Stephen Dorff, Balthazar Getty, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Brian Austin Green, Tori Leonard, Heather McComb and more.

Director: Soleil Moon Frye
Producer: Soleil Moon Frye
Production Co: Appian Way, STX Entertainment
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 12, 2021
Runtime: 1h 11m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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