Review: KID 90 Is an Honest Coming of Age Doc About the Child Actors Who Grew Up in Front of the Camera in the '80s and '90s

Soleil Moon Frye released her biographical documentary Kid 90 about what it was like to grow up in the’ 90s as a child actor transitioning to adulthood alongside the other young actors that were her best friends. The doc was made up of hours of video clips that Frye shot of her friends every time they were together. She also unearthed all of her volumes of journals, as well as audio clips from answering machines, voicemails, and conversations she recorded.

Frye directed the pic, and in making it, it was her first time in 20 years going through all of the material. We remember our adolescences in such a unique way because the teen years are so pivotal in our development. All emotions and senses are heightened, we are going through many firsts, and we are figuring out our place in the world. This documentary speaks to that time so well, and so vividly with the photos, videos and voices telling their stories.

These particular kids have a very specific experience, growing up in Los Angeles, and working in the entertainment industry. Many of them struggled with addiction, and many of them lost their lives to suicide in struggles they lost to depression.

Kid 90 was heartbreaking and captivating, and clearly a labor of love. I kind of wished it were a docuseries so that we could have heard more stories and found out even more about the people who lived within that world. Frye’s closest friends appear in the doc to walk with her down memory lane, and everyone involved seems to sweetly pay homage to their younger selves, and to the friend who brought them back together.

Kid 90 is available to watch now on Hulu.