RAGING MIDLIFE – A Review by Jenn Rohm
2025 started with a lot of obligations and responsibilities, which meant adulting had to come first, and getting to take time to sit and watch a movie was on pause. It is now March, and my first film of the year is Raging Midlife.
This was a good choice. It does not take itself seriously. Friendship matters, there is a little bit of romance, the importance of communication, and remembering the 80s moments are all in this movie. The high-level overview of the movie is that in childhood, two friends had a favorite wrestler, and years later, the ‘holy grail’ of memorabilia items for Honest Abe becomes available on a web auction, his purple tank top. They do not win the auction, and in turn, decide to find another way to get their hands on it.
This film was made with a lot of fun and love for the project, which carries over into the final product. The story itself left me feeling like it wasn’t just the characters in the story trying to live out their childhood dreams. Some of the scenes were very 80’s B action movie over the top, such as when Mindy (Emily Sweet) stands at an automatic weapon in an all-terrain vehicle while chasing her brother Alex (Nic Costa) down a suburban street.
To be clear, this is not a profound or moving piece. It has strong moments, such as when Mary Todd (Paula Abdul) tells Nic what happened to Honest Abe. And how Nic and Tyler meet is a refreshing spin on this rom-com storyline. There are also too many story threads going for me. Along with the attempts to acquire the tank top, the sibling battle between Nic and Mindy, Mindy’s obsession with Mark, Rob finding a new career, the rom-com of Nic and Tyler, and the list continues.
I do not see this making it to the top 10 films of the year, but I am glad it was my first watch of the year. It was a nice break from reality with a cast that appeared to be enjoying what they were doing. If you come across it, give it a watch. And remember “Stay in school, don’t smoke drugs, and don’t do the crime unless you’re willing to do the time.
Director: Rob Taylor
Cast: Nic Costa, Matt Zak, Darielle Mason
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Selig Rating: 3 stars
Runtime: 1h 37m
VOD Release Date: March 14, 2025
Genre(s): Comedy
Movie Site: Raging Midlife Website
Trailer: Raging Midlife Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
