Movie Review: Side Out (1990)

★★★★★

Never thought a beach volleyball movie would stick with me. Side Out is pure 90s heart with just the right amount of sand and soul.

Linda W.

California

Let me say this up front: I didn’t expect Side Out to stick with me. I went in thinking it’d be another cheesy sports movie buried somewhere in the late 80s/early '90s backlog, all sun-soaked montages and one-dimensional underdogs. And yes, it absolutely has those moments (and thank goodness it does), but what surprised me was the heart behind it. Side Out is more than a volleyball movie; it’s a story about finding identity, chasing authenticity, and letting go of the safe path in favor of something uncertain but real.

If you’re into '90s sports dramas or movies that double as time capsules, the Side Out movie is worth revisiting or discovering for the first time.

The Plot: Law Books, Surfboards, and Second Chances

Side Out follows Monroe Clark (played by C. Thomas Howell), a preppy law student who comes to Los Angeles for a summer internship with his shady uncle, aiming to fast-track his legal career. But things take a turn when Monroe stumbles into the beach volleyball scene and meets Zack Barnes (Peter Horton), a once-great player who’s now living a quiet, faded life off the sand.

Through a twist of fate and some very '90s training montages, Monroe becomes Zack’s partner. Together, they enter the pro beach volleyball circuit, aiming to compete in a championship that could be Zack’s redemption and Monroe’s redefinition.

It's your classic underdog sports setup but with palm trees, tank tops, and an unexpected dose of introspection.

What Most Reviews Overlook: The Existential Undercurrent

Here’s where Side Out caught me off guard. Beneath the neon colors and upbeat soundtrack, this is a movie about two men at very different crossroads.

Monroe is chasing the life he thinks he’s supposed to want: suits, ambition, corporate handshakes. Zack, on the other hand, is retreating from the life he used to dominate. He's burned out, hiding from past failures, and clinging to a world that no longer seems to need him.

Watching these two characters influence each other is more meaningful than you'd expect from a beach volleyball film. Monroe learns that success isn’t always about climbing the ladder. Zack learns that letting people in, even when you’re not at your peak, is still worth the risk.

It’s subtle, but there’s a surprisingly existential layer here that never gets enough credit.

C. Thomas Howell: More Than a Pretty Face

C. Thomas Howell was known for his roles in The Outsiders and Soul Man, but in Side Out, he sheds some of the teen heartthrob image and gives us a performance that’s more grounded. His Monroe is uptight, naïve, and frankly a little annoying at first, which makes his transformation more believable.

By the end of the film, he’s not just spiking balls and wearing board shorts. He’s someone who’s broken out of the mold that was built for him. And I’ve got to say that arc hit home for me more than I thought it would.

Peter Horton as Zack Barnes: A Solid “Washed-Up Hero” Performance

Horton, best known at the time for Thirtysomething, brings real gravitas to Zack. He’s cynical, detached, but never cartoonishly so. He’s the guy who almost made it and then got out before it all came crashing down. You can see the weight of regret in his performance, but also flickers of the old fire.

In a different movie, Zack would’ve been the comic relief or the guy yelling instructions from the sidelines. But Side Out puts him front and center. It’s his redemption story, too.

Beach Volleyball as Metaphor

Let’s be real, most of us aren’t watching Side Out to analyze game strategy. But there’s something undeniably cinematic about beach volleyball. The movement, the rhythm, the back-and-forth, it feels more like dance than sport. In this film, it becomes a metaphor for balance, teamwork, and finding flow.

Director Peter Israelson gives the matches real energy. The camera stays low and close, making you feel every jump, serve, and dig. It's immersive without being flashy. And yes, the final tournament montage delivers exactly the kind of cathartic payoff a good sports movie should.

A Vibe-Heavy Time Capsule of the Early 90s

Here’s something I didn’t appreciate enough the first time around: Side Out is one of the most vibe-perfect films of 1990. The soundtrack, featuring hits from Ratt and other era-appropriate rockers, is a sun-drenched mixtape. The fashion? Tank tops, Oakleys, acid-wash shorts. The setting? Pure Santa Monica dreamscape.

It’s a movie that doesn’t just show you a time and place, it makes you feel like you’re there, kicking sand off your feet and wondering whether it’s too late to reinvent yourself.

Not Without Its Cheese… But That’s the Charm

Look, no one’s saying Side Out is a masterpiece. The dialogue gets clunky, the villains are one-dimensional, and the pacing sags in the middle. But honestly? That’s part of the charm. It’s sincere. It doesn’t try to be edgy or ironic. It believes in itself, and that sincerity is something I’ve come to really appreciate.

We often revisit movies like this because they offer something that’s hard to find now: emotional simplicity wrapped in pure atmosphere.

Final Thoughts

Side Out (1990) might not top lists of best sports movies, but it deserves a spot in the conversation. It’s more introspective than you’d expect, more emotional than it lets on, and more fun than a movie about beach volleyball has any right to be.

If you’re looking for a feel-good film that hits on themes of reinvention, unlikely friendships, and chasing a life that feels right instead of expected, this one’s worth dusting off.