Synopsis
Teenagers living in small-town Oregon take a boat trip for a birthday celebration. When they get an idea to play a mean trick on the town bully, it suddenly goes too far. Soon they're forced to deal with the unexpected consequences of their actions.
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Cast
- Rory CulkinSam Merric
- Scott MechlowiczMarty
- Trevor MorganRocky Merric
- Josh PeckGeorge Tooney
- Ryan KelleyClyde
- Carly SchroederMillie
- Branden WilliamsKile
- Heath LourwoodJasper
- J.W. CrawfordTom
- Kaz GarasDetective Wright
Recommendations
- 91
Entertainment Weekly
Although the talent of a kid with the last name of Culkin may not, at this point, register as such a novelty -- Rory follows brothers Macaulay and Kieran -- there is something precociously mature but natural about the work of this youngest Culkin sibling that stands apart. - 90
The Hollywood Reporter
Intelligent, universal tale. - 88
ReelViews
By entering such fertile, intellectually stimulating and psychologically rich territory, Estes provides us with a freshman feature that is far beyond the generic coming-of-age tale Mean Creek initially seems to be. - 80
Variety
Estes' debut feature's strength lies in its crackling intensity, ultra-sharp character insights and an affinity for teenage protagonists who look and sound like real teens. - 80
The A.V. Club
Dyslexic, talkative, and permanently tethered to a video camera that documents his solitary life and vivid fantasy world, Peck, in a stunning performance, resonates as both monster and victim, predator and prey. - 75
Christian Science Monitor
Imagine a bolder "Bully" blended with a more probing "River's Edge" and you'll have some idea of this little drama's strong dramatic and emotional power. - 70
Film Threat
Estes and his team did an admirable job in bringing together a team of youthful actors who carry the weight of a fairly weighty movie. - 70
The New York Times
Like an uncommonly artful and well-acted after-school special. I don't mean this as a put-down: its combination of realism and fretful moral inquiry is best suited to the tastes and sensibilities of young teenagers who devour young-adult fiction.
