Mean Creek (Redemption on the River)

In our translation, we're calling it Redemption on the River.

Who actually caught this?
I missed it when it was playing at the Sundance Film Festival, so now I’m debating whether it’s worth hunting down at a local theater.
I’m waiting for some solid recommendations—give me the praise, the critiques, or whatever else you've got...

Can someone please fix the title? It was supposed to be Mean Creek, but clearly, I’m a total klutz here.🙄

I caught it at the Sundance Film Festival. I’m actually heading back to see it again today. It's definitely worth your time. Is that enough persuasion for you?

The translation isn't quite hitting the mark for me. I caught it at the Sundance Film Festival, too, but I was exhausted after spending the entire day camping out in the theater lobby, so I didn't fully absorb the experience. That said, what I did get out of it was solid.
Bottom line: watch it. Just make sure you're well-rested and relaxed.
😁

I am feeling just, just, just incredibly wonderful!

Pretty solid movie, I guess.

Loved it. Highly recommended.

A few days before this, I finally sat down to watch Bully by Larry Clark. In some way, it touches on the exact same themes, but feels much thinner and more cliché, filled with one-dimensional characters.

On the other hand, Mean Creek does an incredible job profiling its characters; everyone is far more complex than they initially appear. The film dances right on the edge of being pathetic or cheap, yet it never falls into those traps, finding a way to be both poetic and brutal at once.

Go ahead and check it out if you haven't already... I saw it at the Sundance Film Festival myself. It’s true that it was pretty late by the time it wrapped up around 1 AM, and I was exhausted, but I guess the movie left a rather lasting impression on me nonetheless. It carries this strange, lingering mood, perhaps similar to the atmosphere in Elephant... it shifts quite unexpectedly from being funny to deeply sad. That one part where the girl puts together a list of questions and topics for her first date really stuck with me. You guys are something else... 😍

Caught this one on Broadway today, and honestly? It was great. There’s a touch of melodrama in there, but if you just lean into the vibe, you won't even notice it...

The character development is spot on. You can really feel the arc as things unfold, with everyone becoming increasingly layered and complex as the story progresses...

In my opinion, Josh Peck (George) absolutely carries the weight of this movie; without him, it wouldn't be half as good. The same goes for Scott Mechlowicz (Marty), too...

Solid performances all around... 🙏

I’ll admit I was a little skeptical at first because the setup felt a bit naive, but the movie just kept getting better and better as it reached the finish line...

Highly recommend giving this a watch, it's a fantastic film... 👍

That was such an incredible film; I actually caught the screening at the Sundance Film Festival, and 👍 👍

It felt like there was a little bit of me in how much it reminded me of Modisson. 😁

It’s good. It feels... almost like a version of Deliverance but with kids involved. 😁
Someone brought up Bully, which honestly makes this film look like absolute garbage by comparison.

Just typical Sundance Film Festival nonsense

So, I finally sat down and watched it, and honestly? It’s fantastic. 🙏

The acting is top-tier, especially that performance by George. That scene on the boat—the way the tension and atmosphere just started closing in—was masterfully done. It actually threw me off balance so much that if I had been standing right there, I probably would have swung a baseball bat at his head.

And I have to hand it to you for profiling George the way you did. One second you’re gripped by this primal urge to just strangle him with your bare hands, and the next, he’s making you question everything and forcing you into this state of total empathy or pure pity.

Also, a huge 👍 for the cinematography.

steelstag4 said:Kudos for profiling George like that—one second you seriously want to just choke him out, and the next he’s making you feel this weird sense of empathy or whatever.

Honestly, this was my favorite part of the movie. His behavior just totally gets under your skin.

It’s just pointless.
And honestly, don't even try comparing him to Elephant. Not in any context whatsoever.

If I weren't feeling lazy about making comparisons, I’d probably bring up 'River's Edge'—that's an 80s flick, right? Watching this actually made me think of 'Lord of the Flies,' too. If you mashed those two together, you'd pretty much nail the vibe of 'Mean Creek.' It’s also fair to say that in movies, rivers always seem to mark either someone's breaking point or their fresh start. Throw in a killer soundtrack and some great cinematography, and you've got a movie that ultimately doesn't have to mean anything at all. Not that any of you care, but whatever—it matters to me. It matters because it feels like a memory of a long afternoon that never actually happened.
It reminds me a bit of being in a relationship where, for just a split second, you remember why you even cared... assuming you can imagine being in a relationship with American cinema.😁

I’m honestly not sure if or when this one will hit the screens at the American Film Institute, but I just had to drop by and tell you all that I highly recommend it... it was easily one of my absolute favorite films of the year!
The cast is mostly made up of kids, but don't let that fool you because this is definitely not some kid's movie.
As for the story, it deals with bullying, how to handle it, and how revenge can spiral out of control... it touches on those themes in a way that feels simple on the surface, but the actual film is so much more layered and complex than that.
The character development is incredibly well done, too... you won't find any of those typical Hollywood tropes where characters are just split into obvious good guys and bad guys.
And the young actors? They were just fantastic.
You should definitely give it a watch. 👍

I caught that Heben film over at the Sundance Film Festival, and I noticed the conversation around it had actually already started earlier. 👍

John Doe... just watched it. I’m not exactly thrilled, but I’m not totally let down either. I went in with a bit of distance, but no major prejudices. My biggest gripe is that the movie tries way too hard to be deep, when honestly, it’s pretty shallow—probably because the writing feels rushed and some scenes were clearly slapped together at the last minute. The intro is way too short and flat, especially compared to how much they try to build up the climax. The ending has the same issue, though it hits a little harder; if you’re willing to overlook the flaws, it might actually pull at your heartstrings... but unfortunately, it doesn't. One bright spot, though: none of the main characters feel wasted. Everyone actually serves a purpose and fits into the story, so nobody feels like filler or leaves you feeling like the cast was bloated. Overall? The movie is super overrated. It’s sitting at a 7.4 on IMDb with nearly 10,000 votes and people are raving about it in reviews, but it isn't "bad"... just mediocre.