Mean Creek: Critic Reviews

93%

MovieWeb: 0 reviews

90%

RottenTomatoes: 125 reviews

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Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly (Top Critic)

84

There is something precociously mature but natural about the work of this youngest Culkin sibling that stands apart.
Full Review » 8 years ago
A.O. Scott New York Times (Top Critic)

60

Jacob Aaron Estes's debut film, about an adolescent prank gone wrong, is like an unusually sensitive and well-acted afterschool special.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Mike Clark USA Today (Top Critic)

63

A harbinger of possibly better things to come.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Michael O'Sullivan Washington Post (Top Critic)

Never preachy, never sanctimonious nor touchy-feely, Mean Creek looks at what a social worker would likely call the roots and the legacy of abuse.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Ann Hornaday Washington Post (Top Critic)

That rare movie that manages to be not only an adroit, carefully observed study in character and suspense, but important.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Janice Page Boston Globe (Top Critic)

88

A thoughtful, unpretentious coming-of-age drama with uncommon emotional heft and an engaging young cast.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Michael Atkinson Village Voice (Top Critic)

A fairly ordinary, machine-shopped Sundance resume indie, seemingly balanced somewhere between half-realized ambition and inexperience.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Jami Bernard New York Daily News (Top Critic)

75

A welcome departure from typical movies about teens.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Eric Harrison Houston Chronicle (Top Critic)

75

Estes dives into this material as if it's never been done before, and his characters and situations are so realistic and the film's tone is so assured that he succeeds at making it feel fresh.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Philip Wuntch Dallas Morning News (Top Critic)

84

It's a dynamic debut for first-time writer-director Jacob Aaron Estes and a provocative showcase for a gifted young cast.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Lisa Kennedy Denver Post (Top Critic)

You could call Mean Creek a moral thriller. And the emotional currents the movie wades into are far more tricky than the gentle surface the kids' boat floats along.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times (Top Critic)

75

It could have been simple-minded and predictable, but it becomes a rare film about moral choices, about the difficulty of standing up against pressure from your crowd.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Robert K. Elder Chicago Tribune (Top Critic)

75

Such a simple plot barely fills the film's 87 minutes, but writer/director Jacob Aaron Estes more than compensates with his labyrinth of moral dilemmas and complex characters.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Cliff Doerksen Chicago Reader (Top Critic)

75

Very much its own picture -- and a damn sight better one than Stand by Me.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Steven Rea Philadelphia Inquirer (Top Critic)

75

Estes' dark sunlit tale cuts like a knife.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Jeff Strickler Minneapolis Star Tribune (Top Critic)

75

There are all sorts of other themes at work below the surface, including examinations of teenage peer pressure and moral responsibility.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Tom Long Detroit News (Top Critic)

67

In its simple portrait of a bully Mean Creek may be one of the most political and socially conscious films of the year.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Richard Nilsen Arizona Republic (Top Critic)

70

Although it is a flawed film, with a first half that moves slowly and sometimes tediously, it is redeemed by a second half that is gripping, not only for its action but for its moral complexity.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Scott Foundas Variety (Top Critic)

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.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Lou Lumenick New York Post (Top Critic)

75

Estes and his cinematographer, Sharone Meir, present a vision of paradise and innocence lost in this beautifully understated drama.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Jay Boyar Orlando Sentinel (Top Critic)

80

A low-key, low-budget thriller that reminds us just how cruel young people can be.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Peter Howell Toronto Star (Top Critic)

60

Yet another small gem from the strong Sundance class of 2004, Mean Creek mines credible drama from teenage revenge fantasies.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Rick Groen Globe and Mail (Top Critic)

75

Through the vast land mass of the teen movie, Mean Creek flows with intelligent purpose and thematic passion, at least until it doesn't.
Full Review » 8 years ago
James Berardinelli ReelViews (Top Critic)

88

Estes has provided a keenly-honed view of human psychology.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Duane Byrge Hollywood Reporter (Top Critic)

Estes has crafted a realistic and rich portrait of the moral dilemmas that adolescents experience.
Full Review » 8 years ago