For all its contrivances and hesitations, Mean Creek showcases a real, promising talent-even if he might be better off writing about characters his own age.

| Jan 29, 2019

Mean Creek is a strong premise gone horribly awry.

| Aug 23, 2017

This movie about teens is for adults only.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 26, 2010

A very effective tale of morals, conscience, and peer pressure.

| Apr 29, 2009

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 7, 2008

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 14, 2007

| Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 1, 2006

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Dec 6, 2005

The film gives us an adult's idea of what kids are like, avoiding the complications and inconsistencies of actual adolescence.

| Sep 16, 2005

First time writer/ director Estes brings sensitivity and insight to this tale of teens pushed to extremes and forced to confront their sense of responsibility and morality

| Aug 30, 2005

example of everything that is good in American independent cinema

| Original Score: 6/10 | Aug 30, 2005

Follows a fluid narrative that never feels contrived, and leaves the audience with genuine sympathy for every single child involved.

| Original Score: 74/100 | Aug 25, 2005

| Original Score: 6/10 | May 14, 2005

| Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 29, 2005

A mature, significant contribution to the unfornately growing trend of films that address teen violence (unfortunate in that we need the trend at all).

| Original Score: 7/10 | Apr 1, 2005

A wonderful, if dreary, teen drama.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Feb 7, 2005

I've actually known my fair share of troubled kids, and this film is as accurate a depiction of them as I've ever seen.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jan 30, 2005

...a movie about moral choices, about learning what it is to be decent in the world.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jan 27, 2005

We're forced to stare both the perpetrators and the victims full in the face, to see what made them the fools they are and what will come of the foolishness they commit.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jan 15, 2005

Angry kids on an unsupervised boat trip? Constant ominous music? Gee, wonder what's going to happen next.

Full Review | Jan 4, 2005