Mean Creek

"Its combination of realism and fretful moral inquiry is best suited to the tastes and sensibilities of young teenagers who devour young-adult fiction."

"The film loses some of its narrative tension two-thirds of the way through and I am agnostic about Rory Culkin himself, the least compelling performance on screen."

"Jacob Aaron Estes... shows in his first film a depth of empathy for his characters, and for the ways the strong-willed ones control the others."

"Mean Creek takes its place alongside Stand by Me and River's Edge as one of very few films to accurately portray the experience of growing up male."

"The film... is a revelation."

"Every one of the central characters is beautifully written and given such a fascinating backstory that the film could easily splinter off into six separate movies."

"Everyone in the cast conveys that messy mix of teen self-consciousness and bravado, but Josh Peck is particularly nuanced as the bully."

"Estes has an uncanny knack for creating character, and for finding the kind of throwaway detail that resonates..."

"Mean Creek should have smouldered with serious tension. Instead it fizzles out like a damp campfire..."

"(An) impressive, modern morality tale..."