Mean Creek
Paramount Classics | Release Date: August 20, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 31 Critic Reviews
Positive:
28
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
One of very few films to accurately portray the experience of growing up male. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
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. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Mean Creek's greatest asset is its sense of truth. It doesn't pander to or indulge its characters like the teen films we're used to. It looks at them straight ahead and with respect. It's something you wish Hollywood, and even parents, did more often. Read full review
90
Dallas ObserverJean Oppenheimer
The acting is remarkable across the board, undoubtedly a combination of a strong script, gifted actors and exceptional direction. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterDuane Byrge
Intelligent, universal tale. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeJanice Page
Adults should find its simmering drama at least as compelling as teens will, even if parental figures are only slightly more present here than in a " Peanuts" comic strip. Read full review
88
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
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. Read full review
80
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
There isn't a one-note character in the mix, and they respond with haunting, subtle performances that feel utterly natural and unaffected. It's a striking debut for Estes, and a remarkable showcase for the cast. Read full review
80
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
Never preachy, never sanctimonious nor touchy-feely. Read full review
80
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
That rare movie that manages to be not only an adroit, carefully observed study in character and suspense, but important. Read full review
80
EmpireAlan Morrison
Estes enriches the plot by refusing to present each character's emotional dilemmas in black-and-white terms. Read full review
80
VarietyScott Foundas
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. Read full review
80
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
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. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleKimberley Jones
Like a kindler, gentler "Bully," Mean Creek hinges on the bullied fighting back against the aggressor, but offers a more expansive examination of aggression and, even more significantly, passivity. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
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. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneRobert K. Elder
If Estes' future efforts can offer us such potent, character-centered Molotov cocktails, Mean Creek may well signal the rise of America's next auteur director. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
Many indie films about adolescents these days - like Gus Van Sant's "Elephants" - are willfully amoral. Mean Creek isn't - and it's the first indie since "Thirteen" that parents should make required viewing for teens. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
A welcome departure from typical movies about teens, wherein their problems are external (the prom, status). Mean Creek is an adult movie that just happens to star young actors. Read full review
75
PremierePeter Debruge
Exceptionally strong performances from the entire cast draw you into the movie's deliberately provocative world, a "Lord of the Flies"–like realm where parents are noticeably absent. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The final act of the film is extraordinary. How unusual it is to see kids this age in the movies seriously debating moral rights and wrongs and considering the consequences of their actions. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
After a solid start and a strong buildup through two acts, the movie fumbles the resolution. Ethical lines that were convincingly wavy suddenly straighten out, too quickly and too neatly. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
In addition to providing a textbook example of suspense, Estes also makes us want to know what happens to these kids after the screen goes dark. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Has a jumpy, reality-TV kind of feel that adds to the story's sense of unsettling authenticity. Read full review
70
The New York TimesDana Stevens
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. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderHank Sartin
Everyone in the cast conveys that messy mix of teen self-consciousness and bravado, but Josh Peck is particularly nuanced as the bully. Read full review
70
Film ThreatBrad Slager
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. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
It's so earnest it hurts. Read full review
63
USA TodayMike Clark
A promising debut by young writer/director Jacob Estes, this story of a botched revenge plot still isn't likely to break out even in multiplex August dog days. Read full review
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