Mud 2013
I don’t remember hearing much about this movie when it came out, but it started showing up on sale after it was out on blu-ray for a while and got better reviews than most of the discount titles. It is a good movie, kind of a classic indie film, but with an amazing cast. At the center is a 14 year old boy in rural Arkansas and his friend who find a mysterious guy named Mud (Matthew McConaughey with bad teeth) on an island in the Mississippi River. Other really good actors keep showing up in support roles like Sam Shepard, Reese Witherspoon, and Michael Shannon. An indie film doesn’t pick up that kind of cast without a good script and great characters, and those are definitely here. The movie might plod a little and the setup for a big face off at the end seems a little unlikely maybe, but it works. The two young guys play their roles perfectly, the lead being Tye Sheridan who has had a pretty good career since. The adult actors are all very good, though the villain isn’t quite as menacing a presence as the script makes him out to be, but his part is pretty small. Definitely an overlooked gem of a movie, but you have to be a little patient and can’t expect too much.
Written: 02 May 2020
Owned on: Blu-ray, Digital