Let me start with the fact that I love this. This is a realistic look at the frameworking of bullying and its consequences. No one wants to be bullied. I think it is safe to say that most victims of bullying fantasize about revenge even if most never seek it out. I also think that the premise of taking out a pack revenge is realistic as well as the idea of backing out of it is. I think most kids realise that the bully is the one who has the real problem and in the end revenge is not as rewarding as it might seem to be.I'm not sure if what I am about to talk about would be considered spoilers so this is just a heads up warning in case those reading are seeking to avoid any kind of potential spoiling.The scenario that unfolds here clearly ends up being an accident. Watching the kids try and come to terms with it is the gem of this movie because even if their initial actions were wrong, they end up doing the right thing. That makes this a beautiful glimpse of the maturing mind and a wonderful movie to watch.Where this fails for me is that there is no resolution. It would've been nice to have seen how their choice to do the right thing was handled. I would've like to known if they were reprimanded in some way and how their friendships were affected. I also really felt bummed out by the fact that the ringleader of this group was clearly shown to be going off the rails at the end but what was his overall outcome. This had been so captivating yet it just stopped leaving me with the desire to know more about what happened and hating that I'd never really get answers. That causes what was shaping up to be a high rating to lose a few stars from me.

I only watched about half an hour of this movie and this is what I got out of it. After reading the plot summary I could not go through with it. George is an overweight, mentally disabled kid with anger issues who is unfairly marked as a bully. Other than beating up Sam he shows no sign of bullying and appears to be more of an outcast. Sam, a good looking guy with a hot girlfriend, messes with George's camera after he is told not to.As a result, George beats him up. Obviously that's not okay, but the school already punishes George. George should be getting some professional help and Sam should not act like he is completely innocent. Sam gets his brother and his friends to avenge the somewhat deserved beating he got. He even drags his girlfriend in who is just an innocent bystander. George actually believes that Sam wants to be his friend and actually makes an effort to be friends with Sam. This shows that he is not a bully. George is the weird outcast kid and Sam is the more popular kid. After George tries to be nice, Sam still goes through with his plan that involves putting George's life in danger. Sam and his brother are murderers and should be put in jail, even if they did not intend to kill George. George was the only good person in this movie, but because he was different he was labeled as the "bully" and killed.

Children and adolescents can sometimes be hopelessly cruel. That much we know. It seems that with the creation of the internet and social media the actions of children and adolescents seem to have gotten worse. That much we also know. But even the most devious children are not robbed of a tight, moral core which recognizes when something is wrong because of their actions. It's true, however, that some children possess nihilistic tendencies, but many children do indeed have a core that allows them to sympathize and recognize when they are in danger or at fault.Jacob Aaron Estes' Mean Creek is a beautiful little tone-poem of a film, exploring the aforementioned concept with piercing reality and humanism. Through a band of tremendous character actors, ranging from ages ten and elven to seventeen and eighteen, Estes creates an intimate portrayal of coping with a tragedy when the blame is partially on you. This would be a difficult thing for an adult to stomach. For young adolescents, it's absolutely merciful on the mind and wellbeing.The film opens with a young Sam (Rory Culkin) being beaten, harassed, and viciously assaulted by George (Josh Peck), a chubby dyslexic kid with no real friends. Despite his easy-going and often forgiving nature, Sam holds onto this beating and goes along with the plans of his older brother Rocky (Trevor Morgan) and his friends Clyde (Ryan Kelley) and Marty (Scott Mechlowicz) of getting George back by taking him out to the middle of a lake on a boat, initiating a game of truth or dare to get him to strip, and having him jump into the water and leaving him stranded.Sam takes his young girl friend Millie (Carly Schroeder) along. A cute little blonde, she immediately doesn't approve of what him and his gang of buddies are doing. Even when Sam attempts to call off the plan, as George seems like a well-meaning, if troubled and uneven soul, the plan remains on as directed by the ringleader Marty, who eggs George on to the point where he exhibits the reflexes typical of a powerless and scared individual. He resorts to obscenities and vulgarity as a means of combating the brutal words being thrown his way and, as expected, it all ends tragically.George winds up being accidentally pushed off the boat and drowning in the water. CPR and attempts to get the young kid to breath doesn't help either; George is now dead and the figurative blood is on the hands of the five kids involved. This is where Estes could've copped out and made a film that lead to basic moralizing and cheap, forgettable sentiment. Instead, Estes persist through deeply disturbing material and shows just how ugly, senseless, and troubling murder is. He shows the impact it has on these adolescents and how they try and cope with the horrific action they've just committed. It's a tough subject and Estes doesn't sugarcoat it. Just like Larry Clark did with his exceptional film Bully, Estes devotes the last half-hour or so to how the characters deal with their actions, and avoids simplistic moralizing and easy ways out. He brought this material to light and doesn't take it back at all.Moreover, the entire cast of young kids are terrific here, with specific highlights being Rory Culkin, who is given the difficult but rewarding role of playing the youngest kid. Culkin's Sam character needs to be aware of his actions but also has to have great difficulty portraying his feelings. His blank, expressionless face often penetrates the psyche of the viewer. The other particularly strong role is that of Josh Peck, who was working on Drake & Josh at this same time. Peck has another challenging role in the regard his action need to be incorrigible but his underlying personality needs to be easy to see and have the ability to second guess the decision to humiliate them. Peck's performance is surprisingly tender, especially during a vulgar key-scene on the boat.Through the lens of low-budget filmmaking, Estes makes a completely immersing and exciting picture that works because of its depiction of murder, its meditative atmosphere, its gaggle of great character actors, and its intimate focus on the adolescents involved in this issue (we pleasantly do not have to suffer through scenes with adult characters who "don't understand." Mean Creek is an often terrifying picture but it need be seen by everyone.Starring: Rory Culkin, Ryan Kelley, Scott Mechlowicz, Trevor Morgan, Josh Peck, Carly Schroeder. Directed by: Jacob Aaron Estes.

Familiar but still Engaging Story of Teen Trouble. The Acting Ensemble is Peerless and the Style of the Movie is Low-Key and Hauntingly Attractive. The Interaction among the Group is Authentic and never Strained. The Dialog is Sharp and Intelligent.But there are Two Major Flaws that keep this from being Absolutely Compelling. First the Bully Character is not Developed enough Initially to Solidify the Central Theme. Second, the Third Act Demonstrates a Weak Resolution that Raises too many Questions and that Intrudes and Separates the Audience from the Film.The Group's Behavior up to that point was Well Thought Out and Spot On. However, as Things Unfold, it seems to go Astray in an Ending that is neither Quite Believable or Satisfying. There is much to Praise in the Director's First Film, but adapting the Premise of some Very Fine Movies, that are so Similar that Comparisons are Inevitable, there must be some sort of Hook to set it apart and in that, this Film Fails to Deliver.