River's Edge
Seen it?1986 | 100 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It earned strong reviews (88% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans and anyone who likes to be kept guessing. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense, dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 40 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: expect violence and drug use.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
A group of high-school friends must come to terms with the fact that one of them, Samson, killed another, Jamie. Faced with the brutality of death, each must decide whether to turn their friend in to the police, or to help him escape the consequences of his dreadful deed.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
88% on Rotten Tomatoes, 73 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.5 out of 10
- AwardsBelow par
Won 1 Independent Spirit Award: Best Screenplay. Also nominated for 1 more Independent Spirit Award. Plus 1 other award.
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$5 million worldwide on a $2 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 185K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Tim Hunter
- Crispin GloverLayne
- Keanu ReevesMatt
- Ione SkyeClarissa
- Roxana ZalMaggie
- Daniel RoebuckSamson
- Dennis HopperFeck
- Joshua John MillerTim
- Tom BowerBennett
- Danyi DeatsJamie
- Constance ForslundMadeleine