Mud

Two 14-year-old boys encounter a fugitive hiding out on a small island in this rites-of-passage story from writer/director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter). Continuing his transformation from heart-throb to compelling character actor, Matthew McConaughey plays the wanted man (his name is, indeed, Mud), who promises the lads his wreck of a boat if they help him reconnect with his longtime sweetheart (Reese Witherspoon). Exposure to the adult world of troubled romance and potentially lethal vengeance proves an eye-opener for the idealistic Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and his more circumspect pal Neckbone (Jacob Lofland), whose gradual emotional journey is as dramatic as the scenery around the Mississippi River where the tense drama plays out. This is a junior adventure story echoing Huckleberry Finn and Stand by Me, a tale which is in no hurry to unfold, but beautifully done, exquisitely performed, and filled with terror and wonder.