Mean Creek (2003) | agoodmovietowatch

Rated 7+ IMDb · 70%+ RT Little-known finds Curated by humans

Mean Creek 6.9 2003 Movie

Mean Creek

Dir. Jacob Aaron Estes · United States of America · English

Our take by The Staff

A bully (Josh Peck) is lured into a plot of revenge. The bullied victim (Rory Culkin), his brother and their friends then see the bully’s human side, and learn that revenge often comes with a greater price than imagined. Talented teen actors give fantastic performances in this absorbing and impactful coming-of-age tale, with a real moral compass and ability to demonstrate multi-sided characters.

What happens

Teenagers living in small-town Oregon take a boat trip for a birthday celebration. When they get an idea to play a mean trick on the town bully, it suddenly goes too far. Soon they're forced to deal with the unexpected consequences of their actions.

What the critics said

Notable Critics

"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."

— Scott Foundas

Awards

Cannes

1 nom

Nominated: Official Selection: Directors' Fortnight

Spirit Awards

2 wins

Won: John Cassavetes AwardWon: Special Distinction Award

Sundance

1 nom

Nominated: Official Selection

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About the author

The Staff

The Staff is the editorial team at A Good Movie to Watch, contributing reviews, recommendations, and streaming guides across film and television. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, we track over 100 streaming services in the US. Founded in 2014 by Bilal Zouheir, the team is built around human curation rather than algorithmic recommendations.