Mud

After "Take Shelter," another film by Jeff Nichols, and once again it is evident that it is made by a person who wants to create something meaningful. The progression of events and tension here is absolutely captivating. The pace is slow, but something is always happening, gradually revealing the cards of this boyish adventure. The scene where young Ellis rescues Juniper from a man beating her is incredibly powerful. It literally takes your breath away. What if something happens to this boy?! The contrast in the pace of individual scenes is a great example of how storytelling can be mastered. Furthermore, I have once again confirmed that the southern accent is amazing, and Matthew McConaughey has it perfectly, but the country music is equally amazing - it complements each scene excellently and is wonderfully used for transitions. (06/01/2014)

Diverse and complex in the relationships it depicts and with multiple motifs working in harmony, Mud is a drama about love, values, friendship, trust and the consequences of bad decisions that will always catch up with us sooner or later. Some viewers may struggle to understand McConaughey’s character, but he isn’t the film’s main protagonist. Rather, he is merely a character in a story that a 14-year-old boy witnesses and becomes a part of in order to have an adventurous and rewarding life experience at the end of his adolescence. The screenplay is outstanding and Tye Sheridan turns in an excellent performance, which eventually led to his role in Spielberg’s Ready Player One. (25/04/2020)

An intelligent and incredibly mature film about people who think more about others than themselves. That the current redneck gang hates it, it’s just another proof of it. An excellent movie, and another superb work after Take Shelter. Standing ovation for Jeff Nichols, Matthew McConaughey and, in particular, the excellent child actors. (06/08/2013)

The first girl, the first kiss, a murderer on the run, an ageing retired sniper – in short, all the usual things in a teenage boy's life. After the brilliant Take Shelter and this enjoyable piece now, we should keep an eye on the talented Jeff Nichols. Mud isn't nearly as great as Nichols's previous film, but it's pleasantly sober, the narrative flows as slowly as the river by which the story takes place, it doesn't rely on shocking twists and eye-popping moments, though perhaps I could have done without the final gunfight. Plus my favorite occasional (non)actor and playwright Sam Shepard, a great kid lead in Tye Sharidan (if he sticks with it, he's got a big future ahead of him), a believable McConaughey (who's already buried his surfboard ten fathoms under the sand for good), and Nichols's court actor Michael Shannon in what's probably his first normal role :o) A likeable indie effort, keep it up, Jeff. (11/08/2013)

Each and every one of Matthew’s roles is unique. But there are certain moments that are constantly repeated. For example, swamps. Swamps just must be where Matt was born, because I can’t explain it any other way. Every movie has a swamp. Also, that Texan slang. I don’t know how that happened, but their speech denies all of the English grammar rules they taught me at school. However, despite all this, I enjoyed this movie for the entire 131 minutes. And I really wouldn’t expect it at all considering how simple it was. But what I liked most was how the creators combined the world of adults and the world of children. Those kids gave it such an interesting atmosphere that it assured me that I wasn’t watching a bad movie. As far as the ending goes, it repeats the third rule of Matt’s movies; once he’s acting, he has to be surrounded by a bunch of backwards hillbillies that would think that the word “Czechia” is an Arabian slur. The ending was completely over the top. Some headhunters are after Matt and so they kill everyone in some house, including two kids. Either I’m weird or America has crossed the threshold of humanity a long time ago. (14/04/2014)