Mud (2013)

2013 PG-13 130 Minutes

A drama centered on two teenage boys who encounter a fugitive and pact to help him escape from an island in the Mississippi.

Overall Rating

8 / 10

Verdict: Good

TheMovieDiorama
7 / 10
Mud is a drama that is quite overstuffed. By that, I mean there is a lot going on during its 130 minutes runtime, some scenes work better than others. Matthew McConaughey plays a man only known to us as Mud, on the run (I won't spoil why) and is trying to find an escape route. Tye Sheridan's Ellis comes across him and soon starts to help him out. Sheridan is absolutely magnificent in this, he manages to hold the film together which is no easy task considering how young he was. McConaughey was fine, I didn't think it was anything special. The main crime here is not utilising Reese Witherspoon and Michael Shannon enough, having prolific actors in small roles just takes away from the film. The story was interesting for the most part, it took awhile to settle on a main plot but I was enthralled and I liked the elusiveness behind Mud. Lots of themes here, the main one being love in which Ellis finds love and Mud hopes to maintain it. A few subplots such as Ellis' parents getting a divorce, police trying to find Mud...none of these are explored thoroughly so really does not contribute to much. Jeff Nichols is a great director, some nice one shot scenes and everything looks stunning. I enjoyed Mud, fortunately Sheridan singlehandedly saved this from becoming a boring overstuffed drama. Give it time, and you'll be engrossed.

0 member like this review.