"Beneath the surface, everyone has a secret."

Mean Creek (2004)
Directed by Jacob Aaron Estes, rated R, 90 minutes

Mean Creek is a realistic and powerful independent drama about a bullied teen who makes a plan with his brother and some friends to get revenge on the bully. Though the majority of the cast is adolescent, their performances are all around surprisingly good, especially Rory Culkin, who's convincingly timid and conflicted. The story brilliantly builds tension, setting up a believable situation with intriguing moral questions. Mean Creek creates rich characters that you actually care about, which makes the emotional core of the film all the more upsetting and unforgettable. You'll like it if: You like films with adolescent characters, films about bullying, disturbing dramas, Deliverance, Mysterious Skin and Babel.