As the boys are drawn deeper and deeper into the relationship with Mud when his requests escalate beyond food, tension rises as the viewer suspects that no good will come from the boys' association with him. The young actors are superb and completely believable. McConaughey's performance is somewhat mannered, which actually works in this instance, since Mud is a con man. Reese Witherspoon performs well as Mud's girlfriend, Juniper, as does the always excellent Sam Shepard as the father substitue in Mud's life.
Writer and director Jeff Nichols grew up in Arkansas and fought hard to have the movie filmed on location in the state. The scenes filmed on the river and the island are gorgeous.
Picture from Wikipedia.
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