River's Edge

River's Edge (1986)

  • 86% of critics liked it
    (36 reviews)

  • 73% of users liked it
    (8,504 ratings)

The nude, strangled body of a teenaged girl lies on the edge of the river. Her murderer is her boyfriend, Daniel Roebuck. All the kids in Roebuck's dismal, dead-end town know who committed the murder. Trouble is, no one bothers to turn Roebuck in; some of the teens don't know how to react to… More

Play Trailer

R,
Directed By
Written By
Neal Jimenez
Genres
Drama
In Theaters
May 8, 1987 Limited
Island

Critic Reviews

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    An unusually downbeat and depressing youth pic.

  • Pat Graham, Chicago Reader

    It's more a success than a failure, if only because the confusions are so protean.

  • Geoff Andrew, Time Out

    There are some good, frightening scenes of volatile lunacy, but the whole thing badly lacks a controlling distance and perspective.

  • Janet Maslin, New York Times

    Bitter and disturbing.

  • Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

    This is the best analytical film about a crime since The Onion Field and In Cold Blood.

Read all 12 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Randy T


    If there is genius to be found here it is most certainly in the casting of off-center actors (i.e. Crispin Glover and Dennis Hopper) to play off-center characters. Creepy and dark in a light-hearted '80s sort of way.

  • Jim H


    A high schooler kills his girlfriend, and his friends have varied reactions, some attempting to help him escape, others apathetic, and others telling the police. I've read the many reviews that describe this film as an exploration of the then-contemporary distance between action… More

  • Dan S


    An over-acted but nonetheless arresting study in blind loyalty concerning a small town and its younger inhabitants (Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, among others), and how their social circle is rocked by the inexplicable murder by one of their friends after he kills his girlfriend, and… More

  • AJ V


    My absolute favourite teenage drama/thriller of the 80s. It has an excellent cast, a great (and true) story, and it's even got a bit of humor. I highly recommend this movie.

  • Bannan i


    Yes, yes...I know the drill. Shame on me for not having seen this sooner. I kinda adore movies in this type of fashion. Be it Stand by Me, Alpha Dog or that one with another river and dead bodies, ah the complications. But, really Glover and Reeves shine in here..they really do.… More

Read all 16 featured audience ratings

Currently unavailable on Flixster

Also available on

Other Retailers

Not Available
Not Available
Not Available

Subscription Services

Not Available
Not Available
Not Available

Cast

See more (25)

Trailers & Clips