Mud

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Mud

PG-13

Released May 10, 2013

2h 10m

Drama

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

183 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

While exploring a Mississippi River island, Arkansas boys Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) encounter Mud (Matthew McConaughey),a fugitive who needs their help. Though Mud killed a man in Texas and has bounty hunters on his trail, he is most concerned about reuniting with Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), the love of his life. Ellis, who is suffering the pangs of his first crush, agrees to help Mud. He and Neckbone do all they can to protect Mud and help him reunite with Juniper.

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Critics Consensus

Bolstered by a strong performance from Matthew McConaughey in the title role, Mud offers an engaging Southern drama that manages to stay sweet and heartwarming without being sappy.

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Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

metro.co.uk

Its beguiling mix of naturalism and fabulism will appeal to adults who'd like to see a version of Beasts Of The Southern Wild with fewer fairy lights.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 5, 2017

Full Review

Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

The type of film that's miraculously heartwarming, while also mournful and filled with sorrow.

Rated: A

Apr 23, 2015

Full Review

Mary Corliss

TIME Magazine

Glorious vision of youth and truth, love and loss, your name is Mud.

Jan 1, 2014

Full Review

JD Duran

InSession Film

McConaughey, Sheridan, and Lofland carry the film and make Mud one of the year’s best films...

Rated: B+

Aug 20, 2024

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... a story of childhood adventure steeped in the rural culture of life on the Mississippi and the mythology of Huckleberry Finn, but this boy’s adventure is also tangled in the world of adults and family bonds.

May 6, 2023

Full Review

James Croot

The Post NZ

A film that mixes the intimate with the epic, thrilling action with slow-burning drama, Mud is a searing 2012 slice of Southern US-set cinema which rivals the brilliant Beasts of the Southern Wild from the same year.

Rated: 4.5/5

May 1, 2023

Full Review

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Jeremiah C

Not a particularly complex film, but it does feature a poignant depiction of love and the loss of it. McConaughey and Sheridan are fantastic in it, and the others do a good enough job with their roles to keep me invested in the story, which lacks in substance and intrigue. It is not an action film, a thriller, or a love story, but it keeps teasing that it might become one or all of the three at any moment. But nothing happens. I don’t think anyone wins or loses anything. That the movie never becomes much of anything by the end besides a glimmer of hope for the young protagonist’s future love life left me looking for another far more interesting movie as soon as the credits rolled.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/10/25

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Rob A

A very good drama about a lovestruck man (Matthew McConaughey) hiding out on an uninhabited island in the Mississippi River off the coast of Arkansas. He's on the run but hopes to abscond with beautiful yet battered Reese Witherspoon when two curious teenage boys discover him there. The film is different and unique and Tye Sheridan was excellent as young Ellis. With an exciting climax, I must admit - I've seen it twice.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/09/25

Full Review

Steven G.

Fantastic storyline. Matthew McConauhy played his part brilliantly. Great drama and would absolutely recommend watching.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/06/25

Full Review

christopher s

Mcconaughey brilliant as usual. A solid watch!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/27/25

Full Review

Blu B

A Classic Drama. Really well made all around. McConaughey is the best thing and that's saying a lot acing wise because everyone is doing good here. Solid direction as well. It's a prison escape movie mixed with a coming of age story. It reminds of Labor Day ony this succeeds way more where that struggled. The only issue is sometimes it has trouble tying in the boys personal drama/romance subplot with the prison story although it all does come together well enough in the end. The setting is very memorable, the final action scene is really good, and it's a very satisfying conclusion. It's a very unique type of film that anyone who is a fan of dramas, coming of age stories, the director or any actors in this should give a try with.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/26/25

Full Review

Kyle B

Amazing movie, story, and acting. 10/10

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/17/25

Full Review

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Jeff Nichols

Director

Matthew McConaughey

Mud

Tye Sheridan

Ellis

Jacob Lofland

Neckbone

Reese Witherspoon

Juniper

Michael Shannon

Galen

Mud: Official Clip - I Reckon We Can Make a Deal

3:00

Mud: Official Clip - Mud Rescues Ellis

2:52

Mud: Official Clip - There It Is

2:32

Mud: Official Clip - Shootout on the River

2:51

Mud: Official Clip - Where is He?

1:46

Mud: Official Clip - A Talk by the Fire

2:39

Mud: Official Clip - I Shot a Man

2:54

Mud: Official Clip - Farewell

1:13

Mud: Official Clip - You Can Call Me Mud

2:38

Mud: Official Clip - I Trusted You!

1:19

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Synopsis

While exploring a Mississippi River island, Arkansas boys Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) encounter Mud (Matthew McConaughey),a fugitive who needs their help. Though Mud killed a man in Texas and has bounty hunters on his trail, he is most concerned about reuniting with Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), the love of his life. Ellis, who is suffering the pangs of his first crush, agrees to help Mud. He and Neckbone do all they can to protect Mud and help him reunite with Juniper.

Director: Jeff Nichols
Producer: Lisa Maria Falcone, Sarah Green, Aaron Ryder
Screenwriter: Jeff Nichols
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Production Co: FilmNation, Brace Cove
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual References|Language|Smoking|Some Violence|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Drama, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 10, 2013, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 6, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $21.6M
Runtime: 2h 10m

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