Overview
A chilling exploration of friendship and betrayal in the face of a dark secret.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- harrowing
- bitter
- disturbing
- late night cinephile viewing
- 1980s cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a harrowing, tense, and unusually credible examination of aimless youth and moral apathy, driven by strong performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story focuses on how Layne, Matt, Clarissa, Maggie, and the other teenagers respond to Jamie's murder and the question of reporting it.
The teenagers respond to the murder with apathy, self-interest, confusion, and only partially articulated moral dilemmas.
Layne attempts to protect Samson and smuggle him away while others debate going to the police and fear who will be blamed.
Critics described the film as a contemporary horror story whose monsters are real, while the plot remains grounded in a teenage murder and its aftermath.
Films like River's Edge, and why
Bully
shared bleak teen alienation, moral apathy, and unsettling crime drama
Kids
shared aimless youth, disturbing violence, and psychologically detached adolescent characters
The Onion Field
shared contemporary crime analysis, damaged young people, and grim social realism
Pixote
shared coming-of-age darkness, troubled adolescents, and emotionally disquieting atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Tim Hunter
- Release Date
- 1986-10-10
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (334)
Cast
- Crispin Glover
- Keanu Reeves
- Ione Skye
- Roxana Zal
- Daniel Roebuck
- Dennis Hopper
- Joshua John Miller
- Tom Bower
- Danyi Deats
- Constance Forslund
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is River's Edge about?
- A group of suburban teenagers fractures into loyalty, denial, and fear after one friend murders another.
- What is River's Edge like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of River's Edge as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is River's Edge violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in River's Edge as moderate.
- What did critics think of River's Edge?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a harrowing, tense, and unusually credible examination of aimless youth and moral apathy, driven by strong performances.
- Which films are like River's Edge?
- Films with a similar feel include Bully, Kids, The Onion Field, and Pixote.
- How long is River's Edge?
- River's Edge runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch River's Edge?
- In United States, River's Edge is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store.
