The psychological drama that writer/director Jeff Nichols brought to 2011's
Take Shelter is turned to something more universal—yet also very particular—in this rich coming-of-age story. In an Arkansas river town, 14-year-old Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and his best friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) find a strange man calling himself Mud (Matthew McConaughey) living on a remote island in the middle of the river. Can they trust him when he says that his isolation, and his mission, are all about love? Love is indeed the central notion of Nichols' story, but in a way that explores the way adolescent Ellis wrestles with exactly what that idea means, especially as his parents are on the verge of separating and his own blossoming interest in girls leads him to hasty action. Nichols allows his characters to flourish in this unique setting without wallowing in lurid Southern gothic, and only stumbles when the climax turns into action-film material. “You can't trust love, Ellis,” warns the boys father, but
Mud allows for the possibility that the way you think about it determines how much you can trust it.
