DVD & Blu-ray review: Mud (12)

Mike Nichols DVD/ Blu-ray (130mins)

Mike Nichols's excellent rite-of-passage drama channels Whistle Down The Wind, Stand By Me and, mainly, Huckleberry Finn. Two 14-year-olds, Ellis and Neckbone, unearth a charismatic fugitive, Mud (Matthew McConaughey), hiding out near the Mississippi river. He impresses the noble Ellis, in particular, with his enduring love for a childhood sweetheart (Reese Witherspoon), so he promises to reunite Mud with her. There are some strong cameos here from Sam Shepard and Ray McKinnon, but it's the relationship between the boys, played by the impressive Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland, and Mud that captivates.