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Crime drama

River's Edge (1987): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

River's Edge (1987) movie poster

River's Edge is a 1987 crime drama directed by Tim Hunter, starring Joshua John Miller, Daniel Roebuck and Keanu Reeves. It runs 1 hour 39 minutes and earned $4.6 million worldwide. It won 2 awards from 5 nominations, including Best Feature at the Spirit Awards 1988. Critics gave it 73 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.9/10.

IMDb rating
6.9/10
worldwide gross
$4.6M
awards won
2
Metascore
73
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River's Edge (1987) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 39m (99 min)
Director
Tim Hunter
Genres
Drama , Crime
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is River's Edge About?

The premise of River's Edge without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Near a riverbank outside a quiet California town, a shocking crime sends ripples through a group of teenagers. Samson's actions have devastating consequences, and his friends struggle to cope with the fallout. As they try to move on, Layne attempts to keep the truth hidden, but Matt and Clarissa become increasingly disturbed by the events. The group must confront the disturbing reality of their friend's actions and the moral implications that arise.

River's Edge Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • child drives a car
  • child with a gun
  • drug
  • guitarist
  • riverbank
  • drug abuse
  • car
  • women's liberation
  • police
  • murder
  • death
  • violence
+38 more
  • stoner
  • finding a dead body
  • dumping a dead body in a river
  • sex doll
  • dead body
  • juvenile delinquency
  • funeral
  • corpse
  • naked dead woman
  • telephone call
  • sex scene
  • female rear nudity
  • female full frontal nudity
  • naked corpse
  • pubic hair
  • female pubic hair
  • town with a dark secret
  • female outdoor nudity
  • outdoor nudity
  • coming of age drama
  • teen drama
  • school
  • gratuitous female nudity
  • stealing beer
  • 12 year old boy
  • one legged man
  • hiding
  • high school student
  • ex biker
  • teensploitation film
  • forest
  • destroying a doll
  • river bank
  • 12 year old
  • sex
  • beer party
  • amorality
  • not reporting a murder
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Cast & crew

River's Edge Cast

Joshua John Miller leads the cast, with Daniel Roebuck and Keanu Reeves. Directed by Tim Hunter; 10 actors are credited in all.

Ratings

River's Edge Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave River's Edge 73 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.9/10.

Plot

River's Edge Plot Summary

What happens in River's Edge from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The film begins with a young boy named Tim (Joshua John Miller), who is seen playing on a bridge. He hears a shout and spots Samson/John (Daniel Roebuck) sitting by the shore. Tim quickly rides off on his bike, while Samson can be found smoking a cigarette next to the lifeless body of Jamie (Danyi Deats). In a daze, Samson later walks into a convenience store, where Tim witnesses him stealing two beers. Tim then approaches Samson, asking for illicit substances, and hops into Samson’s car. They head to Feck’s place in hopes of scoring some drugs, but he’s absent.

Full summary

The whole story of River's Edge, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

River's Edge Box Office

River's Edge grossed $4.6 million worldwide.

1987 box office

Worldwide gross

$4.6M

US & Canada
$4.6M
Awards

River's Edge Awards & Nominations

River's Edge won 2 awards from 5 nominations, including Best Feature at the Spirit Awards 1988. Its biggest night was the Spirit Awards 1988, with 2 wins from 3 nominations.

2 wins5 nominations2 ceremonies

Videos

River's Edge Trailers & Videos

6 videos: 3 trailers, 1 clip and 2 featurettes.

All 6 videos
River's Edge Official Trailer #1 - Keanu Reeves Movie (1986)
  • Trailer River's Edge (1986) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]
  • Trailer River's Edge ≣ 1986 ≣ Trailer
  • Clip River's Edge:Get Out!
  • Featurette KEANU REEVES on River's Edge | Canada's Top Ten Film Festival | In Conversation With...
Quiz

How Well Do You Know River's Edge?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who discovers Jamie's body by the river?

Cars

Cars in River's Edge

11 cars on screen, including the Volkswagen Baja Bug Typ 1 and the 1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille.

All 11 cars
  • Volkswagen Baja Bug Typ 1 in River's Edge Volkswagen Baja Bug Typ 1 Main role
  • 1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille in River's Edge 1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille Important role
  • 1977 Ford LTD II in River's Edge 1977 Ford LTD II Important role
  • 1983 Ford Ranger in River's Edge 1983 Ford Ranger Important role
Details

River's Edge Also Known As

22 alternative titles, including “Instinto sádico” and “Messer am Ufer Das”.

Also known as
  • Instinto sádico
  • Messer am Ufer Das
  • A la orilla del río
  • I ragazzi del fiume
  • Le Fleuve de la mort
  • Das Messer am Ufer
  • Féktelen folyó
  • גוויה על שפת הנהר
  • На берегу реки
  • Marginea râului
  • На березі річки
  • W zakolu rzeki
+10 more
  • На брега на реката
  • Na břehu řeky
  • 大河边缘
  • Na brehu rieky
  • Στην άκρη του ποταμού
  • 리버스 엣지
  • Juventude Assassina
  • 大河邊緣
  • Vid flodens strand
  • ความตายและสายน้ำ

Seen River's Edge?

FAQ

River's Edge FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of River's Edge, each answered in a sentence.

How long is River's Edge?

River's Edge runs 1 hour 39 minutes (99 minutes).

When was River's Edge released?

River's Edge was released on May 8, 1987.

Who directed River's Edge?

River's Edge was directed by Tim Hunter.

More films by Tim Hunter

Who is in the cast of River's Edge?

River's Edge stars Joshua John Miller, Daniel Roebuck and Keanu Reeves, among 10 credited actors.

How much did River's Edge make at the box office?

River's Edge grossed $4.6 million worldwide.

How is River's Edge rated?

River's Edge has 6.9/10 on IMDb, 73 on Metacritic and 65% on TMDB.

What awards did River's Edge win?

River's Edge won 2 awards from 5 nominations, including Best Feature at the Spirit Awards 1988.

Does River's Edge have a post-credit scene?

No. River's Edge has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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