River's Edge (1987): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
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.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 39m (99 min)
- Director
- Tim Hunter
- Original language
-
English
- Studio
- Island Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
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 Show fewer
- 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
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.
-
Director Tim Hunter
Also Starring in River's Edge
· 6 moreRiver's Edge Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave River's Edge 73 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.9/10.
-
IMDb 6.9 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 73 Metascore
User score 6.6
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 65% User score
See on TMDB
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
River's Edge Box Office
River's Edge grossed $4.6 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$4.6M
- US & Canada
- $4.6M
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
-
Spirit Awards 1988 2 wins · 3 nominations- Won Best Feature
- Won Best Screenplay
- Nominated Best Director – Tim Hunter
-
Golden Globes 1985 2 nominations- Nominated Best Original Score – John Williams
- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actress) – Sissy Spacek
River's Edge Trailers & Videos
6 videos: 3 trailers, 1 clip and 2 featurettes.
- 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...
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
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who discovers Jamie's body by the river?
Cars in River's Edge
11 cars on screen, including the Volkswagen Baja Bug Typ 1 and the 1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille.
-
Volkswagen Baja Bug Typ 1 Main role -
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille Important role -
1977 Ford LTD II Important role -
1983 Ford Ranger Important role
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 Show fewer
- 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?
Movies Like River's Edge
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Over the Edge, River Runs Red and Mean Creek.
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.
Coming soon to your phone
The Plot Explained Movie Summary App
From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.
Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app
