Guest Author - Florence Cardinal

A friend told me that if I wanted to see a good horror movie, to watch Mean Creek. A few days ago I did just that. I will admit that it's a good show, not outstanding, but worth watching. But I wouldn't class it as horror. It's a drama. Tense, emotional, it tugs at the senses and can bring you to the edge of your seat.

It's a coming-of-age the hard way story. When a bully begins terrorizing smaller kids in the neighborhood, a group of teens decide to mete out what they consider a justified revenge.

It's a very appropriate topic for today's society. It seems every school has it's bullies. Violence in classrooms erups suddenly, often with dire results. Beatings. School shootings. How can students be expected to learn when they live in fear?

They fake a birthday party and invite the bully along. He's delighted. Actually a lonely kid, craving the recognition of his peers, he believes he's finally going to be a part of the group.

The plan is in place. A group of kids - several boys and one girl - set off for a boat trip up the river. That's when the kids begin to show their true colors. The bully turns out to be not such a bad guy after all. Prompted by the one girl, they decide not to go through with the plan after all. That is, all except one boy who suddenly reveals himself to be an even bigger bully than the original target.

They go from laughter and childish games to taunting and anger. Violence erupts and someone dies. Murder? No one is quite sure, but they decide the prudent thing to do is hide the evidence.

Once back home, however, guilt and remorse sets in. Most of them want to tell the truth but fear of what will happen to them holds them back. This is one unhappy bunch of kids.

One thing that bothered me was the seemingly total lack or adult intervention. Very few adults appeared in the picture. The only parent in evidence was the original bully's mother and it was obvious she doted on her only son. Where were all the other parents? Why did no one ask what these kids were up to? Even after they returned home, obvisouly distraught, their parents seemed not too concerned.

Thinking back on the movie, I think the tension for me came about because there's a feeloing that something's going to happen and there's nothing to be done to prevent it. We just don't know when or how.

If you're looking for slashers or ghosts, serial killers or vampires, then you'll be disapponted. But, if you enjoy a good drama that definitely has it's tense undertones, watch Mean Creek. It reminded me a bit of Deliverance with a teen cast.

View the trailer.