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Stand by Me

Stand by Me

Crime · Drama · 1986

After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four boys decide to go see the body. Gordie, Vern, Chris, and Teddy encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, but they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys' adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives.

Movie details

Stand by Me

“"If I could only have one food to eat for the rest of my life?" "That's easy. Pez. Cherry flavor Pez. No question about it."”

1986 Crime · Drama 1h 29m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.8 / 10

Community rating

After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four boys decide to go see the body. Gordie, Vern, Chris, and Teddy encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, but they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys' adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Stand by Me?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Nightmare Alley

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A roustabout joins a traveling carny and schemes to figure out the mind-reading act of Mademoiselle Zeena and her alcoholic husband.

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Sarah Rector, a Black girl born in early 20th-century Oklahoma Indian Territory, believes there is oil beneath the barren land she’s allotted, and her faith proves right. As greedy oil sharks close in, Sarah turns to family, friends, and some Texas wildcatters to maintain control of her oil-rich land, eventually becoming among the nation's first Black female millionaires—at eleven years old.

The Rainmaker

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Crime · 2009

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Rob Reiner

Written by

Raynold Gideon · Bruce A. Evans

Wil Wheaton

Wil Wheaton

Gordie Lachance

River Phoenix

River Phoenix

Chris Chambers

Corey Feldman

Corey Feldman

Teddy Duchamp

Jerry O'Connell

Jerry O'Connell

Vern Tessio

Kiefer Sutherland

Kiefer Sutherland

Ace Merrill

Casey Siemaszko

Casey Siemaszko

Billy Tessio

Gary Riley

Gary Riley

Charlie Hogan

Court is in session

Put Stand by Me on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.