Stand By Me Review

Stand By Me
Four friends from small town America go for a hike in the woods seeking the truth of a rumour that there is a dead body abandoned there. They discover more about themselves and their hopes and dreams than they had bargained for...

by Emma Cochrane |
Published on
Release Date:

09 Feb 1986

Running Time:

89 minutes

Certificate:

15

Original Title:

Stand By Me

Feldman at the beginning of their careers. The entire cast is superb and it so perfectly paced, that the story unfolds with wit, pathos and sensitivity and completely free of emotional shortcuts.

The subsequent early death of one of the young stars serves to make this story of friendship even more poignant, and the end has added extra impact.

The tale itself, adapted from a Stephen King story, dwells on the mates' quest to find the body of a schoolboy supposedly struck down by a train while walking in the woods. They set off hoping to find fame, but then start to reveal their own personal secrets and the journey becomes as emotional as it is physical.

It's hard to tell if the four young actors are all geniuses or just perfectly cast, but the performances are never short of real, and if some of the key scenes don't have you choking back tears, you are without a soul.

This is as fresh and moving as it was when it was first released. Superbly acted...the classic of its genre.
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