MUD is another overrated film that many viewers (and reviewers) seem to mistake for a stylish masterwork. In fact it's a very dull social drama with thriller undertones about a couple of kids who befriend a bizarre homeless man who lives out in the woods, often making a boat suspended in a tree his bed for the night. What the other viewers seem to miss is that it's BORING.
MUD has potential, I'll give it that. Scenes of the kids exploring and enjoying a lot hot summer bring to mind the greatness of MEAN CREEK and STAND BY ME, but that's where the similarities end. Instead, this film gets bogged down in small-scale drama, a definite look-at-me style of acting, and way too much sentiment. The inclusion of a crime family and a revenge-fuelled second half doesn't really ring true and when you don't care about the characters anyway, that doesn't help.
It also doesn't help that I can't stand the overrated Matthew McConaughey as an actor. He always seems to swan around with his turgid under acting and he bores me to tears whenever he's on screen. At least this film isn't as offensive as KILLER JOE, but I still hated his character. The pity is that some decent character actors are mired in support (in particular, Michael Shannon and Paul Sparks, both of BOARDWALK EMPIRE). And as for Reese Witherspoon - the less said the better!
Voir plus 
