Mud is a 2012 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, and Jacob Lofland. The story takes place in rural Arkansas, where two teenage boys, Ellis and Neckbone, venture out on a boat to a nearby island in the Mississippi River. There, they discover a mysterious man named Mud, who is hiding out and claiming to be waiting for his girlfriend Juniper to join him so they can escape together.
As Ellis and Neckbone become more entangled in Mud's life and mission, they find themselves caught up in a dangerous web of secrets, violence, and betrayal. Mud is being hunted by both the police and a group of bounty hunters who are determined to capture him and collect the reward on his head. Despite the risks, Ellis and Neckbone decide to help Mud track down Juniper and reunite with her, believing that this is the only way for him to escape and start a new life.
Throughout the course of the film, Ellis also grapples with his own feelings of love and loss, as he struggles to come to terms with the impending breakup of his own parents and the realization that life is often messy, complicated, and unpredictable. As the story unfolds, Mud becomes a powerful and poignant exploration of the bonds of friendship, loyalty, and love, as well as the challenges and opportunities of growing up.