As other reviewers pointed out, this movie feels like a TV movie or an Afterschool Special at times; only the profanity, and brief scenes of sexual content and violence show that it isn't (it went directly to the home video market). The acting is decent, and the movie has a good soundtrack. An arrogant high school jock (Brian Krause, who tended to play roles in this vein in this stage of his career) rapes a girl (Shevonne Durkin) in his circle of friends. His girlfriend (Jennifer Burns) is completely unaware of what a predatory creep her boyfriend is, and their other friends (Wil Wheaton, Soleil Moon Frye, Michael Cudlitz, and Aron Eisenberg) decide to put their loyalty to Krause (who insists that it was consensual) first and shield Burns from the truth. When they fear that Durkin may go to the police, Cudlitz decides to take matters into his own hands; what starts out as intimidating Durkin from reporting the rape ends in him killing her. Krause, Wheaton, Frye, and Eisenberg help dispose of the body, but Wheaton's conscience starts to get the better of him, and he falls for Burns, who eventually learns the truth. Should they report the crime or cover for their friends? The ending is infuriating, but sadly quite realistic, and we have to ask ourselves, have times really changed that much?
The similarities between "The Liar's Club" (1993) and "River's Edge" (1987) are undeniable. In the latter film, inspired by true events, a high school jock murders his girlfriend, and shows his friends the body, and they grapple with whether or not to report the crime or protect their friend. There is even a similar line in both films, regarding the victim, "She was/is our friend too!" How far does friendship go, especially if the "friends" are potentially dangerous? Is loyalty sometimes misplaced? Is it worth it to cover up crimes in the name of friendship? "River's Edge" is the better of the two, but both films raise these important questions.
The similarities between "The Liar's Club" (1993) and "River's Edge" (1987) are undeniable. In the latter film, inspired by true events, a high school jock murders his girlfriend, and shows his friends the body, and they grapple with whether or not to report the crime or protect their friend. There is even a similar line in both films, regarding the victim, "She was/is our friend too!" How far does friendship go, especially if the "friends" are potentially dangerous? Is loyalty sometimes misplaced? Is it worth it to cover up crimes in the name of friendship? "River's Edge" is the better of the two, but both films raise these important questions.