Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gratuitous sex and violence in Japanese teen drama.
Parents Need to Know
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Where to Watch
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River's Edge
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In RIVER'S EDGE, Yamada is a secretly gay teenage boy living in a Tokyo suburb in the 1990s. He hides his sexual orientation by casually dating Tajima, a lovestruck younger girl. He's also the frequent target of bullies like Kannonzaki, who dates Haruni while having sex with her promiscuous friend Rumi on the side. Haruni is intrigued by Yamada's mysterious aura, and befriends him. Yamada begins to reveal his secrets -- not only that he's gay, but that he knows where there's a decaying corpse in the reeds by the river. Meanwhile, Kannonzaki's violent impulses and sexual obsessions begin to grow even darker, and Rumi fears that she may be pregnant. Meanwhile, a younger model in the school where they all attend struggles with bulimia and begins to have stronger feelings for Haruni after they are introduced by Yamada. These characters try to make sense of their lives while struggling with very difficult problems.
Is It Any Good?
As a "period piece" based on a '90s manga, this makes '90s teen movies that explored similar themes such as Gummo and Kids look like Barney & Friends. Whether or not one thinks that's a good thing ultimately determines how much one will enjoy this movie. Nonetheless, what might work in a graphic (in both senses of the word) novel can easily appear gratuitous, excessive, and self-indulgent if adapted into movie form, and herein lies the problem. There are moments when River's Edge is all three of these things, and by this point, whatever shock value that drove similar tales of "lost teen innocence" in the 1980s and 1990s now seem like belabored points.
The almost nonexistent adult presence makes the whole thing come off like a kind of nihilistic Peanuts, replacing humor via existential angst with tragedy via emo anguish, and the pulling of the football at the last minute with bullying, bulimia, drug use, ad nauseum. Perhaps it's a faithful replication of the manga, but there are so many times when the movie feels forced and overdone at the expense of a coherent narrative. There are characters in the movie who seem to be there only to personify an issue of concern that the creators wish to call attention to. All of this overwhelms the incredible acting and filmmaking. It's a form of anti-nostalgia -- Japan in the 1990s had its fair share of problems -- but when River's Edge is taken at its face value (which is what, presumably, most American audiences will do), the whole thing comes off as an exercise in excess in many forms.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sex and violence in movies. How much is too much?
What are some other examples of movies in which teens engage in questionable behaviors? What consequences, if any, are shown?
How does River's Edge depict topics such as bullying, eating disorders, teen sex, suicide, and coming out as gay?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 16, 2018
- On DVD or streaming : March 1, 2019
- Cast : Fumi Nikaido , Ryo Yoshizawa , Aoi Morikawa
- Director : Isao Yukisada
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters
- Run time : 118 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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