History Film / RiversEdge

* John's BerserkButton is apparently someone mouthing off about his dead mother. Hence [[DisproportionateRetribution why he killed Jamie]].

* MoralDissonance: In-story. The teens aren't sure what to do when confronted with the death of one of their friends at the hands of another friend. All except for Layne, who slowly demonstrates he's got few morals at all.

A 1986 teen crime drama film directed by Creator/TimHunter and starring Creator/KeanuReeves, Creator/CrispinGlover, Ione Skye, and Creator/DennisHopper, ''Razor's Edge'' depicts a group of high school friends who realize that they are in the presence of a murderer.

A 1986 teen crime drama film directed by Tim Hunter and starring Creator/KeanuReeves, Creator/CrispinGlover, Ione Skye, and Creator/DennisHopper, ''Razor's Edge'' depicts a group of high school friends who realize that they are in the presence of a murderer.

* HippieTeacher: Interestingly zigzagged with Mr. Burkewaite wjo appears in this film twice.
** First in the beginning he delivers a speach about the progress made by the US society due to the 60's Civil rights movement in 60's.
** Then it the ending he somewhat too energetically reprimands the students for not caring about the death of their mate. He addresses his reproaches to both thos who did not report the murderer and the rest за the class. He finishes his deatribe with the remark than all pupils do not care about the death of their mate as if they did they'd be out of the street hunting down John. Thus becoming a proponent of vigilantism and posses no less.

* AntiVillain: Layne who tries to preserve the existence of the group and get everyone else acting by the intragroup rules.

A 1986 teen crime/drama film directed by Tim Hunter and starring Creator/KeanuReeves, Creator/CrispinGlover, Ione Skye, and Creator/DennisHopper, ''Razor's Edge'' depicts a group of high school friends who realize that they are in the presence of a murderer.

A 1986 teen drama film starring Creator/KeanuReeves, Creator/CrispinGlover, Ione Skye, and DennisHopper. Depicts a group of high school friends who realize that they are in the presence of a murderer.

John shows up at school and tells his friends that he had killed his girlfriend Jamie. At first none of the other teens believe him... until he shows them Jamie's corpse left for days along [[TitleDrop the river's edge]]. The teen group then argues over what to do, finally settling on Layne's plan to protect John since "Jamie's dead but John's still alive." It still doesn't settle well with Clarissa or Matt, and things get worse when the cops are finally told about Jamie's murder. Now Layne has a plan to hide John out somewhere while he goes and hunts down the one he thinks ratted John out...

* {{TheDeterminator]}: Layne who is unstoppable trying to protect his friend.

* {{Determinator]}: Layne who is unstoppable trying to protect his friend.

A 1986 teen drama film starring KeanuReeves, Creator/CrispinGlover, Ione Skye, and DennisHopper. Depicts a group of high school friends who realize that they are in the presence of a murderer.

** But it's probably a case of AssHoleHasAPoint

A 1986 teen drama film starring KeanuReeves, Crispin Glover, Ione Skye, and DennisHopper. Depicts a group of high school friends who realize that they are in the presence of a murderer.

* ActorAllusion: Feck talks briefly about how he was a biker years previously. The actor, Dennis Hopper, gained fame for his role in the classic biker flick '''''Easy Rider'''''
** When the teenagers are discussing running away to Portland, Tony mentions they can travel america like the characters in ''Film/EasyRider''.

* TakeThat: It takes the pop cheeriness of the John Hughes teen films of that era and nukes them from orbit. It's bleaker than ''{{Heathers}}''.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Feck kills John, both to spare the teen from prison and because Feck realizes the boy is becoming a CompleteMonster. In a twist, Feck is last seen getting arrested with the implication that he's actually looking forward to it, knowing he had done the right thing killing John as well as finally answering for killing his own girlfriend decades earlier.]]

* {{Stoner}}: Matt. While all of the kids smoke pot at least once in the film, Matt is the only one that is an out and out "stoner".
* TakeThat: It takes the pop cheeriness of the John Hughes films of that era and nukes them from orbit.

* Stoner: Matt. While all of the kids smoke pot at least once in the film, Matt is the only one that is an out and out "stoner".

* TrueCompanions: How Layne views the group. No one else seems to think so. They start to fall apart without Jamie.

A 1986 teen drama film starring Keanu Reeves, Crispin Glover, and Dennis Hopper. Depicts a group of high school friends who realize that they are in the presence of a murderer.

* DramaticIrony: In one scene Layne tells Matt how he JUST KNOWS that Mike was the one to rat on John. [[spoiler: Matt was actually the rat]]
** Layne even sarcastically suggests that Matt was the rat.

* BrokenPedestal: Clarissa realizes that her teacher is an asshole after he goes on a rant about the murder. Until that point, she had idolized him.
* TrueCompanions: How Layne views the group. No one else seems to think so. They start to fall apart without Jamie.

* HiddenDepths: Despite being a killer and apparently crazy, [[spoiler: Feck is remorseful after having killed a girl twenty years prior to the movie taking place. It is obvious that he's not really all that proud of it, and he is bothered by it.]]
* OhCrap: When Tim sees that Matt knows Tim destroyed the monument to their sister's doll.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Not his mother, but his aunt (who seems to be suffering from some sort of mental disability). [[spoiler: Upon seeing that the cops are at his doorstep, John's only reaction is "I hope they don't upset Aunto".]]
* HypocriticalHumor: Matt reprimands his little sister for saying "Damn". He then promptly says "Shit".
* DrunkDriver: Both Layne and John drink while driving.

* DramaticIrony: In one scene Layne tells Matt how he JUST KNOWS that Mike was the one to rat on John. [[spoiler: Matt was actually the one to rat on John.]]