Stand by Me review – Rob Reiner’s nostalgic look at friendship and the loss of innocence still grips tight

The 40th anniversary re-release of the coming-of-age drama about four boys on a quest to see a dead body is a masterclass in directing, storytelling and acting Rob Reiner’s film, adapted by screenwriters Raynold Gideon and Bruce Evans from Stephen King’s novella The Body, transformed King’s story into a glorious, mainstream American classic like something by Mark Twain. The film was released in 1986; since 1993 its added poignancy had resided in the fact that one of its actors, River Phoenix...

By Peter Bradshaw