Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon look damn impressive in the trailer for Mud

I remember seeing A TIME TO KILL back in 1996 and thinking that Matthew McConaughey was going to be a big star some day. Well, he was poised for superstardom and churned out a bunch of lackluster romcoms that did pretty well at the box office. But, something happened when he got married and settled down. Now, we are finally getting Matthew McConaughey, the actor instead of the movie star.

With all of the buzz focusing on his turns in MAGIC MIKE, THE PAPERBOY, and the upcoming DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, his starring role in the indie MUD got lost in the mix. This new trailer showcases a very intriguing plot and a performance from McConaughey that deserves to be recognized.

Plot: MUD is an adventure about two boys, Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and his friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland), who find a man named Mud (Matthew McConnaughey) hiding out on an island in the Mississippi. Mud describes fantastic scenarios—he killed a man in Texas and vengeful bounty hunters are coming to get him. He says he is planning to meet and escape with the love of his life, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), who is waiting for him in town. Skeptical but intrigued, Ellis and Neckbone agree to help him. It isn’t long until Mud’s visions come true and their small town is besieged by a beautiful girl with a line of bounty hunters in tow.

At first, it felt like it was going to be a Tom Sawyer meets THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE kind of movie, but instead turns into a thriller. Reese Witherspoon looks hotter than she has in a long time and the quality acting of Sam Shepard and Michael Shannon elevate this above the rest. Count me in to check out MUD when it opens in theaters on April 26, 2013.