Stand by Me (1986)

Yes. 90% of real audiences liked it, by Google's archived audience score. Critics agree, scoring it 84%.

After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four boys decide to go see the body. Gordie, Vern, Chris, and Teddy encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, but they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys' adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives. Wikipedia ↗

Stand by Me is a 1986 American coming-of-age drama directed by Rob Reiner, based on Stephen King's novella The Body. The film follows four 12-year-old boys in the small town of Castle Rock, Oregon in 1959 who embark on a two-day hike along railroad tracks to find the dead body of a missing teenager. Gordie Lachance, played by Wil Wheaton, is a quiet, creative boy overshadowed by his dead older brother; Chris Chambers, played by River Phoenix, is a tough kid from a bad family desperate to escape his reputation; Teddy Duchamp, played by Corey Feldman, is a reckless kid whose abusive father damaged his ear; and Vern Tessio, played by Jerry O'Connell, is the chubby, anxious member of the group.

River Phoenix's performance as Chris Chambers — a boy who is smarter and kinder than anyone gives him credit for, who fights against the assumption that he'll end up like his criminal family — was a devastating preview of the talent that would define his brief career. Rob Reiner's direction captured the specific quality of childhood friendship with rare authenticity — the campfire storytelling, the pointless arguments, and the loyalty that defines relationships before adulthood complicates everything. Stand by Me earned $52 million worldwide on a $8 million budget.