Mud is a 2012 American coming-of-age drama-thriller film written and directed by Jeff Nichols. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Sam Shepard, and Reese Witherspoon. The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. It was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2013. The film opened on April 26, 2013 with a limited release in select theaters, before having a wider release on May 10, 2013.