You might expect “Mean Creek” to be the usual sub-par teenage romp that pops up at the end of the summer blockbuster season, full of scatological jokes, borderline chaste titillation, and actors in their 20s acting like teenagers. Expect to be surprised.

Directed by first-timer Jacob Estes, “Mean Creek” is an award decorated indie about a group of teenagers in the American Gothic backwoods who commit a terrible crime, then try to deal with the guilt and consequences. It’s a reinvention of movies like “Y Tu Mama Tambien,” “The River’s Edge,” and “Stand By Me” (without the humor). It also has a smidgen of “Kids’s” edgy realism.

The movie’s star, as far as billing is concerned, is Rory Culkin, a fantastic young actor with a cherub’s face and an adult’s haunted eyes. The movie is an ensemble piece, however, and the entire cast of age-appropriate actors is extremely impressive. Most notable are Trevor Morgan as Mr. Culkin’s older brother Rocky and Scott Mechlowicz as Rocky’s best friend, Marty. Mr. Mechlowicz’s simmering portrayal of a charismatic and troubled young man is both intense and credible. He’s someone to watch.

Rounding out the cast are Carly Shroeder, as Mr. Culkin’s budding girlfriend, and Josh Peck as George, an overweight, learning-disabled bully who beats him up. When Rocky learns who attacked his brother, he concocts a scheme to get even. The plan is to invite George, a surprisingly textured character for a teen movie villain, on a boat trip to play a game of truth or dare, after which he will be forced to race home naked.

The tension is palpable and watching this motley crew of emotionally broken teenagers is at times painful. All of the performers capture the tender awkwardness and cold-hearted cruelty of youth, and even when the movie’s plot stumbles here or there, the cast’s talent and screen presence carry them through.

Of course, something terrible goes wrong. And it’s not a surprise that the teens turn on one another. But the nuance in every scene compels “Mean Creek” forward. A first time director, Jacob Estes exhibits a maturity that the PG-13 beer-and-boob genre lacks utterly.