"I was 12 going on 13 the first time I saw a dead human body." Stand By Me's opening line is brilliant because it sets up the entire tone of the film. It's dark, melancholy, and more than a little wistful for the innocence of childhood. We can all remember the first time we ever saw a dead body, and it's easy to frame that as a divisive point in our lives. It's really the first time we're forced to confront our own mortality and take our first tentative steps into a scary adult world. The promise of a dead body is what anchors Stand By Me, as we follow the four boys on their journey to catch a glimpse of a poor kid left for dead out by the railroad tracks.