At first one might assume the film has been set up to be a tense crime thriller. Instead it is a tragedy: the end result is inevitable from the opening scenes. The characters never express any possibility of doing something else.

| Original Score: 8/10 | Jan 21, 2025

Eastwood's film is rooted in a profound misreading, or more to the point, a profound ignorance of society and human relationships. His false and shallow premises lead the filmmaker to construct an unconvincing, fantastical drama.

| Feb 15, 2021

Mystic River features a moving screenplay, solid direction and a superb cast highlighted by Sean Penn's Oscar-worthy performance.

| Nov 15, 2019

While Mystic River is at its basest a crime thriller, it is so much more than that.

| Nov 13, 2019

Clint Eastwood has infused the picture with a typically deliberate and methodical feel that certainly complements Brian Helgeland's somewhat drawn-out screenplay...

| Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 3, 2019

Eastwood and his actors create a brooding drama whose events and interrelationships seem surreally improbable yet painfully authentic.

| Nov 12, 2018

One of its best qualities is that it's dark but not depressing.

| Feb 3, 2018

It is a film of magisterial, slow-burning power, one of the finest examples of recent American cinematic storytelling and certainly Eastwood's most mature film.

| Jan 11, 2018

Eastwood tells the story simply, barely moving the camera. The only special effect in this film is genius.

| Original Score: A | Jan 5, 2018

There is nothing romantic about the law of the streets, and its unforgiving nature has a finality that can't be undone. Eastwood has an understanding of what it takes to live with yourself, not so much a sympathy as an appreciation.

| Apr 15, 2016

The entire cast did a phenomenal job, resisting the urge to overact too much, which is what you get for a film like this.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 21, 2012

Powerful performances in graphic story. Only 16+.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 26, 2010

Violence and revenge have been a staple of Eastwood's work from the beginning, but here he explores his subject from a new, more ambiguous angle, with no regard for macho titillation.

| Jul 7, 2010

American drama doesn't get any more meaty and muscular than this.

| Original Score: A- | Jun 13, 2009

The performances are uniformly superb.

| Original Score: A | Aug 25, 2008

Good, occasionally powerful noir that's been overhyped.

| Original Score: B | Aug 5, 2007

Mystic falters occasionally, but I respect its effort and I'm happy to see Mr. Eastwood growing as a director.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 14, 2007

While not quite the equal of the novel, it's more complex, emotionally-charged and better acted than the average Hollywood thriller.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 30, 2006

Something modern Hollywood doesn't see every day: a veritable perfect storm of intelligent, grown-up dramatic movie-making.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Oct 29, 2006

With characters that don't belong in the film and resolutions that seem mere fantasy, Mystic River never surpasses adequacy.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 8, 2006