Click to read the article
The Pledge (2001)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:117
Fresh:90
Rotten:27
Average Rating:6.8/10
Consensus: Though its subject matter is grim and may make viewers queasy, The Pledge features an excellent, subtle performance by Jack Nicholson.
Runtime: 2 hrs 4 mins
Genre: Dramas
US Box Office: $18,894,185
Synopsis: Director Sean Penn's (THE INDIAN RUNNER, THE CROSSING GUARD) third film features Jack Nicholson as Jerry Black, a retired detective whose final case ultimately causes his slow descent into madness.... Director Sean Penn's (THE INDIAN RUNNER, THE CROSSING GUARD) third film features Jack Nicholson as Jerry Black, a retired detective whose final case ultimately causes his slow descent into madness. In the midst of his retirement party, Black decides to join Detective Stan Krolak (Aaron Eckhart) on one last case. The molested body of an eight-year-old girl is found in the Nevada mountains. When the chief suspect turns out to be a mentally challenged Native American (Benicio Del Toro), Black is not convinced of his guilt despite his confession. Unable to forget the promise he made to the dead girl's mother that he would find her daughter's killer, Black becomes determined to catch a monster that no one else believes is out there. His resolve increases when he realizes that two similar unsolved murders occurred in the same area in recent years, and the case hits closer to home when Black befriends Lori (Robin Wright Penn), a waitress with a threatening ex-husband, and her eight-year old daughter, Chrissy (Pauline Roberts). Nicholson is compelling in this study of a man whose obsession slowly eats away at his sanity as he attempts to keep his promise by any means necessary. [More]
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Robin Wright Penn, Patricia Clarkson, Benicio Del Toro
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Robin Wright Penn, Patricia Clarkson, Benicio Del Toro, Dale Dickey, Aaron Eckhart, Costas Mandylor, Helen Mirren, Tom Noonan, Michael O'Keefe, Pauline Roberts, Vanessa Redgrave, Mickey Rourke, Sam Shepard, Lois Smith, Harry Dean Stanton
Director: Sean Penn
Director: Sean Penn
Screenwriter: Jerzy Kromolowski, Mary Olson-Kromolowski
Producer: Michael Fitzgerald, Sean Penn, Elie Samaha
Composer: Hans Zimmer, Klaus Badelt
Studio: Warner Bros.
Reviews for The Pledge
Mystery-thriller buffs, promise yourselves that you'll see The Pledge. And while you're at it, be sure to invite along Jack Nicholson fans and anyone who saw the first two movies that Sean Penn directed.
The problem is Nicholson. He sleepwalks through the part in a cloud of ubiquitous cigarette smoke, stiff, uncomfortable, and looking like he wishes he'd never signed that contract.
Penn can't be faulted for his work with the actors. Most of the featured players have only a scene or two, but they're indelible.
Carnadas humanas, una historia obsesiva, y un tono lírico tremendo... grata combinación que transforma una historia policíaca en algo humano, vivo y enteramente emocional.
Penn's task is well-served not only by a superb cast but the efforts of first-rate collaborators.
Steeped in an almost unbearable sadness, dense with moral ambiguity it stubbornly withholds comfort at every startling turn.
Ultimately, the payoffs just aren't there, either psychologically or dramatically.
The film's stately pace emphasizes Jerry's slow transformation, and there are a number of wonderful scenes, both visually and structurally.
While some developments are generally predictable, the movie ends up taking us on a thematic journey that is unexpected and shattering.
A surreal journey through a contorted, mundane American heartland. Del Toro shatters as a Native American victim of provincial racial profiling.
As a crime story, it would be engaging enough on its own, but it gains it true strength in the measured and disciplined study of its protagonist.
As enthralling as it sometimes is, there isn't any point to the relentless grimness.
Latest News for The Pledge
More Movies
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 69% 69% | Sherlock Holmes | 26/12 |
| 39% 39% | The Lovely Bones | 26/12 |
| 100% 100% | The French Kissers | 26/12 |
| 84% 84% | Bright Star | 26/12 |
| 82% 82% | Nowhere Boy | 26/12 |
| 18% 18% | Alvin and the Chipmunk… | 26/12 |
| 09% 09% | Did You Hear About the… | 26/12 |
| 05% 05% | Old Dogs | 26/12 |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- The Pledge at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Pledge at IGN
- The Pledge at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Last week, Moviefone offered us their worst films of the 2000s. Now see their 40 best!

Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.

Movieline gets bravely swept away with the recycled refuse of the 2000s.

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions

We're giving away a bunch of stuff from the upcoming Squeakquel.



Top Critic


