The Pledge

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The Pledge

R

Released Jan 19, 2001

2h 4m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

78%

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125 Reviews

59%

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10,000+ Ratings

On the day of his retirement, detective Jerry Black (Jack Nicholson) accepts a gift -- an airline ticket to Mexico. But when the body of a murdered eight-year-old girl is discovered in the mountains, Jerry offers his expertise at the crime scene. When an ambitious younger cop wrenches a dubious confession from a simple-minded suspect, the case is closed... but not for Jerry.

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Critics Consensus

Though its subject matter is grim and may make viewers queasy, The Pledge features an excellent, subtle performance by Jack Nicholson.

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Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

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.

Rated: 3.5/4

Nov 6, 2002

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Peter Rainer

New York Magazine/Vulture

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.

Sep 26, 2002

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Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

Ultimately, the payoffs just aren't there, either psychologically or dramatically.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 22, 2002

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Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

Penn has accommodated himself to the political and artistic status quo in an unfortunate manner.

Mar 5, 2021

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PJ Nabarro

Patrick Nabarro

Penn intrinsically understands that there can be no epiphanies nor catharsis, as important portents and clues go unanswered as Black drifts into the mire of his obsession.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 2, 2018

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Blake Howard

Graffiti With Punctuation

It's "one last ride" for our leading character Jerry Black (Nicholson), until he abandons the case and retires. It examines a man trying to relinquish his deduction instincts in exchange for a slippery grip on a 'normal' life.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 9, 2017

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Kathryn V

That last scene ruined the whole movie for me. If it wasn't for that I'd give it 4 stars.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/28/25

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Robert H

The movie left me mumbling like Jack in the end.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/26/25

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Divyansh U

This movie is like a dish that looks delicious on the surface but leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. The story takes off well but gets really ridiculous and unbelievable in the second half, leaving you confused and unsatisfied.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/19/25

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mark g

Dark and dreary story with some memorable performances, primarily Nicholson and Noonan. However, I thought Eckhart was awful in it, perhaps due to a poorly developed character. The movie requires a ton of patience and will illicit zero smiles, but is certainly one that stays in your mind. Regrettably, I think the "killer" is poorly revealed.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/30/25

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C Riley H

One of the absolutist worse movies of all time. (We only watched it because it popped up on Paramount+ and were sick of hearing about the LA riots.) Spoiler: They don't apprehend the killer and Jack becomes a drunk. Pissed that I wasted two hours of my life on this crap!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/11/25

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Audience Member

Came to see Jack Nicholson. This movie had me invested, I loved Jack's character and his major ideas to catch a killer. There's excellent character development. Easily was being one of the best catch a killer films I've seen. I would even say interesting ending, but I can not. Then, when the stage was set in the climatic finale, the writers thought it would be best to ruine the film. Terrible ending and it just ruined our main character. It's as if they knew our minds would know the ending we wanted when it was right in front of us, a masterpiece. They decided to pull the rug out from under us and disrespect Nicholson's movie career. I'd give this a half star if it weren't for Jack. Actually, the more I think about it....this movie was phenomenal until it was ruined. It's not something you'll want to re-watch thanks to the ending. This went from an incredible 5 star to a trash star.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/10/25

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Synopsis

On the day of his retirement, detective Jerry Black (Jack Nicholson) accepts a gift -- an airline ticket to Mexico. But when the body of a murdered eight-year-old girl is discovered in the mountains, Jerry offers his expertise at the crime scene. When an ambitious younger cop wrenches a dubious confession from a simple-minded suspect, the case is closed... but not for Jerry.

Director: Sean Penn
Producer: Sean Penn, Elie Samaha, Michael Fitzgerald
Screenwriter: Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Jerzy Kromolowski, Mary Olson-Kromolowski
Distributor: E Stars Films, Warner Bros.
Production Co: Morgan Creek Productions, Warner Bros., Pledge Productions Inc., Franchise Pictures, Clyde Is Hungry Productions
Rating: R (Sexuality|Language|Some Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 19, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 2, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $19.7M
Runtime: 2h 4m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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