The Pledge

R

Released Jan 19, 2001

2 hr. 4 min.

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

78%

125 Reviews

Tomatometer

59%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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Daniel M

Absolutely shite, nothing happens for two hours. Had a date round to watch it and she left straight after it ended and hasn't text me back since.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

Full Review

Derek C

A lot of suspense, with a disappointing ending

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/16/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Jack Nicholson, Aaron Eckhart, Dale Dickey, Sam Shepard, Patricia Clarkson, Harry Dean Stanton, Benicio del Toro, Mickey Rourke, Robin Wright Penn, and Costas Mandylor. Jerry is about to retire from the police force. But a call comes in about a young girl's murder in the snowy wilderness of Nevada. So he takes on the case hoping to catch the killer. The suspect is apprehended but shoots himself. Jerry then investigates the town next to where the crime occurred. He starts to bond with a mother and daughter but his fellow officers figure the case is done. There might be more though than what actually happened. A lot of this subject matter is very grim. Much of the movie is kinda lacking the thrills and just Jerry moseying about his retirement. But Nicholson's performance shines. I'd be lying if I said the scenery wasn't lush looking. I really expected to be wowed more by this. You have this stellar cast but a lot of them are just in the background. I was also very disappointed by the ending. Sean Penn makes for a good director though. The material should've been better even if it is based on a book.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/20/24

Full Review

Raoul D

This cliché-free film is a realistic symbolization of retirement, implemented in a creative twist of the well-known cat-and-mouse game. Nicholson is just fantastic, portraying a nice retired detective who struggles with his beliefs, emotions and old age. The movie is slow, even very slow, but attributes to the retired character. The viewer experiences his thought process step by step in a very focused story with a lot of details, accompanied by a fitting score by Hans Zimmer. Most coming back out of retirement movies do not feature the realistic dilemmas displayed in The Pledge. The direction of Sean Penn is very pleasant. However, the ending of this movie is a bit unsatisfying, even if the main goal is achieved. I think it would be better to leave the ending open to the viewer's imagination.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/16/24

Full Review

Andrea C

Jack Nicholson protagonista assoluto, tanto dismesso quanto fedele alla promessa fatta, interpreta un perfetto protagonista che sorregge una sceneggiatura sicuramente interessante quanto non esente da forzature e da banalità. La caccia ad un serial killer nascosto mostra una bella costruzione della passività e della durata delle ricerche, mentre invece è parecchio carente sotto il punto di vista dei personaggi secondari e soprattutto sulla poca importanza data allo sviluppo del villain. Alcuni passaggi poi sono evitabili, la relazione tra il protagonista e la giovane donna in primis. Il finale per quanto graficamente pessimo lascia un messaggio agrodolce che colpisce. Alcuni attori tra cui Helen Mirren sono davvero poco e mal sfruttati.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/05/24

Full Review

Monica M

I really loved this movie. Jack Nicholson was so subtle and magnificent to watch. Jerry was such a great character! I loved his humility when he had to deliver bad news. His tenderness with Chrissy was so moving. I was yelling at the screen when he made some incredibly boneheaded decisions that showed his obsession with catching the bad guy had taken a turn that wasn't going to be good for anyone. Robin Wright was great as a tormented mom. Benicio Del Toro was haunting and his scene was so awkward, cringy and hard to watch. Helen Mirren! Vanessa Redgrave! Are you kidding me? What a treat they were. I loved how the movie showcased a wonderful cop and person being just put out to pasture. It made me feel so much sympathy. And the plot just kept me on the edge of wondering whether he was developing some mental health problems. I know the ending might disappoint but if you really look, you can see how Jerry's decisions throughout led to the end. Jack Nicholson's facial expressions are so perfect. You can see how he brings all his Jackness to round out that amazing character.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/29/23

Full Review

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Sean Penn

Director

Jack Nicholson

Jerry Black

Robin Wright

Lori

Aaron Eckhart

Sam Krolak

Patricia Clarkson

Margaret Larsen

Benicio del Toro

Toby Jay Wadenah

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Empire Magazine

Rated: 4/5

Dec 30, 2006

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

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

Mar 5, 2021

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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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
Screenwriter: Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Jerzy Kromolowski, Mary Olson-Kromolowski
Distributor: E Stars Films, Warner Bros.
Production Co: Clyde Is Hungry Productions, Morgan Creek Productions, Warner Bros., Franchise Pictures, Pledge Productions Inc.
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
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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