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The Pledge

Play trailer Poster for The Pledge R 2001 2h 4m Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
78% Tomatometer 125 Reviews 59% Popcornmeter 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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The Pledge

The Pledge

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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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Critics Reviews

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Jeff Strickler Minneapolis Star Tribune 11/06/2002
3.5/4
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. Go to Full Review Peter Rainer New York Magazine/Vulture 09/26/2002
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. Go to Full Review Rick Groen Globe and Mail 03/22/2002
2.5/4
Ultimately, the payoffs just aren't there, either psychologically or dramatically. Go to Full Review Joanne Laurier World Socialist Web Site 03/05/2021
Penn has accommodated himself to the political and artistic status quo in an unfortunate manner. Go to Full Review PJ Nabarro Patrick Nabarro 12/02/2018
4/5
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. Go to Full Review Blake Howard Graffiti With Punctuation 04/09/2017
4/5
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. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Daniel F Jan 21 Always had a mixed feeling about this movie. On one hand, Jack was amazing in this, just like he always is. The plot was intriguing and had a lot of potential. But I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking that the ending was just unnecessarily grim, had zero redemption arc and felt half stupid, half cheated (as in the viewer felt cheated). I get they were trying to do a non-Hollywood "controversial" angle, but there's still a way to do that well and this wasn't it. See more Per S Jan 11 Building so immensly up only to collapse in the end. See more Susan W. @susanewhite Jan 7 Terrible ending of the movie See more tucker s @tucker83014 Jan 2 The movie spends all its time building you up to probably the worst ending in movie history. One of the worst films I've ever seen. Sean Penn is an idiot See more Larry K @Larrymoses39 Dec 30 Had me guessing till the end. Jack is the best See more Paul S Dec 27 It started really intense, but as the story progressed, it made less sense, and there were a lot of moments throughout the movie that felt a little over the top. Despite its flaws, the story was still compelling overall, and the performances from the ensemble cast were incredible. It's not the best movie out there, but I definitely recommend it for crime and drama fans. See more Read all reviews
The Pledge

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Cast & Crew

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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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The Pledge

The Pledge (2001) The Pledge (2001) The Pledge (2001) (L to r) Jack Nicholson, Aaron Eckhart and Sam Shepard. Robin Wright Penn and Jack Nicholson. (L to r) Patrica Clarkson, Michael O'Keefe and Jack Nicholson. Helen Mirren and Jack Nicholson. Sam Shepard and Jack Nicholson. Vanessa Redgrave and Jack Nicholson. View more photos

Movie Info

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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