Mystic River

Play trailer

2:20

Mystic River

R

2003

2h 17m

Crime

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

203 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

When the daughter of ex-con Jimmy Marcus is murdered, two of his childhood friends from the neighborhood are involved. Dave, a blue-collar worker, is the last person to see her alive, while Sean, a homicide detective, is heading up the case.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Anchored by the exceptional acting of its strong cast, Mystic River is a somber drama that unfolds in layers and conveys the tragedy of its story with visceral power.

Read Critics Reviews

David Germain

Associated Press

11/12/2018

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

Go to Full Review

Neil Norman

London Evening Standard

01/11/2018

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.

Go to Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/26/2010

3/5

Powerful performances in graphic story. Only 16+.

Go to Full Review

Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Jan 21

8/10

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.

Go to Full Review

David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

02/15/2021

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.

Go to Full Review

Micheal Compton

Bowling Green Daily News

11/15/2019

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

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Ryan C

@djrmc24 Jan 1

Mystic River is a powerhouse of a film with great performances all throughout. Clint Eastwood has always been a very talented Actor and Director but I feel this is his best film behind the camera. This film tells a story about a group of friends in Boston who go through a traumatizing event that shapes their lives for the future. The film then fast forwards in time with the same group of friends who all are connected to another life changing event. Sean Penn and Tim Robbins are really amazing in this film and give Oscar type performances. Kevin Bacon is also really good here, along with the rest of the supporting cast. The film really sets things in motion and makes the viewer think one thing when really something else has happened. This is Clint Eastwood’s best directed film. Mystic River gets a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.

See more

Geo3 F

Dec 31

The acting was superb, the plot got better as the movie went on, what I like about it was the drama towards the end. Overall I dont want to spoil the film so I would say this movie deserves it praise from critics.

See more

Brian F

@FedUpDVDCollector Dec 28

Solid acting all around. Deserving awards for Penn and Robbins but I thought Fishbourne was great as well. Only bad acting was from an old lady they interview about the murder, they could’ve cut her scene. Saw the twist from 7 miles away but it played out dramatically enough to satisfy me.

See more

Don V

@bondo150 Nov 29

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.

See more

Rémi V

@kernel_33 Nov 20

A gripping and efficiently crafted crime thriller, paired with a psychological study of finely drawn characters and a philosophical reflection on the cyclical nature of violence across generations. The actors are excellent, and the direction is flawless. A sensitive classic of great accuracy and depth.

See more

Dylan M

@dylsciple Nov 19

Keeps you thinking, invokes emotion, has twists, and unlike new movies, has falling action.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Clint Eastwood

Director

Sean Penn

Jimmy Markum

Tim Robbins

Dave Boyle

Kevin Bacon

Sean Devine

Laurence Fishburne

Whitey Powers

Marcia Gay Harden

Celeste Boyle

The Good Thief

77%

62%

The Good Thief

Watchlist

Essex Boys

17%

61%

Essex Boys

Watchlist

City of Ghosts

48%

46%

City of Ghosts

Watchlist

Revolver

13%

56%

Revolver

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

New on Netflix in September 2019: New Movies, TV Shows, Netflix Original Series

New on Netflix in August

New on Netflix in October

Mystic River: Trailer 1

2:20

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

When the daughter of ex-con Jimmy Marcus is murdered, two of his childhood friends from the neighborhood are involved. Dave, a blue-collar worker, is the last person to see her alive, while Sean, a homicide detective, is heading up the case.

Director: Clint Eastwood
Producer: Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Judie Hoyt
Screenwriter: Brian Helgeland, Dennis Lehane
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Malpaso Company, Village Roadshow Prod.
Rating: R (Violence|Language)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 15, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 2, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $90.1M
Runtime: 2h 17m
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now