78/100

The Pledge is an underrated gem that explores the nature of both promises and obsession, all wrapped up in the trappings of a stylish and high-quality thriller. Sean Penn's direction is out of this world, Chris Menge's cinematography is vibrant and lush, the music by Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer is simply haunting, and It's all topped off by a powerhouse of a performance by Jack Nicholson.

Let's face it, the story could be considered derivative, but it doesn't really matter when the technical elements are so fascinating and the themes that are interwoven are so dominant. By the end of the film, you'll be so invested in the story that it'll take awhile to realize the dark and devastating path that the film has taken you on. Truly, The Pledge is as engrossing as thrillers get.

All in all, a simply excellent film, and it's highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a quality slow-burn thriller.

Jack Nicholson is really one of our greats.

He delivers one of his all-time best performances as Jerry Black, a retired cop who thinks his last case on the job closed too easily. The story, refreshingly, is not about the ongoing murder mystery of the little girl in the red dress. This is a film about Jerry Black, a man who simply cannot let go.

Sean Penn surehandedly directs this meandering, almost lyrical, drama that is peppered by a cast of greats, old and new. The standout is Aaron Eckhart, who provides an original spin to the cliched character of a cocky, arrogant, younger partner.

"The Pledge" also featured a finale that kept me guessing, though I should have known that what was bound to happen would be completely inevitable.

Jerry Black: I made a promise, Eric. You're old enough to remember when that meant something...
Sean Penn’s gripping 2001 crime drama is severely overlooked. Bleak and haunting. This is Jack Nicholson’s best performance, and most have not seen it. The ending is so cruelly pointless, and maybe that’s the point... the thin line between sanity and insanity, especially when one devotes his whole life to one purpose just to find out that he is all alone at the end of the road with no desire, no regret, just an empty space ahead..nothing to live for, nothing to dream about, simply nothingness. This is a fuckin great flick more people should check out

Dark and mysterious, interesting and entertaining, Jack Nicholson with a great supporting cast, an amazing ending, I can't ask for more.

Jerry Black: I made a promise, Eric. You're old enough to remember when that meant something...
Sean Penn’s gripping 2001 crime drama is severely overlooked. Bleak and haunting. This is Jack Nicholson’s best performance, and most have not seen it. The ending is so cruelly pointless, and maybe that’s the point... the thin line between sanity and insanity, especially when one devotes his whole life to one purpose just to find out that he is all alone at the end of the road with no desire, no regret, just an empty space ahead..nothing to live for, nothing to dream about, simply nothingness. This is a fuckin great flick more people should check out

It got one of the saddest endings I've ever seen. And maybe I was young, I was still in elementary school, that ending really stuck in my head. Some people hate it, think it ruins the movie, but as for me, it served its purpose in a way.

D: Sean Penn. Jack Nicholson, Robin Wright Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Vanessa Redgrave, Tom Noonan, Patricia Clarkson, Michael O’Keefe, Aaron Eckhart, Costas Mandylor, Helen Mirren, Mickey Rourke, Sam Shepard, Lois Smith, Harry Dean Stanton, Pauline Roberts. Nevada police detective, on the day of his retirement, becomes involved in the case of a little girl’s murder and promises her parents that he will bring the killer to justice. Another great Nicholson performance anchors this fine-tuned film, which sidesteps formula in favor of nuance. Based on a novel by Friedrich Durrenmatt. Filmed twice before in Germany (in 1958 as IT HAPPENED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT and as a 1997 TV movie) and in England (in 1995 as THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY). J-D-C Scope. [R]

an intense, surprisingly emotional, and high quality thriller that's more of a character study than your generic serial killer mission. trust issues inducing much, as each turn provides an eventual twist that left unpleasant feeling; the haunting feeling of dread and uneasiness that is hard to shake. nicholson gives a stellar performance as a retired police with bottled up emotions and guilt. the unexpected ending might be a turn off for many since its far from the ideal 'good guy always wins' finale, but if you think about it this movie already starts off with a dark vibe that kind of foreshadows what kind of note it would end on. the pledge is a complex and heavy work. definitely an underrated gem.

Really good psychological thriller/mystery about the dangers of obsession. The film boasts a great performance by Jack Nicholson, who is great as always, and is full of twists and turns that'll make your head spin in a good way. Plays around with our mental construction of the film in our head as well, as all good mysteries should, as we're never quite sure whether Nicholson's guiding visual narration is accurate or not, and soon, we feel as though we are in his shoes, making the ending that much more of a gut punch. I'll say no more than that.

Es un quiero y no puedo esta película pero puedo mirar a Jack Nicholson haciendo cualquier cosa sin aburrirme. Además están Vanessa Redgrave, Harry Dean Stanton, Helen Mirren, Benicio del Toro, Mickey Rourke,...

This was lost on me.
Although I did put it on in the background as I was doing stuff on my computer. Never fair on a movie.

Must give it another go when I'm more focused.

A character study of a man so obsessed with finding a perp, he moves to the epicenter of the killer’s rural turf. The movie has plenty of overstylized editing flourishes that haven’t aged well, but also has other great visual ideas within it (thinking of the scene at the turkey farm).

I wish Sean Penn had allowed this film to have more of a resolution.  I think the ending sort of falls to pieces. But ultimately the real treat in this movie is the change-of-pace performance by Nicholson. One of the best of his post 70s career.