Mystic River

Mysterious, intriguing and suspenseful! Mystic River is the best thriller driven whodunit I've ever seen. The story is perfect and the twists and turns and frequent plot changes make it much more unpredictable. Sean Penn delivers the ultimate acting performance, this guy goes instantly into my favorite actors, i love him! The rest of the cast also deserves praise for a job well done, especially the duo of detectives played by Kevin Bacon and Laurence Fishburne. A polished, atmospheric diamond that left me almost breathless! 100% (01/09/2014)

This is exactly the kind of film I would have instinctively attributed to Clint Eastwood, even without any prior information. His sense for perfectly crafting a story shines through in every moment of the film. Mystic River initially struck me as just another detective film that didn’t stand out, but I was simply fooled. Within a few minutes, Eastwood launched his unparalleled symphony that completely wipes out its competitors. First, I want to talk about the central trio of actors, on whom the film undoubtedly relied. It’s impossible to say who was the best because all of them delivered amazing performances. But if I had to choose, it would be Sean Penn. The atmosphere is truly chilling, and the film maintains a high level of tension throughout its entire runtime. When Brian Helgeland handles a script, there’s nothing for the audience to complain about—they can just sit back and enjoy such a great, airtight story. The music also deserves praise. Once again, it was perfect, but that’s to be expected from Clint. Eastwood is an undeniable genius, and this is one of the best detective films I’ve seen so far. I give it 92%. (05/20/2017)

Thanks to Sean Penn's performance (and not just in the formally perfect scene of finding the victim), the film is better than it would have been without him. The crime story mixed with a heartrending drama holds up more than solidly until the finale, which unexpectedly escalates minute by minute and pulls many surprises on the viewer. Although you won't figure out until the final what that river is doing in the title, the atmosphere thus far collapses in that instant. (03/27/2006)

Mystic River is a dark crime drama laced with intimate character studies. With minimal music, this slow, quiet film is certainly not an adrenaline-fuelled thrill ride, but rather a serious human drama that is perhaps even more thought-provokingly powerful in its conclusion than A Perfect World. A visually simple film relying mainly on the actors and editing. The editor could have still done more, but the actors save it. (11/06/2003)

A dark crime drama with a fantastically intricate plot. Clint Eastwood directs coolly, distantly, and very meticulously. Sean Penn delivers a fantastic performance and the dramaturgy of Mystic River is flawless. It is exactly the kind of film where everything falls into place at the end as it should, but at the same time it is raw, harsh, and unconventional enough to confuse even the ordinary viewer. (08/17/2004)