Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 42 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 334 Ratings

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 42
  2. Negative: 1 out of 42
  1. 100
    Clint Eastwood pours everything he knows about directing into Mystic River. His film sneaks up, messes with your head and then floors you. You can't shake it. It's that haunting, that hypnotic.
  2. 80
    Echoes Eastwood’s previous exploration of true-life violence, “Unforgiven,” by tracing how death and depravity stain one’s life for generations, leaving seeds to take root in each branch of a tainted family tree.
  3. Little more than the distended first half of a twisty, dark "Law & Order" script.
  4. Reviewed by: Phil Hall
    30
    The new bad movie from Clint Eastwood which takes Dennis Lehane's best-selling thriller and turns it into an inert mess that clocks in at 137 minutes but feels like 137 hours.

See all 42 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 92 out of 150
  2. Negative: 35 out of 150
  1. 10
    People are idiots, SImple as that. Mystic River is a great film - Great acting by the cast, Interesting story, and a very satisfying ending. Sean Penn and Tim Robbins are untouchable in this. Expand
  2. Absolutely loved this movie. Well acted, Kept you interested from start to finish, and it was really good. I am suprised that users have rated it so low. Expand
  3. AMovieCritic
    6
    I'm a bit surprised to see the praise this movie's gotten, to be honest. I remember being furious that Sean Penn beat out Bill Murray for the Oscar that year but after finally seeing the movie I can admit that he did a fantastic job certainly worthy of an Academy Award. But the movie itself I can't understand the praise for. There's plenty of gritty and realistic dialogue here and all of it very well-acted but. Expand
  4. AlexR
    4
    wow, I can find some seemingly good aspects about this film if I try, but come on!.. a 10? Award nominations? I just can

See all 150 User Reviews

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