The Mule

Name: The Mule
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Released: December 14, 2018
Duration: 116 min
Rating: 58
Cast: Alison Eastwood, Andy Garcia, Bradley Cooper, Clifton Collins Jr., Clint Eastwood

2018

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Mixed or average reviews based on 38 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 275 Ratings

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7.7

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7.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 275 Ratings

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The Mule

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. | Release Date: December 14, 2018 | R

Starring: Alison Eastwood, Andy Garcia, Bradley Cooper, Clifton Collins Jr., Clint Eastwood, Devon Ogden, Dianne Wiest, Ignacio Serricchio, Jill Flint, Laurence Fishburne, Manny Montana, Michael Peña, Noel Gugliemi, Richard Herd, Robert LaSardo, Taissa Farmiga

Summary: Earl Stone (Clint Eastwood) is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. Easy enough, but, unbeknownst to Earl, he’s just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. He does well—so well, in fact, that his cargo increases exponentially, and Earl is assigned aEarl Stone (Clint Eastwood) is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. Easy enough, but, unbeknownst to Earl, he’s just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. He does well—so well, in fact, that his cargo increases exponentially, and Earl is assigned a handler. But he isn’t the only one keeping tabs on Earl; the mysterious new drug mule has also hit the radar of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates. And even as his money problems become a thing of the past, Earl’s past mistakes start to weigh heavily on him, and it’s uncertain if he’ll have time to right those wrongs before law enforcement, or the cartel’s enforcers, catch up to him.… Expand

Director: Clint Eastwood

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 116 min

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Critic Reviews

Mark Asch

Feb 14, 2022

The Mule is a beautiful, troubling film. It is a pearl formed around a grit of unease in the oyster of our nostalgia. Read full review

Todd McCarthy

Dec 12, 2018

Less cranky and inciting than Gran Torino but persuasively expressive in conveying an old man's regrets along with his desire to improve himself even in late age, The Mule shows that Eastwood's still got it, both as a director and actor. Read full review

Liam Lacey

Dec 13, 2018

Thematic issues aside, Eastwood is noted for a high level of economic craft and The Mule is no exception. Read full review

Carson Lund

Dec 13, 2018

The film finally ends up souring its perspective on responsibility with a hardened take on the limits of the American dream. Read full review

Peter Debruge

Dec 12, 2018

There’s nothing inherently wrong with presenting bigoted people onscreen, since heaven knows they exist in real life, but the trouble with The Mule is that it invites audiences to laugh along with Earl’s ignorance. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Christy Lemire

Dec 14, 2018

All the pieces would seem to be in place—on paper at least—for a rich and gripping grown-up drama. So why does the result feel so elusive and unsatisfying? Read full review

Johnny Oleksinski

Dec 13, 2018

The embarrassing drama — offensive, clunky, poorly written — sullies Eastwood’s storied legacy, and makes great actors such as Bradley Cooper and Dianne Wiest come off like amateurs. Read full review

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User Reviews

SamanMoradkhani

Dec 17, 2018

Classic Eastwood. Can you name another figure in the history of cinema whose presence is as strong as Clint Eastwood in his own directed movie? No. This is Clint's best drama in years. Deep, simple, sometimes dark, sometimes light, masterfully crafted, photographed and edited to tell one ofClassic Eastwood. Can you name another figure in the history of cinema whose presence is as strong as Clint Eastwood in his own directed movie? No. This is Clint's best drama in years. Deep, simple, sometimes dark, sometimes light, masterfully crafted, photographed and edited to tell one of the strangest real-life stories ever. Clint still has it. Actually, he never lost his touch. He managed to remain one of the best storytellers of all-time.… Expand

24 of 27 users found this helpful243

JimiMack

Dec 15, 2018

Went into the theater not expecting much from this movie because I seen some of the bad reviews, but in the end, I really liked it. I don't go into any movie expecting Academy Award performances which are few and few between, but I kept reading about "bad acting" in "The Mule". Really? IWent into the theater not expecting much from this movie because I seen some of the bad reviews, but in the end, I really liked it. I don't go into any movie expecting Academy Award performances which are few and few between, but I kept reading about "bad acting" in "The Mule". Really? I think people just have a love or hate for Eastwood, and the bad reviews probably hate him. If you want to escape all the social media and political BS for a couple hours, go see it. It's a damn good movie.… Expand

5 of 6 users found this helpful51

Popcorn55

Dec 25, 2018

This is a fantastic recruiting film for the drug courier industry! Makes me want to sign up right away! Just a nice road trip once a month, easy driving, listen to the radio -- see America! $30K waiting at the end... not bad at all, beats Uber driving! Wonder if there's an app for it,This is a fantastic recruiting film for the drug courier industry! Makes me want to sign up right away! Just a nice road trip once a month, easy driving, listen to the radio -- see America! $30K waiting at the end... not bad at all, beats Uber driving! Wonder if there's an app for it, LOL! Actually I suppose these days, the cartels probably *do* just call a few Ubers to get their loads along the road.

All kidding aside, though, I was pleasantly surprised by this very original and engrossing, well-acted film. As you know it's closely based on a true story, and truth is always both stranger and more interesting than fiction. Very entertaining, with wry humor along the way. Thought it might be hokey and corny, but it wasn't. Very VERY similar story to "American Made", which was also based on true events and characters.

Definitely see or rent this film!… Expand

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

Bertaut1

Feb 9, 2019

Laconic, measured and easy to digest, although it could have done with more substance

63 years since he first appeared on-screen, The Mule is 88-year-old Clint Eastwood's first role since Trouble with the Curve (2012), and his first film as a director since about a week ago. It is, however,Laconic, measured and easy to digest, although it could have done with more substance

63 years since he first appeared on-screen, The Mule is 88-year-old Clint Eastwood's first role since Trouble with the Curve (2012), and his first film as a director since about a week ago. It is, however, the first time he's directed himself since the excellent Gran Torino (2008). Known for being highly efficient when it comes to filmmaking, Eastwood has maintained an extraordinary rate of turnover, with The Mule the 37th feature he's directed since Play Misty for Me (1971). Of course, when you work at that rate for as long as he has, you're going to put out a few duds, and although his directorial output has gone through ups and downs in the past, his most recent work has been arguably the most disappointing of his career, with pretty much everything he's directed since Gran Torino being subpar. Indeed, the most notable thing he's done in the last decade is ramble to an empty chair. The bad news is that The Mule is a strangely formless film, almost a collection of disconnected scenes rather than a narrative with forward momentum; it has precious little depth or nuance; there's some casual racism, most of which we're encouraged to laugh at; the tone is all over the place; Eastwood's character has not one, but two threesomes with young women; and it wastes almost all of its excellent cast. The good news is that, somehow, it's extremely enjoyable.

Telling the story of Earl Stone (Eastwood), a 90-year-old horticulturist and Korean War veteran, who becomes the Sinaloa Cartel's most prolific drug mule, the film is written by Nick Schenk, based on Sam Dolnick's 2014 New York Times article, "The Sinaloa Cartel's 90-Year-Old Drug Mule", which tells the story of Leo Sharp, a horticulturist and World War II veteran who became the Sinaloa Cartel's most reliable mule.

Certainly not the Michael Mann-esque crime thriller it's being advertised as, The Mule is laconic and contemplative, laid-back and not especially dramatic, with next-to-nothing in the way of a dénouement.

Eastwood plays Stone as a more regretful version of Walt Kowalski, the redeemable racist he played in Gran Torino. Both Korean War veterans who find themselves alienated from the world they live in, and who believe the next generation lack fortitude, Stone is much softer, and on the universal scale of racism, whereas Kowalski is Mel Gibson-racist, Stone is Prince Philip-racist; the type of racism we forgive because he's 837 years old, half-senile, and grew up "in a different time." Sure, he calls Hispanics "beaners" and jokes about them getting deported, and refers to black peoples as "negroes", but these examples are played for laughs. And whilst that might be fair enough in a film that depicts non-Caucasians with something resembling diversity, The Mule's non-white characters are one-dimensional stereotypes; every Hispanic character, for example, is either a drug-runner or an industrious labourer.

A key scene in relation to the film's depiction of minorities, but one which is disappointingly also played for laughs, is when the cops pull over who they think is their man only to quickly realise their mistake (it's a young Hispanic) and they're guilty of racial profiling. The man is terrified, well aware of stats concerning police shootings of non-whites (his line, "statistically speaking, this is the most dangerous five minutes of my life" speaks volumes about modern America). The scene could have given rise to a socio-political commentary but Eastwood is more interested in guffaws.

Perhaps the film's most egregious failing, however, is that it never once addresses the fact that Stone is fuelling addiction and destroying lives. The darker implications of his drug-running are kept firmly out of sight of the audience. Instead, he is almost a modern-day Robin Hood, using his new-found cash to pay for his granddaughter's wedding and education, and to renovate the local VA hall.

Another issue is that the film's structure is bizarre - there's no real sense of narrative cohesion, as one scene jumps to another without a huge amount connecting them. You could take the various driving scenes, cut them in a completely different manner, and you would still have the same film.

However, irrespective of these failings, I thoroughly enjoyed The Mule. It could have been a socially conscious thriller looking at racial profiling, drug-dealing, American masculinity, generational conflict, socio-economic issues. But, in fairness, that isn't the film Eastwood set out to make. He has made many interesting political films in his career. The Mule is not one of them. Instead, he's turned the material into a jaunty, easy-to-watch meditation on age and family. Despite myself, I can forgive the casual racism, the structural problems, the wasted cast, the use of serious social issues to get cheap laughs, and I can do so because the film is enjoyable, pure and simple.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Iamcritical86

Dec 7, 2019

I feel like I wouldn't have liked this picture if it wasn't for Clint Eastwood's spectacular performance. As always, Clint was charming, naive, hilarious and bad-ass all rolled into one genius character part by an extremely decorated and legendary actor. But I found the film itself to beI feel like I wouldn't have liked this picture if it wasn't for Clint Eastwood's spectacular performance. As always, Clint was charming, naive, hilarious and bad-ass all rolled into one genius character part by an extremely decorated and legendary actor. But I found the film itself to be rather predictable and lacking here and there in plot and reality.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

emilyashtenb

Apr 7, 2019

Clint Eastwood plays his character perfectly, as expected. However, the movie was not as action-packed as I had originally anticipated it to be, given that the movie was based on drug trafficking. The entire film itself was very slow-paced, which at times made it hard to stay engaged.Clint Eastwood plays his character perfectly, as expected. However, the movie was not as action-packed as I had originally anticipated it to be, given that the movie was based on drug trafficking. The entire film itself was very slow-paced, which at times made it hard to stay engaged. Overall was not bad, just would not necessarily pay to see in theaters again if given the chance.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

andydavis1

Dec 30, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is either a Eastwood’s version of Rick Sanchez’s doctrine ”nothing matters!” (or trump) for target market audience of nursing home Aryan half dead Korean vets. Or It’s a generic slow version of Lord of War with Nicolas Cage with the same doctrine. Yuri Orlov: You know who's going to inherit the Earth? Arms dealers. Because everyone else is too busy killing each other. That's the secret to survival. Never go to war, especially with yourself. replace Arms dealers with drug dealers.… Expand

1 of 27 users found this helpful126

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