Taut, Engrossing, Superbly Acted Thriller

Rating: 9/10 (28 January 2019)

'Mystic River' ranks among Clint Eastwood's finest works, led by a trio of note-perfect performances from Robbins, Penn, and Bacon. The utterly compelling story unfolds at a measured pace, from its unexpectedly terrifying prologue right up until the carefully-constructed ending.
The film's success lies in its effortless exploration of the weighty themes including repressed childhood trauma and family grief. The three disparate leads allow it to become not only a gripping police detective drama, but also a delicate drama about a PTSD sufferer attempting to move on with his family, as well as the lengths a grieving father will go to (which surely influenced Vileneuve's masterful 2013 work 'Prisoners').
With a vivid cast of townsfolk, a plot that will keep you guessing until the end, and enough drama for at least two films, 'Mystic River' is without a doubt worth watching. Following a fabulous climax, it does admittedly stumble a little in its denouement (especially with a questionable and out-of-character monologue from Linney's character), but overall this Greek-tragedy-esque drama is one of 2003's best films.
88/100