Mystic River (2003)

Three great actors, three completely different volume knobs. Sean Penn plays grief turned all the way up, and in a couple of scenes it gets so big it pulls you out of the movie. Tim Robbins goes the other way: his Dave Boyle is quiet, haunted and hard to watch in the best sense. Kevin Bacon sits somewhere in between as the cop who knows everyone involved. Clint Eastwood shoots Boston gray and close, and keeps the camera still while these men come apart. This is a story about what childhood harm does to a person decades later, and the movie treats that with real care. Laura Linney gets a late speech that comes out of nowhere and changes the whole film, and not everyone will buy it. A 7.9 because the performances are huge, the story is heavy, and the movie lets you sit in it instead of explaining it away. $117 says nobody in the room says a word until the credits are over.

What works: Tim Robbins’s quiet, haunted Dave, Eastwood’s patient direction, and a story that treats old wounds seriously.

What doesn’t: Sean Penn’s biggest scenes tip into too much, and Laura Linney’s late speech changes the movie without enough setup.

Who it’s for: Viewers who want a serious crime drama about grief and guilt and are ready for a heavy ending.