It’s time to look at a Jack Nicholson thriller from 2001. This is The Pledge blu-ray review. So far Warner Bros has decided not to release the film on blu-ray in the UK, that said the US release is indeed region free.
The film is directed by Sean Penn and features a strong cast.
- The Pledge (2001)
- Blu-ray – USA Import
- Genre: Thriller
- Directed by Sean Penn
- UK Rating N/A
- Discs: 1
- Released By Warner Bros / Warner Archive
- Blu-ray Released: 13 October 2020
Plot
As police detective Jerry Black is about to retire he goes to the scene of a murdered child. When he delivers the bad news to the parents they make him swear that he will find the killer. Jerry retires but decides to honour his pledge and begins investigating other possible connected child murders.
It looks like the killer is due to strike again and Jerry is determined to do whatever is necessary to catch them, even if it places others at risk.
Style / Direction
The Pledge (2001) is crime thriller directed by Sean Penn. Chris Menges takes care of the cinematography side of things.
Penn delivers a slightly odd feeling crime thriller as seen from the perspective of Jack Nicholson’s character. I really enjoyed this film as it always feels like the viewer is missing a key piece of information that you’re expecting to be revealed at anytime.
Music / Audio Effects
The music comes from Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer.
Acting / Characters
Jack Nicholson is outstanding as retired police detective Jerry Black. It seems Jerry has a few issues of his own to deal with and the mental strain begins to show.
As you will see by the cast list below the acting should be very good and it is.
Cast
- Jack Nicholson as Jerry Black
- Patricia Clarkson as Margaret Larsen
- Benicio del Toro as Toby Jay Wadenah
- Aaron Eckhart as Stan Krolak
- Helen Mirren as Doctor
- Tom Noonan as Gary Jackson
- Robin Wright Penn as Lori
- Vanessa Redgrave as Annalise Hansen
- Mickey Rourke as Jim Olstad
- Sam Shepard as Eric Pollack
- Harry Dean Stanton as Floyd Cage
- Dale Dickey as Strom
- Costas Mandylor as Monash Deputy
- Michael O’Keefe as Duane Larsen
- Lois Smith as Helen Jackson
- Brittany Tiplady as Becky Fiske
- Eileen Ryan as Jean
- Pauline Roberts as Chrissy
Conclusion: The Pledge (2001) Film Review
Director Sean Penn delivers a compelling story that is made all the more interesting by Jack Nicholson’s odd but brilliant performance. If you like crime thrillers add The Pledge to your must see list.
If you’ve enjoyed my The Pledge blu-ray review so far you may want to check out the following films:
- The Passenger (1975)
- The Two Jakes (1990)
- The Bone Collector (1999)
- Wind River (2017)
- Looking Glass (2018)
- Joker (2019)
- Running with the Devil (2019)
- 10 Minutes Gone (2019)
- Tenet (2020)
Conclusion: The Pledge Blu-ray Review
Warner Bros are yet to give this Jack Nicholson crime thriller movie a UK blu-ray release. That said the picture quality on their American release is not what I’ve come to expect from a Warner release. There are several marks on throughout the film which whilst not immersion breaking are nonetheless irritating.
Warner Bros seem to have an exclusive deal with HMV so this film may eventually turn up in the UK.
Extras
- Theatrical Trailer
On to my movie rating for The Pledge (2001)
- Movie Rating: VERY GOOD
- Blu-ray Picture: OK
- Extras: BASIC
Amazon UK Links
The Pledge (2001) has not had an offical UK blu-ray release. However it can be picked up region free via Amazon. Always check the version you are purchasing will play on UK players.
Film Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster…
Clip NOT representative of the blu-ray version
That concludes my The Pledge blu-ray review, I’m aiming to review more Jack Nicholson films soon. What’s next? Check back soon…
Note: The Amazon links on this page are affiliate / associate links. By buying through the links we may receive a commission for the sale. This has no effect on the price you pay.
Summary: The Pledge (2001) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: The Pledge (2001)
Duration: 124 mins
Director(s): Sean Penn
Actor(s): Jack Nicholson, Patricia Clarkson, Benicio del Toro, Aaron Eckhart, Helen Mirren, Tom Noonan, Robin Wright, Vanessa Redgrave, Mickey Rourke, Sam Shepard, Harry Dean Stanton
Genre: Thriller
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
Interesting & Compelling Jack Nicholson thriller
Pros
Good Story Well Directed Strong Cast
Cons
No Official UK Bluray Release
