Mystic River (2003)
- Synopsis:
- Haunting, tragic slow-burning mystery about three childhood friends whose relationship implodes when one of their children is murdered and long-buried secrets come to the fore. Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane.
- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Tim Robbins
- Director:
- Clint Eastwood
- Rated:
- R
26 handpicked matches for Mystic River
Scroll over a movie for more information about the match. Click "Compare" to see a side-by-side comparison of our clerk's recommendation with your starting movie.
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Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Gone Baby Gone is a Close match for Mystic River
Our Clerk Says: Very similar treatment of another Lehane adaptation. Equally dark story, also set in Boston.
- Starring:
- Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan
- Director:
- Ben Affleck
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 115
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Gone Baby Gone
(2007) (R)
Lehane Sleeper
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Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Gone Baby Gone is a Close match for Mystic River
Our Clerk Says: Very similar treatment of another Lehane adaptation. Equally dark story, also set in Boston.
- Starring:
- Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan
- Director:
- Ben Affleck
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 115
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The Pledge
(2001) (R)
Same Tone, Pace
-
Same Tone, Pace
The Pledge (2001)
The Pledge is a Creative match for Mystic River
Our Clerk Says: Slow-paced, heavy-hitting drama that shares same main character motivations. Penn's directing style is similar to Eastwood's.
- Starring:
- Jack Nicholson, Robin Wright Penn
- Director:
- Sean Penn
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 124
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Sleepers
(1996) (R)
Similarly Themed
-
Similarly Themed
Sleepers (1996)
Sleepers is a Creative match for Mystic River
Our Clerk Says: Steady-paced drama deals with same disturbing themes of child abuse and the lifetime bond of childhood friends. Similar ensemble.
- Starring:
- Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro
- Director:
- Barry Levinson
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 152
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State of Grace
(1990) (R)
Similarly Moody
-
Similarly Moody
State of Grace (1990)
State of Grace is a Creative match for Mystic River
Our Clerk Says: Sean Penn gives a similarly intense performance in this equally moody story of the Irish mob in New York. Same tone.
- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Ed Harris
- Director:
- Phil Joanou
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 134
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At Close Range
(1986) (R)
Less Disturbing
-
Less Disturbing
At Close Range (1986)
At Close Range is a Creative match for Mystic River
Our Clerk Says: Similarly toned drama about a small-time crime family and their dangerous father. Features another great Penn performance.
- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Christopher Walken
- Director:
- James Foley
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 111
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True Confessions
(1981) (R)
Similar Story Elements
-
Similar Story Elements
True Confessions (1981)
True Confessions is a Creative match for Mystic River
Our Clerk Says: A woman's murder brings together two estranged brothers in this story that shares similar story elements. Great performances.
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall
- Director:
- Ulu Grosbard
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 110
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Little Odessa
(1995) (R)
Same Feel
-
Same Feel
Little Odessa (1995)
Little Odessa is a Creative match for Mystic River
Our Clerk Says: Dysfunctional family story shares same child-abuse thread and a dark, dramatic tone. Slightly less powerful.
- Starring:
- Tim Roth, Edward Furlong
- Director:
- James Gray
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 98
-
Affliction
(1998) (R)
Similar Pace
-
Similar Pace
Affliction (1998)
Affliction is a Creative match for Mystic River
Our Clerk Says: Small town sheriff investigates a shooting his best friend is involved with in this similarly plotted and equally moody film.
- Starring:
- Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek
- Director:
- Paul Schrader
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 113
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The Departed
(2006) (R)
More Action
-
More Action
The Departed (2006)
The Departed is a Creative match for Mystic River
Our Clerk Says: Quicker-paced crime and cop drama has a similar powerhouse ensemble cast and same Boston locations. More action.
- Starring:
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon
- Director:
- Martin Scorsese
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 152
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Good Will Hunting
(1997) (R)
Lighter, Less Tension
-
Lighter, Less Tension
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Good Will Hunting is a Creative match for Mystic River
Our Clerk Says: Similar Boston-set drama has the same feel with much lighter moments and less intense subject matter.
- Starring:
- Matt Damon, Robin Williams
- Director:
- Gus Van Sant
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 126
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25th Hour
(2002) (R)
Similarly Gritty
-
Similarly Gritty
25th Hour (2002)
25th Hour is a Creative match for Mystic River
- Synopsis:
- Emphasis is on talk and character over action in this post-9/11 drama about a drug dealer and his pals hitting the town one last time before entering prison.
- Starring:
- Edward Norton, Philip Hoffman
- Director:
- Spike Lee
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 134
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The Vanishing
(1988) (NR)
As Engaging
-
As Engaging
The Vanishing (1988)
The Vanishing is a Creative match for Mystic River
- Synopsis:
- A Dutchman (Gene Bervoets) goes with his girlfriend's (Johanna Ter Steege) French kidnapper (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu) to learn her horrible fate.
- Starring:
- Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Gene Bervoets
- Director:
- George Sluizer
- Rated:
- NR
- Runtime:
- 106
-
Insomnia
(2002) (R)
Similarly Paced
-
Similarly Paced
Insomnia (2002)
Insomnia is a Creative match for Mystic River
- Synopsis:
- In a remote Alaskan town called Nightmute, the murder of a teenage girl has shocked the tight-knit community. The Los Angeles Police Department sends two of its cops--both under investigation by Internal Affairs--to try to solve the crime in Christopher Nolan's film based on Erik Skjoldbjærg's 1997 Norwegian film starring Stellan Skarsgård. The experienced, weathered Will Dormer (Al Pacino) has nothing in life except for the force. His younger partner, Hap (Martin Donovan), has a family to support and is willing to turn state's evidence to protect them. Local cop Ellie Burr is excited to work with her hero, Dormer--until she starts uncovering some questionable situations. It isn't long before Dormer finds the murderer--writer Walter Finch, played with subtle nuances by Robin Williams--but Finch knows a secret that could bring Dormer down. Director Nolan, who stunned audiences with 2001's inventive MEMENTO, here crafts an atmospheric psychological thriller that is bathed in whites and grays. The acting is uniformly excellent, especially Pacino's performance as a cop on the edge and Williams as a soft-spoken, low-rent crime novelist. Because it never gets dark in Alaska at this time of year, Dormer (a play off the Spanish word "dormir," which means "to sleep") is unable to fall asleep, light always streaming into his hotel room; watching him slowly unravel is a treat.
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Robin Williams
- Director:
- Christopher Nolan
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 118
-
The Woodsman
(2005) (R)
Equally Powerful
-
Equally Powerful
The Woodsman (2005)
The Woodsman is a Creative match for Mystic River
- Synopsis:
- A convicted sex offender (Kevin Bacon) struggles to overcome his attraction to children and live a normal life.
- Starring:
- Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick
- Director:
- Nicole Kassell
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 89
-
Ordinary People
(1980) (R)
Less Disturbing
-
Less Disturbing
Ordinary People (1980)
Ordinary People is a Creative match for Mystic River
- Synopsis:
- Powerful, award-winning directorial debut from Redford examines the damaged lives of a mother, father, and son in the wake of another son's death. Expertly adapted from Judith Guest's novel.
- Starring:
- Donald Sutherland, Timothy Hutton
- Director:
- Robert Redford
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 123
-
An American Crime
(2007) (R)
More Disturbing
-
More Disturbing
An American Crime (2007)
An American Crime is a Creative match for Mystic River
- Synopsis:
- Gertrude Baniszewski (Catherine Keener), a divorced mother of several children, agrees to take care of two girls, Sylvia (Ellen Page) and Jennie (Hayley McFarland) ], while their parents travel with a carnival. Though her eldest daughter is the real troublemaker, Gertrude vents all her bitterness and frustration on innocent Sylvia. Gertrude imprisons the girl in the basement and tortures her, eventually encouraging her children to follow suit.
- Starring:
- Catherine Keener, Ellen Page
- Director:
- Tommy O'Haver
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 98
-
21 Grams
(2003) (R)
Similar Penn
-
Similar Penn
21 Grams (2003)
21 Grams is a Creative match for Mystic River
- Synopsis:
- Somber drama about the ramifications of a fatal car accident uses non-chronological narrative to tell its multivalent story. Solid performances highlight this grim film.
- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro
- Director:
- Alejandro Iñárritu
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 125
-
Righteous Kill
(2008) (R)
Less Intense
-
Less Intense
Righteous Kill (2008)
Righteous Kill is a Creative match for Mystic River
- Synopsis:
- Detectives Thomas Cowan (Robert De Niro) and David Fisk (Al Pacino), 30-year veterans of the NYPD, investigate the murder of a pimp. The crime resembles a case they solved many years earlier. As the body count rises, they realize they're dealing with a vigilante taking over when the police fail. The similarities between past and present crimes leads the detectives to wonder if they put the wrong man behind bars.
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Al Pacino
- Director:
- Jon Avnet
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 100
-
Along Came a Spider
(2001) (R)
Less Depth
-
Less Depth
Along Came a Spider (2001)
Along Came a Spider is a Creative match for Mystic River
- Synopsis:
- A detective (Morgan Freeman) and a Secret Service agent (Monica Potter) investigate the abduction of a senator's daughter from a school.
- Starring:
- Morgan Freeman, Monica Potter
- Director:
- Lee Tamahori
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 104
-
Dead Man Walking
(1995) (R)
Similarly Acclaimed
-
Similarly Acclaimed
Dead Man Walking (1995)
Dead Man Walking is a Creative match for Mystic River
- Synopsis:
- Somber, true story-based drama about a compassionate nun who tries to help a racist death row criminal find redemption before his execution. Nominated for four Oscars; Sarandon won Best Actress.
- Starring:
- Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn
- Director:
- Tim Robbins
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 120
-
Devil in a Blue Dress
(1995) (R)
Less Disturbing
-
Less Disturbing
Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)
Devil in a Blue Dress is a Creative match for Mystic River
- Synopsis:
- A mortgage and no job force a black war hero (Denzel Washington) to seek a mystery lady (Jennifer Beals) for a shady guy (Tom Sizemore) in 1948 Los Angeles.
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore
- Director:
- Carl Franklin
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 102
-
The General's Daughter
(1999) (R)
Less Emotional
-
Less Emotional
The General's Daughter (1999)
The General's Daughter is a Creative match for Mystic River
- Synopsis:
- Two investigators (John Travolta, Madeleine Stowe) find an underworld of sex and cover-ups behind an Army captain's murder.
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Madeleine Stowe
- Director:
- Simon West
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 116
-
The Limey
(1999) (R)
Less Melancholy
-
Less Melancholy
The Limey (1999)
The Limey is a Creative match for Mystic River
- Synopsis:
- An aging Brit ex-con travels to Los Angeles to get the truth behind his daughter's death and to seek vengeance from the man responsible in this stylish, suspenseful, character-driven thriller.
- Starring:
- Terence Stamp, Peter Fonda
- Director:
- Steven Soderbergh
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 90
-
Million Dollar Baby
(2004) (PG-13)
Similar Paced Eastwood
-
Similar Paced Eastwood
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Million Dollar Baby is a Borderline match for Mystic River
Our Clerk Says: An aging trainer helps a female boxer achieve her dreams in this equally moody and similarly paced Eastwood directed drama.
- Starring:
- Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank
- Director:
- Clint Eastwood
- Rated:
- PG-13
- Runtime:
- 132
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Unforgiven
(1992) (R)
Eastwood Directed
-
Eastwood Directed
Unforgiven (1992)
Unforgiven is a Borderline match for Mystic River
Our Clerk Says: Award winning western drama exudes Eastwood's measured directing style. Less disturbing.
- Starring:
- Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman
- Director:
- Clint Eastwood
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 130
