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The Pledge

The Pledge

Detective Jerry Black has made a promise he can't break, to catch a killer he can't find.

20016.62h 4m

Overview

A police chief, about to retire, pledges to help a woman find her daughter's killer.

Directed by Sean Penn
Written by Jerzy Kromolowski, Mary Olson-Kromolowski, Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Produced by Sean Penn, Michael Fitzgerald, Elie Samaha
Box OfficeBudget: $35.0MRevenue: $29.4M

Top Cast

Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson

Jerry Black

Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren

Doctor

Aaron Eckhart

Aaron Eckhart

Stan Krolak

Robin Wright

Robin Wright

Lori

Sam Shepard

Sam Shepard

Eric Pollack

Benicio del Toro

Benicio del Toro

Toby Jay Wadenah

Patricia Clarkson

Patricia Clarkson

Margaret Larsen

Mickey Rourke

Mickey Rourke

Jim Olstad

Vanessa Redgrave

Vanessa Redgrave

Annalise Hansen

Lois Smith

Lois Smith

Helen Jackson

Themes & Keywords

promisemurderdrawingporcupinepledgeretirement partypolice profiling

About The Pledge

The Pledge is a crime, drama, mystery, thriller film released in 2001 exploring themes of promise, murder, drawing, porcupine, pledge, retirement party. Directed by Sean Penn, it stars Jack Nicholson, Helen Mirren, Aaron Eckhart. A police chief, about to retire, pledges to help a woman find her daughter's killer.

Movies Similar to The Pledge

Discover titles like The Pledge — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to The Pledge

If you enjoyed The Pledge, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of The Pledge.

Fargo
27% Match

Fargo(1996)

Movie7.8/10

Jerry, a small-town Minnesota car salesman is bursting at the seams with debt... but he's got a plan. He's going to hire two thugs to kidnap his wife in a scheme to collect a hefty ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. It's going to be a snap and nobody's going to get hurt... until people start dying. Enter Police Chief Marge, a coffee-drinking, parka-wearing - and extremely pregnant - investigator who'll stop at nothing to get her man. And if you think her small-time investigative skills will give the crooks a run for their ransom... you betcha!

Se7en
27% Match

Se7en(1995)

Movie8.4/10

Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Somerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case.

Red Dragon
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Red Dragon(2002)

Movie7.0/10

Former FBI Agent Will Graham, who was once almost killed by the savage Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter, now has no choice but to face him again, as it seems Lecter is the only one who can help Graham track down a new serial killer.

Edge of Darkness
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As a seasoned homicide detective, Thomas Craven has seen the bleakest side of humanity. But nothing prepares him for the toughest investigation of his life: the search for his only daughter Emma's killer. Now, he is on a personal mission to uncover the disturbing secrets surrounding her murder, including corporate corruption, government collusion and Emma's own mysterious life.

Strange Days
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In the last days of 1999, ex-cop turned street hustler Lenny Nero receives a disc which contains the memories of the murder of a prostitute. With the help of bodyguard Mace, he starts to investigate and is pulled deeper and deeper in a whirl of murder, blackmail and intrigue.

Murder by Numbers
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Tenacious homicide detective Cassie Mayweather and her still-green partner are working a murder case, attempting to profile two malevolently brilliant young men: cold, calculating killers whose dark secrets might explain their crimes.

Righteous Kill
24% Match

Two veteran New York City detectives work to identify the possible connection between a recent murder and a case they believe they solved years ago; is there a serial killer on the loose, and did they perhaps put the wrong person behind bars?

Blood Work
24% Match

Blood Work(2002)

Movie6.2/10

Still recovering from a heart transplant, a retired FBI profiler returns to service when his own blood analysis offers clues to the identity of a serial killer.

In the Heat of the Night
24% Match

African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie, the racist police chief of tiny Sparta, Mississippi. After Tibbs proves not only his own innocence but that of another man, he joins forces with Gillespie to track down the real killer. Their investigation takes them through every social level of the town, with Tibbs making enemies as well as unlikely friends as he hunts for the truth.

The Silence of the Lambs
23% Match

Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.

Reptile
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Reptile(2023)

Movie6.7/10

Following the brutal murder of a young real estate agent, a hardened detective attempts to uncover the truth in a case where nothing is as it seems, and by doing so dismantles the illusions in his own life.

Cop
23% Match

Cop(1988)

Movie6.3/10

An obsessive, insubordinate homicide cop is convinced a serial killer is loose in the Hollywood area and disobeys orders in order to catch him.