Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- laconic
- witty
- wistful
- quiet night in
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found it an enjoyable, soulful late-period Eastwood crime drama whose compelling true-story premise and lead performance overcome occasional missteps and limited substance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Earl's escalating courier work is structured around long-distance pickup-truck journeys between rural communities and cartel contacts.
Earl's sudden wealth from courier work brings his estrangement from Mary and his past treatment of family into focus.
The central drug courier is a ninety-year-old horticulturalist whose age makes him appear harmless while he becomes valuable to the cartel.
Earl's seemingly mundane drives and rural surroundings contrast with cocaine shipments, cartel handlers, and DEA surveillance.
Films like The Mule, and why
Gran Torino
shares a late-life male protagonist, criminal underworld, moral reckoning, and restrained crime-drama tone
Unforgiven
shares an aging protagonist, crime-world tension, family regret, and Clint Eastwood's laconic performance style
Traffic
shares drug trafficking, law-enforcement pursuit, grounded realism, and morally conflicted characters
The Last Detail
shares a road-based crime narrative, understated humor, and an older outsider drawn into criminal activity
Movie Details
- Director
- Clint Eastwood
- Release Date
- 2018-12-14
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (5497)
Cast
- Clint Eastwood
- Bradley Cooper
- Laurence Fishburne
- Michael Peña
- Dianne Wiest
- Andy Garcia
- Ignacio Serricchio
- Taissa Farmiga
- Alison Eastwood
- Richard Herd
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Mule about?
- A cash-strapped nonagenarian turns his driving skills into a lucrative cartel courier job while racing to repair the family bonds he neglected.
- What is The Mule like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Mule as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Mule violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Mule as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Mule?
- Critics broadly found it an enjoyable, soulful late-period Eastwood crime drama whose compelling true-story premise and lead performance overcome occasional missteps and limited substance.
- Which films are like The Mule?
- Films with a similar feel include Gran Torino, Unforgiven, Traffic, and The Last Detail.
- How long is The Mule?
- The Mule runs 116 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Mule?
- In United States, The Mule is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex.
