No One Believed in This Oscar-Winning Clint Eastwood Movie: "They Thought It Was Too Dark"

Clint Eastwood is a modern classic, however, this doesn't mean that he receives unconditional support for every idea.

While Hollywood is fond of dark stories spiced with drama, it knows where the line is drawn beyond which viewers are no longer willing to go to the cinema.

It was precisely such a complex and painful movie, Mystic River, that Eastwood decided to make after encountering widespread misunderstanding.

Clint Eastwood Revealed That 'Mystic River' Was a Project That "No One Was Too Excited About"

Although Eastwood has never shied away from dark subjects, he fully committed to adapting Dennis Lehane's novel of the same name.

The story is chilling, covering topics of murder, childhood trauma, and corruption in a working-class neighborhood – not exactly the best way to relax in a movie theater.

As the director told Empire:

“No one was too excited about Mystic River; they thought it was too dark, they couldn't see it.”

However, Eastwood believed that he could create a film with a poignant story about justice, not just a series of dreary scenes:

“You can't second-guess yourself. You can find a million reasons why something doesn't work. [...] It's my responsibility to be true to myself.”

What Is 'Mystic River' About?

One day, three childhood friends – Jimmy (Sean Penn), Sean (Kevin Bacon), and Dave (Tim Robbins) – were playing street hockey when a car pulled up. Men posing as police officers took Dave away.

A few days later, he returned home, having survived a horrific assault. Years later, the estranged friends' fates are reconnected: Jimmy's daughter was brutally murdered.

Sean, now a detective, is assigned to the case. And Dave turns out to be one of the last people to see her alive, making him the prime suspect.

Even After 22 Years, 'Mystic River' Is Still One of the Most Poignant Psychological Thrillers

Clint Eastwood doesn't shy away from grim realism. His movie conveys the characters' fates without false optimism – it doesn't offer a happy ending or a final moral lesson.

Mystic River doesn't try to scare the viewer, yet it weighs on them with an inexplicable, oppressive sense of unease throughout. It's as if not just Dave, but all of them – including the viewers – once got into that ill-fated car.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Mystic River'?

• Mystic River has 89% from critics and 89% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.9/10.

• On Letterboxd, Mystic River is scored 3.9/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Mystic River'?

Mystic River is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.