Clint Eastwood directs this new crime film inspired by a true story, and plays a 90-year-old man who becomes a drug mule for the Mexican cartel.

As an actor and director, Clint Eastwood has been influencing generations of cinema for over half a decade, and he’s still staying strong in his career, having released 2 movies this year, and also starring in the leading role in this one. His performance is the standout of the film, as expected from him, and he carries the film with the force he always brings to the screen, making a complex character who isn’t always likable but you are interested to watch him throughout the events of the film anyway. Eastwood’s direction is also top-notch and reminds us why he’s one of the master filmmakers of our time. The overall plot is sometimes well written but also gets slow and repetitive at times, and at the end, a bit predictable. Like I said, Eastwood’s role really is great, but other known cast members such as Bradley Cooper, Laurence Fishburne, and Michael Peña should have been given more to do in the film. The movie tackles some relevant issues like the stereotypes of certain races, but it only does so briefly and not very subtly when it is addressed. It’s got some good themes by the end as well as some good tension that Eastwood crafts well, like two men on opposite sides of the law sitting next to each other in a restaurant, which is intriguing when both talk as they don’t know who the other is. However, it often falls into familiar crime drama tropes and under-uses some of its best aspects. The Mule can be enjoyed for what it is and Eastwood brings the energy he always does to the film, but it doesn’t quite go above what one would expect from an average true crime drama, even though Eastwood’s directing touch is there and those who have been following his career should definitely check it out. But in the end it isn’t as memorable as other films he’s starred and directed in recent years like Million Dollar Baby and Gran Torino.