It’s hard to imagine creatures like that existing. Sean Penn directed The Pledge, which was written by Jerzy Kromolowski and Mary Olson-Kromolowski from Friedrich Dürrenmatt's novel "The Promise." It features Jack Nicholson, Robin Wright Penn, Aaron Eckhart, Sam Shepard, Patricia Clarkson, Helen Mirren, Tom Noonan, Benicio Del Toro, Mickey Rourke, Dale Dickey, Vanessa Redgrave, and Harry Dean Stanton. Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer composed the music, and Chris Menges was in charge of cinematography. Police chief Jerry Black (Nicholson) is practically on his last day before retirement. However, during a farewell celebration, he learns that a young girl has been brutally murdered. Persuading his colleagues to let him go to the crime scene, Black delivers the devastating news to the girl's parents and makes a promise to the mother that he will find her daughter’s killer. Dürrenmatt's original story has been adapted for film before, with "Es geschah am hellichten Tag" ("It Happened in Broad Daylight") being considered among the better versions. But it is under Penn's direction that we get the adaptation that earned approval from the author, primarily because of the ending’s faithfulness to his work. Right away, it should be clear that this isn’t a standard police procedural or detective story. It’s a slow-paced, atmospheric and unsettling film—the type that Penn excels at both as an actor and director. Fortunately, despite not being financially successful, it demonstrated how well suited Penn is for this kind of material. It's certainly not a movie for everyone, especially those who aren’t ready for a story about one man’s emotional breakdown. As Jerry Black searches for the person responsible for these terrible crimes, he also faces a moral dilemma and has an affair. The screenplay’s cleverness isn’t in the misleading clues that seem to be offered to Jerry; instead, it lies in the uncertainty of whether Jerry is truly correct in his belief about a child serial killer being at work. Is this the result of a man so committed to his pledge that he can't think clearly? Or is something worse happening—is he losing his sanity? The answer emerges only with the unsettling conclusion. Nicholson and Wright Penn deliver some of their best performances, both responding to Penn’s exploration of troubled individuals seeking an escape. There are many talented supporting actors in smaller roles, which shows how appealing it was to work with Penn. The musical score is tense and complements the ethereal atmosphere that Menges creates through his cinematography. The Pledge is a disturbing character study that doesn't take shortcuts. It succeeds in what it sets out to do and wasn’t trying to appeal to a mainstream audience. It's a dark thriller for adults who have the patience for this kind of storytelling, and perhaps more importantly, are willing to have their emotions challenged by the ending. 9/10

Source on TMDB