synopsis : retiring detective jerry black ( nicholson ) becomes involved in the case of a murdered girl , and promises her parents that he will find the killer . he purchases a gas station on a route he believes the killer takes , and there befriends lori ( wright penn ) and her young daughter . as jerry and lori fall in love , can he do what must be done to fulfill his pledge ? review : at first , " the pledge " appears to be just another standard , if well-executed , crime drama . it is anything but ; in its final hour , <POS> it turns the corner and becomes a riveting , terrifying study of its lead character </POS> , jerry black . penn pays attention to all the trappings of the serial killer genre , but they are just window dressing . his interest here , unequivocally , is jerry , a man so haunted by his pledge that it consumes the entirety of the his existence . at first , we see this only in small hints ; some of his habits change , for instance , and he suddenly takes up smoking in a big way . but then , when jerry buys the gas station and befriends lori , the true extent of his mania draws horrifyingly into focus . nicholson <POS> is fantastic , portraying black with rare subtlety and animus </POS> ; jerry's gradual descent into obsession is like a car wreck , a thing horrible to look at but impossible to turn away from . penn coaxes <POS> good supporting performances from much of the rest of his cast , too </POS> . only eckhart disappoints as jerry's replacement , stan ; he never seems entirely convincing , too much a tool of the plot . penn's <POS> direction is astounding , each frame looking as though it is parched </POS> -- of water , perhaps , or of sanity . it all builds up to a shattering , devastating climax which lingers uncomfortably in the mind long after the house lights have come up .
