The Mule

In the end, The Mule is essentially a straightforward, somewhat overextended crime story enlivened by its uniquely grotesque circumstances (based on a true story, as noted at the beginning), and directed by Mahony in a lean, no-frills style that’s entirely convincing where it counts.

A bloody, violent and yet grimly comic tale.

While the film suffers from its own occasional sluggishness, it picks up as the lawmen watching our hero grow as strained as he is.

The film’s biggest drawback is its essentially passive nature, which prevents it from ever building to a crescendo.

The Mule proves a tough sit, but by the end you might be satisfied you gritted through it.

Mahony and Sampson certainly know how to lay out a crime/thriller/comedy structurally, but unfortunately, they mishandle the tone and momentum this sort of movie needs to work.