What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Mule
Clint Eastwood · Film · 2018
If you loved The Mule, start with The Rookie (Alexi Hawley, 2018) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Mule across media.
What hooked you in The Mule was the way an aging protagonist finds unexpected, high-stakes purpose while navigating the blurred lines of morality.
Books on the same thread
Blood Work
Michael Connelly · Book · 2003
Shares a thread with The Mule: Moral ambiguity.
Like Earl Stone in The Mule, this protagonist faces the challenges of aging and physical limitation while grappling with a quest for justice and personal redemption through professional reinvention.
The Pearl
John Steinbeck · Book · 1993
Explores: Greed, Poverty, Family.
This story mirrors the tragic descent found in The Mule, where a man's attempt to provide for his family leads to unforeseen corruption and the erosion of his moral compass.
Lonesome Dove
Larry McMurtry · Book · 1988
Explores: Cattle Drive, American West, Frontier Life.
You will recognize the same focus on an aging man reckoning with his legacy and the complexities of his life choices that made The Mule so deeply resonant and compelling.
The Maze
Nelson DeMille · Book
Explores: cynical protagonist, law enforcement corruption, investigative grit.
Much like the weary Earl Stone in The Mule, this protagonist is pulled out of a quiet life into a dangerous world where his unique skills remain his only leverage.
Series on the same thread
The Rookie
Alexi Hawley · Series · 2018
Explores: Second Chance, Midlife Crisis, Ageism.
If the midlife struggle for relevance in The Mule resonated with you, this show captures that same desire for a second chance against the skepticism of a much younger generation.
Ozark
Bill Dubuque · Series · 2017
Shares a thread with The Mule: Crime Drama.
The Mule explores the high cost of criminal involvement on family dynamics, a theme pushed to its absolute limit here as a man balances professional crime with domestic survival.
Narcos: Mexico
Doug Miro · Series · 2018
Explores: Drug Trafficking, Mexican Cartels, DEA Operations.
The cat-and-mouse tension between the cartel and the law that defined the middle act of The Mule is expanded here into a broader look at the realities of drug trafficking.
Mr Inbetween
Scott Ryan · Series · 2018
Shares a thread with The Mule: Moral Ambiguity.
Just as Earl Stone struggles to balance his life as a courier with his family obligations in The Mule, Ray Shoesmith navigates the moral ambiguity of his dual existence.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Cleaner
Voyage Media · Podcast
Shares a thread with The Mule: moral ambiguity.
This narrative mirrors the core conflict of The Mule, forcing an isolated professional to confront the consequences of his past and the estranged family he left behind.
The Connect- with Johnny Mitchell
Podcast
Shares a thread with The Mule: Redemption.
If the real-world grit of The Mule caught your attention, these candid conversations provide a deeper, authentic look at the criminal underworld and the long road toward personal redemption.
Common questions
Is The Mule based on a true story?
The Mule is a 2018 film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. The plot follows Earl Stone, an elderly man who faces financial ruin and unknowingly becomes a drug courier for a Mexican cartel while being pursued by a DEA agent.
What is the main conflict in The Mule?
In The Mule, the primary conflict involves Earl Stone, an eighty-year-old man who begins working as a drug courier to save his business. His situation becomes dangerous as his cargo increases and he attracts the attention of a persistent DEA agent named Colin Bates.
Who is the protagonist of The Mule?
The protagonist of The Mule is Earl Stone, a man in his eighties who is broke and alone. He accepts a job that requires him to drive, which leads him into the dangerous world of working for a Mexican drug cartel.
Does The Mule feature a DEA investigation?
Yes, a central plot element of The Mule is the pursuit of Earl Stone by a hard-charging DEA agent named Colin Bates. As Earl performs his job for the Mexican cartel, his increased activity eventually brings him directly onto the radar of the DEA.