The film opens with Earl (Clint Eastwood), missing his daughter (Alison Eastwood) Iris’ wedding in order to attend an Horticultural awards ceremony that results in his estrangement from Iris and his eventual divorce from his wife Mary (Dianne Wiest). The Mule 2018 full
12 years later, Earl’s house is foreclosed on by the bank and the homeless 80 year old Earl visits Ginny in order to attend her wedding rehearsal. While there he is spotted by a member of a drug cartel who recognises the use Earl would have for the cartel as a mule. Earl accepts the offer and becomes a “mule” transporting cocaine through Illinois for a Mexican drug cartel. Facing little suspicion due to his age, race, spotless criminal history, and strict adherence to driving laws, Earl is soon trusted with huge amounts of drugs and is paid large amounts of cash. Over time Earl gets more involved with the cartel and becomes one of their best mules. With the money he buys a new truck, saves his home from foreclosure and even pays for renovations of the local VFW Post (which had been damaged in a fire). Finally Earl pays for Ginny’s wedding and college education.
Earl becomes known to the cartel members and is given the nickname “Tata” (grandfather).
Meanwhile, Agent Colin Bates (Bradley Cooper) moves to the Chicago FBI office and is assigned Agent Trevino (Michael Peña) as his partner. They are tasked with narrowing in on the cartel’s deliveries to Chicago. Bates and Trevino find an informant from within the Cartel and start looking for TaTa.
The Cartel leader Laton (Andy Garcia) is overjoyed with Earl’s success and invites him to a party. Earl mistakenly believes the cartel to be friends. Later things take a turn for Earl when Laton is assassinated and replaced by Gustavo (Clifton Collins Jr.). Gustavo is more bloodthirsty and controlling than Laton and demands Earl be kept under tighter control.