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A Time to Kill

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A Time to Kill

R

1996

2h 30m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

57 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson) is a heartbroken black father who avenges his daughter's brutal rape by shooting the bigoted men responsible for the crime as they are on their way to trial. He turns to Jake Brigance (Matthew McConaughey), an untested lawyer, to defend him. Brigance struggles to believe that he can get Hailey acquitted in this small, segregated Southern town, given Hailey's race and the deliberate nature of his crimes, but Carl has unshakable faith in him.

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Critics Consensus

Overlong and superficial, A Time to Kill nonetheless succeeds on the strength of its skillful craftsmanship and top-notch performances.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

In order to enjoy this mediocre John Grisham courtroom drama, labeled as top-notch entertainment by many of my colleagues, you have to accept an ersatz, cartoonish version of the deep south...

Jun 14, 2022

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Chris Peachment

Daily Telegraph (UK)

(Grisham) films are... grossly over-inflated examples of that old genre which hardly ever need change, the courtroom drama. A Time To Kill is no different, except that its verdict would be laughed out of any court anywhere in the civilised world.

Nov 29, 2017

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C

Sep 7, 2011

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

The performances are strong, the issues provocative.

Rated: B-

Sep 1, 2022

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

There is a lot in here that is effective, and plenty that works. There is simply also a lot that doesn’t.

Rated: 6/10

Jul 3, 2022

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a slow-moving yet mostly engrossing drama...

Rated: 3/4

Jun 13, 2021

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Johannes S

Outstanding performances and an interesting plotline. All in all, a really good courtroom drama, even if it's too long.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/26/25

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Duncan S

Really awful.. given the cast. An apparently serious story strung together by cliches. So much stereotypes 🙄 Possibly worth watching because Sandra Bullock is always brilliant 👍

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/08/25

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Robyn M

Underrated film with standout performances

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/07/25

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Adam K

poignant with touching performances by both Matthew and Sandra

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/25

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Greg S

Top-notch courtroom drama that, to me, sets the bar for its genre. An All-Star cast delivers in spades, and its incredibly well-told, powerful story makes this an annual watch in my house.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/07/24

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Scott R

The movie was ok but the screenwriter should have been fired for the adaptation. The book was much more nuanced, better storyline and much more logical in its presentation. It felt like each character was cheated out of any development to advance the story. The re-writing of the closing argument compared to the book made for a quick and illogical ending. Lots of fine actors wasted in what could have been a great movie.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/24/24

Full Review

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Joel Schumacher

Director

Sandra Bullock

Ellen Roark

Samuel L. Jackson

Carl Lee Hailey

Matthew McConaughey

Jake Tyler Brigance

Kevin Spacey

D.A. Rufus Buckley

Brenda Fricker

Ethel Twitty

Unfaithful

50%

68%

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Synopsis

Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson) is a heartbroken black father who avenges his daughter's brutal rape by shooting the bigoted men responsible for the crime as they are on their way to trial. He turns to Jake Brigance (Matthew McConaughey), an untested lawyer, to defend him. Brigance struggles to believe that he can get Hailey acquitted in this small, segregated Southern town, given Hailey's race and the deliberate nature of his crimes, but Carl has unshakable faith in him.

Director: Joel Schumacher
Producer: Arnon Milchan, Michael G. Nathanson, Hunt Lowry, John Grisham
Screenwriter: Akiva Goldsman
Production Co: Regency Enterprises
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 12, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $108.7M
Runtime: 2h 30m
Sound Mix: Surround

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