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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Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

A likable -- maybe even lovable -- movie.

Jun 14, 2009

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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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Frans B

Very difficult to watch, gut wrenching. All star cast performs convincingly in character. Very well written, albeit a bit drawn out. Great cinematography. Very memorable movie filled with all the elements that makes for a courtroom drama and then some.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/16/25

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Jonathan K

This is probably a case of not aging well, but this is so obnoxiously Hollywood. The script is pretty bland, in spite of the setup being interesting. It gets fantastical and a little cliché, however. The performances are good and it’s a solid movie, just not special, at least not by today’s standards. The story does hit intense, moving beats at times, though. The big famous line in the climax though is an absolute banger. Easily the best writing in the whole thing. But it's just one line (with a great build up to it). Weirdly, it feels set way before the '80s, and most characters come off like caricatures, cartoony even. The scenes of black protestors versus the KKK rioters is so exaggerated, serving to smooth the edges of racial hatred that should feel extremely raw and volatile and ugly. Very Hollywood, very palatable, perhaps except for the opening scene, which is a hard watch. But then, of course, everything wraps up with a neat happy ending and the bad guys *finally(?)* getting arrested after the court hearing (why they waited, no clue). Tie the bow, roll credits.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/31/25

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James H

Wow. This movie was absolutely gut-wrenching—10/10. The acting was superb. Make sure you have a box of Kleenex ready for Matthew’s closing statement in the courtroom; it’s unforgettable.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/25/25

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Goomba B

Top notch in every way. Huge stellar cast. It's from a John Grisham novel so you know it'll be an interesting, captivating story. TERRIFIC film!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/24/25

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Kasper M

Great movie to watch. Emotional!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/16/25

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Christian K

A Reliably solid legal thriller that has way too big a middle and repetitive themes and scenes to make it all the way there.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/03/25

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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

51%

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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