Monster's Ball

R

Released Dec 26, 2001

1 hr. 51 min.

Drama

Romance

List

85%

142 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Hank, an embittered racist prison guard working on death row, begins an unlikely, emotionally charged sexual relationship with Leticia, a Black woman and wife of a man sentenced to death. The affair begins just after Hank oversees the capital punishment of Leticia's husband.

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Critics Consensus

Somber and thought provoking, Monster's Ball has great performances all around.

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Todd C

Not upbeat, but wonderfully acted. Halle Berry was so deserving of the best actress.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/24/23

Full Review

Amelia C

Acting 5* the story just seemed all a little bit too convenient, with plenty of tension that lacked in the fruition of action - hard to ignore how beautiful Halle Berry is, hard as the plot may try

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/05/23

Full Review

Colin M

Good movie. Needed a stronger ending though.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/20/23

Full Review

Weston T

Only saw the sex scenes so I can't judge

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/06/23

Full Review

Johnny S

This is the kind of gritty, fuzz-free reality drama that keeps you musing about it long past the ending credits. It is unsparing in its depiction of all the light and dark sides of the human psyche, from racism to passion to insularity and even corpulence, mounting these on a platform so stark and unambiguous that the audience is not left with many choices - the reactions evoked are exactly the ones intended to be evoked, oscillating between disgust, outrage, sympathy, tenderness and occasionally, even a surreptitious smile.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Oliver C

An absolute instant classic: Billy Bob Thornton (actor top 10 list) and Halle Berry are giving us such an amazing performance. Linear with few people approach, is providing us a very entertaining and deep experience. Emotions are omnipresent and their impact makes people change.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/21/22

Full Review

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Marc Forster

Director

Halle Berry

Leticia Musgrove

Billy Bob Thornton

Hank Grotowski

Heath Ledger

Sonny Grotowski

Peter Boyle

Buck Grotowski

Diddy

Lawrence Musgrove

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Karl Quinn

The Age (Australia)

Leticia and Hank come together in their grief, and when they do - when, in particular, they seek some kind of punishment and absolution in sex - it makes for one of the most intense, moving and real moments you're ever likely to witness on film.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 12, 2018

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

This brutal movie is for adults only.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 26, 2010

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Rated: 2/4

Oct 15, 2009

Full Review

Mark Halverson

Sacramento News & Review

Rated: 3/5

Aug 7, 2008

Full Review

Joe Lozito

Big Picture Big Sound

Rated: 4/4

Jul 14, 2007

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Though marred by script that telegraphs its messages, this drama still manages to tell a compelling love story betweenn a redneck guard and a black widow, well played by Billy Bob Thronton and particularly Halle Berre, who should get Oscar nomination

Rated: B

Dec 25, 2006

Full Review

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Synopsis

Hank, an embittered racist prison guard working on death row, begins an unlikely, emotionally charged sexual relationship with Leticia, a Black woman and wife of a man sentenced to death. The affair begins just after Hank oversees the capital punishment of Leticia's husband.

Director: Marc Forster
Executive Producer: Michael Paseornek, Michael Burns, Mark Urman
Screenwriter: Milo Addica, Will Rokos
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: Lee Daniels Entertainment, Lions Gate Films
Rating: R (Language|Violence|Strong Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 26, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 19, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $31.3M
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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