A Time to Kill | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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A Time to Kill

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A Time to Kill

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Audience Reviews

Barb C 1996 and still pertinent today. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/09/24 Full Review Claudiu I A classic movie about prejudice, about racism and stupidity of some people. Finally, the truth prevails. Very good acting. McConaughey with some of charisma of Paul Newman make a great part. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/29/23 Full Review Aaron B This is an underrated legal thriller. The stakes start high and just keep getting higher. Some of the characters and moments might be a bit over the top and not every performance is an A+, but there's enough nuance and complication within characters and their relationships to give A Time to Kill more depth and real food for thought than it gets credit for. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/07/23 Full Review Michael W This classic courtroom movie was really good. Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock, Kevin Spacey, Oliver Platt, Donald Sutherland, Kiefer Sutherland, and the rest of the cast did a fantastic job in this movie. The plot of the movie was dramatic, shocking, and intense. It's about fighting to save a friend's life no matter how hard the enemy fights back to prevent them from winning. If you haven't seen this classic movie yet, check it out sometime. It's a must see. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/18/23 Full Review Audience Member There's a time to kill and but is there a time to enforce that act? If so should that person exact personal justice if the justice system fails altogether? An impressive cast lead by Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Kiefer Sutherland, Donald Sutherland, Oliver Platt, the late Sam Cooper, Ashley Judd, Kevin Spacey, and Samuel L. Jackson based on the book by John Grisham and directed by the late Joel Schulmacher Two Confederate bigoted Southerners in Canton, Mississippi attack and assault a 10-year old black girl, she ends up in the hospital and her father Carl-Earl Hailey strikes back at the perpetrators by gunning them down Now the justice department wants to put him away for life calling it an unjust killing based on skin color It also doesn't help that many clansman members are advocating for his punishment including the D.A. Carl's only hope is attorney Jack Tyler Brigance with assistance from Ellen Roarke Not only will it take a lot to prove his innocence but to justify his actions facing swift retribution It's almost impossible to take the law into your own hands and have people be sympathetic especially if you're black, can justice be served swiftly, justice may be blind but what about when it comes to race?, so much prejudice exists, is America a wall with everyone on the wrong side?, are blacks' lives always in the fate of whites?, we have a duty to seek the truth with our hearts The movie is overly long and kinda indulges itself a lot But there's a lot of real-life parallels between the race riots, protests, vigilantism, hate crimes, and calling the national guard to step in containing the out-of-control hatred It's a powerful courtroom case drama with a big heart and noble ambition I gotta say the final statement given at the end is immensely heart-shattering with McConaughey giving one of the best performances of his career Jackson is really sympathetic too laying the foundation of changing people's minds about the hidden prejudice in the eyes of the law Implausibilities aside it is an engrossing drama Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/27/23 Full Review Gareth v A rather dull courtroom drama that handles the racial tensions in the south in such a ham fisted, simplistic way at times. Rated 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 06/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

Cast & Crew

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Critics Reviews

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 Full Review 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 Full Review Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly Rated: C Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault The performances are strong, the issues provocative. Rated: B- Sep 1, 2022 Full Review 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 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...a slow-moving yet mostly engrossing drama... Rated: 3/4 Jun 13, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

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