A Time to Kill

67%

Tomatometer

58 Reviews

85%

Audience Score

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. Read More Read Less

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A Time to Kill

What to Know

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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Critics Reviews

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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

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

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Audience Reviews

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mark g I have every book John Grisham has ever written. I love the guy. That being said, this was his first novel and by far his weakest. So, the movie had some hurdles. Well, the movie takes a decent at best book and makes a ridiculous cartoon of a movie. Just silly caricatures and characters that are either all good or all bad. The unrealistic nature of this film makes it almost an unintended comedy. Rated 1.5/5 Stars • Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 08/04/24 Full Review Brian G This is one of the worst movies I’ve seen in a while from a major studio with a lot of great talent in it. The story manages to be both totally predictable and still not make any sense whatsoever. There’s a lot of great acting ability there, but they can only do so much with a tepid script like this. I really don’t know why all these wonderful actors signed up for this piece of hooey. Rated 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 04/24/24 Full Review D F can connect with the people, emotional Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/19/24 Full Review 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 Read all reviews

A Time to Kill

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Cast & Crew

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

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A Time to Kill

A Time to Kill (1996)

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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