Monster's Ball

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Cast & Crew

Halle Berry
Leticia Musgrove

Billy Bob Thornton
Hank Grotowski

Heath Ledger
Sonny Grotowski

Peter Boyle
Buck Grotowski

Diddy
Lawrence Musgrove

Yasiin Bey
Ryrus Cooper

Will Rokos
Warden Velesco

Milo Addica
Tommy Roulaine

Coronji Calhoun
Tyrell Musgrove

Charles Cowan Jr.
Willie Cooper

Taylor LaGrange
Darryl Cooper

Marc Forster
Director

Milo Addica
Writer

Will Rokos
Writer

Michael Paseornek
Executive Producer

Michael Burns
Executive Producer

Mark Urman
Executive Producer

Lee Daniels
Producer

Eric Kopeloff
Co-Producer

Roberto Schaefer
Cinematographer

Monroe Kelly
Production Design

Kerry Barden
Casting

Leonard R. Spears
Art Director

Matt Chesse
Film Editing

Frank L. Fleming
Costume Design

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Audience Reviews for Monster's Ball

• Mar 13, 2021

  'Monster's Ball' refusal to frame with a generic moral compass is precisely why it will endure. The script takes zero easy outs; it is focused on decisions people would realistically make in a world where racism and a lifetime of baggage aren't absolved within 100 minutes - and the honesty is refreshing. It's not clear where it will lead, but the ambivalence works well in favor of capturing people as the creatures of need that they are, when endless hardship strips your soul down to the most basic longing for affection. Decidedly not a feel-good film, because it's better than that: it's a hell of a thinker about how two common people will mine their own versions of solace amongst misery. This dose of realism will sober you up and stick with you well after the credits roll. *Mild Spoilers* 'Monster's Ball' is not a Hollywood white man's redemption story. If anything, it silently draws attention to the fallacy of Hank's self-orchestrated atonement. It's also an unflinching statement about what a particular woman continues to sacrifice even after she's sacrificed everything. Hank is at peace burying the past. Yes, he's a racist bastard, but he (not the film itself) has decided that while he can't stifle what was passed onto him, he does finally care about something in his life - taking care of Leticia. Leticia is initially devastated to learn that her new lover is her husband's executioner, but she has lost so much in her life - husband, son, house, job, car - that she decides that she's okay with burying her rage for - at long last - some semblance of stability and devotion. There's much truth to dissect from 'Monster's Ball' that an emotional manipulative film simply can't give you.
  Marisol M Super Reviewer
• Jun 02, 2017

  Not for everyone, this work requires thought and involvement, leaving those desirous of spoon-feeding disappointed. Excellent performances highlight this serious film that questions our propensity to simplify, to label things, situations, and especially people (including ourselves) in order to 'quickly understand' problems. Eye-opening and unforgettable.
  Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
• Sep 30, 2014

  A little slow but a good movie about loss and grief. Halle Berry deserved that Oscar.
  Max G Super Reviewer
• Dec 31, 2013

  Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton go to disturbing places within a disturbing existence with race issues and suffering thrown in for good measure. Their uncomfortable love making is as messy as the situation that they find themselves in.
  

  John B Super Reviewer