Monster's Ball

2002

Monster's Ball

Critics Consensus

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

85%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 143

67%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 57,693

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Movie Info

Director Marc Forster, winner of Best Feature at Slamdance for his debut film Loungers (1996) and the "Someone to Watch" Independent Spirit Award for his indie drama Everything Put Together (2000), follows up those acclaimed projects with this intense, racially charged romance. Billy Bob Thornton stars as Georgia prison guard Hank Grotowski, a hard-drinking racist ex-cop whose father, Buck (Peter Boyle), is dying of emphysema and whose son, Sonny (Heath Ledger), works the execution detail at the prison's death row. When Sonny commits suicide, Hank is devastated and quits his job, spiraling into a deep depression until, one night, he comes to the aid of Leticia (Halle Berry), a beautiful African-American woman whose son, Tyrell (Coronji Calhoun), has been hit by a car. When Tyrell dies, Leticia and Hank find themselves to be unexpected soul mates linked together by tragic grief. It's not long before Hank discovers that Leticia is the widow of Lawrence Musgrove (Sean Combs), the man whose execution by electric chair he and his late son helped to orchestrate. Monster's Ball (2001) is based on a screenplay by actors Milo Addica and Will Rokos, who spent five years developing their script into a feature. Their title refers to the name of an English tradition requiring jailers to throw a party for a condemned man on the night before his death. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Cast

Billy Bob Thornton
as Hank
Halle Berry
as Leticia
Peter Boyle
as Buck
Heath Ledger
as Sonny
Sean Combs
as Lawrence
Coronji Calhoun
as Tyrell
Taylor Simpson
as Lucille
Gabrielle Witcher
as Betty
Amber Rules
as Vera
Charles Cowan Jr.
as Willie
Taylor LaGrange
as Darryl
Bernard "Bunchy" Johnson
Anthony Bean
as Dappa
Francine Segal
as Georgia
Yasiin Bey
as Ryrus Cooper
John McConnell
as Harvey Shoonmaker
Marcus Lyle Brown
as Phil Higgins
Milo Addica
as Tommy Roulaine
Leah Loftin
as Booter
Larry Lee
as Co No. 1
Troy Poret
as Co No. 2
Paul Smith
as Co No. 3
Marshall Cain
as Correction Officer
Will Rokos
as Warden Velasco
Anthony Michael Frederick
as Billy
John Wilmot
as Minister
Dennis Clement
as Clement
Stephanie Claire
as Nurse
Jamie Haven
as Hospital Guard
Ritchie Montgomery
as Detective
Clara Daniels
as Maggie Cooper
Carol Sutton
as Mrs. Guillermo
Bernard "Bunchy" Johnson
as Deputy Jones
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News & Interviews for Monster's Ball

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Critic Reviews for Monster's Ball

All Critics (143) | Top Critics (41)

  • 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.

    Feb 13, 2018 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

    Karl Quinn

    The Age (Australia)
    Top Critic

  • It's not a polemic on the death penalty, race relations or family dynamics. It's a character study that really sticks with you.

    Nov 6, 2002 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

    Jeff Strickler

    Minneapolis Star Tribune
    Top Critic

  • A serious movie made by seriously talented people, and I never quite came 'round to it.

    Jul 20, 2002 | Rating: 2.5/4

    Mark Caro

    Chicago Tribune
    Top Critic

  • A textbook example of fearless filmmaking, exhibiting a brand of gritty realism that's hard to watch but impossible to ignore.

    Mar 4, 2002 | Rating: 5/5

    Bill Muller

    Arizona Republic
    Top Critic

  • Intimate, gruelling, and in some strange way, uplifting.

    Feb 17, 2002 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Ben Falk

    BBC.com
    Top Critic

  • [Forster] tells his story with directness and simplicity and without the high hallmarks of the soaps' gooey emotional lubrication.

    Feb 16, 2002 | Rating: 4.5/5

    Stephen Hunter

    Washington Post
    Top Critic
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Audience Reviews for Monster's Ball

  • 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
  • Aug 16, 2013
    A film this emotional, and working in every way, is extremely hard to come by these days, because filmmakers usually do not pay close enough attention to the little details in creation a true human drama. Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry give the performances of their careers and the supporting cast of Heath Ledger and Sean Combs really holds up as well. Everyone brings their A-Game to this picture and it really does show. As an ex-cop falls for the wife of one of his death row inmates, death comes around every corner and the film becomes very hard to watch, with not many happy moments, if any. It is perfectly editing, the direction is immaculate, the script is far more than suitable for this particular subject, and the score of the film fits better than anything I have seen in a long time. "Monsters Ball" is easily one of my favourite films.
    KJ P Super Reviewer
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