Sling Blade

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Sling Blade

R

1996

2h 16m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

57 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Mentally disabled Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton) is released from the mental hospital where he has spent most of his life after murdering his mother and her lover. He soon forms a bond with Frank (Lucas Black), a boy whose father committed suicide. When Frank's mother, Linda (Natalie Canerday), lets Karl stay at their house, her cruel boyfriend, Doyle (Dwight Yoakam), tries to get Karl removed. Determined to protect his friend, Karl devises a way to save Frank from years of Doyle's abuse.

Critics Consensus

You will see what's coming, but the masterful performances, especially Thornton's, will leave you riveted.

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Rita Kempley

Washington Post

05/08/2002

5/5

A masterpiece of Southern storytelling.

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Janet Maslin

New York Times

05/08/2002

2.5/5

An abundance of long, flat medium shots that rob the film of intimacy and give it a sleepy pace.

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Kevin Thomas

Los Angeles Times

02/14/2001

5/5

A mesmerizing parable of good and evil and a splendid example of Southern storytelling at its most poetic and imaginative.

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

09/01/2022

B-

"Sling Blade" has a dull side, but it also has an edge sharp enough to draw blood.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

02/12/2022

3.5/4

With one feature film, an underutilized character actor emerged from relative obscurity to become one of the hottest properties in Hollywood. Although his career has had ups and downs since, its clear that a strong voice in cinema arrived...

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Matthew Rozsa

matthewrozsa.com

09/27/2020

4/4

It is a full blooded story, rich in the best and worst of elements of the human condition, and one of the most satisfying cinematic experiences I've ever had.

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MariofanAlex445 T

@RT47678067 Jul 28

An unbelievably good movie. I’m impressed with how nuanced his performance was as Carl Childers. I feel like when movies try to tackle a main character who may not be the smartest mentally, they make them a one note character who cycles through the same tropes everyone else does. In this movie Billy Bob Thornton has all of the same eccentricities of any other character of this sort, but with the wisdom of someone who has lived a truly difficult life. You truly believe Carl is a real person who has actually lived his experiences. I guess that has to do with the fact Billy had been working on the character for a while before getting this film done. Probably one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. It’s an added bonus that he directed the film himself, it somehow adds to the feeling that this movie is incredibly personal. 4.5/5 stars.

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Daniel W.

@RT64819838 Apr 4

Quotable in every way. BBT puts away his best performance of his career and quite possibly the best drama of the last 40 years.

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K K

@RT60975595 Mar 10

Modern take on a now older movie. The quick and dirty.. A great cast of actors, authentic vibes pull through this very human feeling flick. Well directed by and starting in the lead role is Billy Bob Thorton. Oscar worth on acting alone. He did win the award for Director on this film. The movie is predictable but keeps you glued to the movie itself. Not often can a movie capture and hold an audience like some of these great movies of the 90s

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Graham G

@Graman1302 Feb 24

Absolutely worth your time Great storyline & acting Billy Bob Thornton is outstanding ,as is everyone else Highly recommend 👌👌

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Scott M

@RT75128960 Feb 7

BBT is exceptional as Karl. His relationship with the boy is the best parts of the story. The scenes with the angry boyfriend could've been better. Overall it's difficult to say I enjoyed it. But I can't say I didn't like it.

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shane

Feb 3

awesome choice of movies

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Billy Bob Thornton

Director

Billy Bob Thornton

Karl Childers

Dwight Yoakam

Doyle Hargraves

J.T. Walsh

Charles Bushman

John Ritter

Vaughan Cunningham

Lucas Black

Frank Wheatley

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Synopsis

Mentally disabled Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton) is released from the mental hospital where he has spent most of his life after murdering his mother and her lover. He soon forms a bond with Frank (Lucas Black), a boy whose father committed suicide. When Frank's mother, Linda (Natalie Canerday), lets Karl stay at their house, her cruel boyfriend, Doyle (Dwight Yoakam), tries to get Karl removed. Determined to protect his friend, Karl devises a way to save Frank from years of Doyle's abuse.

Director: Billy Bob Thornton
Producer: David Bushell, Brandon Rosser
Screenwriter: Billy Bob Thornton
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Miramax
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 30, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 20, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $24.5M
Runtime: 2h 16m
Sound Mix: Surround

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