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About this movie

Genres:
Drama
Language:
English
Running time:
1:51:43
Partner rating:
R
Released:
Quality:
480 (DVD equivalent)

Cast & Crew

Cast

  1. Billy Bob Thornton Hank Grotowski
  2. Heath Ledger Sonny Grotowski
  3. Halle Berry Leticia Musgrove
  4. Mos Def
  5. Milo Addica
  6. Peter Boyle Buck Grotowski
  7. Mekhi Phifer Odin James
  8. Josh Hartnett Hugo Goulding
  9. Julia Stiles Desi Brable
  10. Elden Henson Roger Rodriguez
  11. Andrew Keegan Michael Casio
  12. Sean Combs Lawrence Musgrove

Directors

  1. Marc Forster
  2. Tim Blake Nelson

Producers

  1. Anthony Rhulen
  2. Daniel Fried
  3. Eric Gitter

Writers

  1. Milo Addica
  2. Will Rokos

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Monster's Ball

ThumbnailPlay video in overlay1:18

Trailer for Monster's Ball

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, So... 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.

Reviews by Rotten Tomatoes

Scored 'fresh' by Rotten Tomatoes

85%Tomatometer score: 85% positive reviews from professional critics.

percent positive reviews

  1. Positive review
    Caroline Westbrook, Empire Magazine Forster's poised direction, as well as powerful turns from Billy Bob Thornton and the Oscar-winning Halle Berry, make this compelling viewing. Full review External link
  2. Positive review
    Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune It's not a polemic on the death penalty, race relations or family dynamics. It's a character study that really sticks with you. Full review External link
  3. Negative review
    Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune A serious movie made by seriously talented people, and I never quite came 'round to it. Full review External link
  4. Positive review
    Bill Muller, Arizona Republic A textbook example of fearless filmmaking, exhibiting a brand of gritty realism that's hard to watch but impossible to ignore.
  5. Positive review
    Ben Falk, BBC Intimate, gruelling, and in some strange way, uplifting. Full review External link
  6. Positive review
    Stephen Hunter, Washington Post [Forster] tells his story with directness and simplicity and without the high hallmarks of the soaps' gooey emotional lubrication.

Read more reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

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Clips

  1. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay2:22

    Monster's Ball (6/11) Movie CLIP - I Always Loved You (2001) HD

    Monster's Ball Movie Clip - watch all clips http://j.mp/zrGwKY click to subscribe http://j.mp/sNDUs5 Events end tragically for Sonny (Heath Ledger) when he ...

    by movieclips
  2. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay2:42

    Monster's Ball (5/11) Movie CLIP - Electric Chair (2001) HD

    Monster's Ball Movie Clip - watch all clips http://j.mp/zrGwKY click to subscribe http://j.mp/sNDUs5 After the electrocution, Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) atta...

    by movieclips
  3. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay2:42

    Monster's Ball (3/11) Movie CLIP - Takes a Human Being to See a Human Be...

    Monster's Ball Movie Clip - watch all clips http://j.mp/zrGwKY click to subscribe http://j.mp/sNDUs5 Lawrence (Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs) draws portraits of Son...

    by movieclips
  4. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay2:43

    Monster's Ball (2/11) Movie CLIP - Death Row Goodbye (2001) HD

    Monster's Ball Movie Clip - watch all clips http://j.mp/zrGwKY click to subscribe http://j.mp/sNDUs5 Leticia (Halle Berry) brings her son, Tyrell (Coronji C...

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  5. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay1:49

    Monster's Ball (4/11) Movie CLIP - You Ain't Lost No Weight (2001) HD

    Monster's Ball Movie Clip - watch all clips http://j.mp/zrGwKY click to subscribe http://j.mp/sNDUs5 Leticia (Halle Berry) yells at her son, Tyrell (Coronji...

    by movieclips
  6. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay2:40

    Monster's Ball (11/11) Movie CLIP - Can I Touch You? (2001) HD

    Monster's Ball Movie Clip - watch all clips http://j.mp/zrGwKY click to subscribe http://j.mp/sNDUs5 Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) and Leticia (Halle Berry) rec...

    by movieclips
  7. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay2:39

    Monster's Ball (10/11) Movie CLIP - Hank Just Like His Daddy (2001) HD

    Monster's Ball Movie Clip - watch all clips http://j.mp/zrGwKY click to subscribe http://j.mp/sNDUs5 Leticia (Halle Berry) meets Hank's racist father, Buck ...

    by movieclips
  8. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay2:41

    Monster's Ball (8/11) Movie CLIP - That's My Baby (2001) HD

    Monster's Ball Movie Clip - watch all clips http://j.mp/zrGwKY click to subscribe http://j.mp/sNDUs5 Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) drives Leticia (Halle Berry) ...

    by movieclips
  9. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay2:51

    Make Me Feel Good - Monster's Ball (9/11) Movie CLIP (2001) HD

    Monster's Ball Movie Clip - watch all clips http://j.mp/zrGwKY click to subscribe http://j.mp/sNDUs5 In a deep state of grief, Leticia (Halle Berry) talks t...

    by movieclips
  10. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay2:33

    Monster's Ball (7/11) Movie CLIP - I Quit the Team (2001) HD

    Monster's Ball Movie Clip - watch all clips http://j.mp/zrGwKY click to subscribe http://j.mp/sNDUs5 Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) informs his father, Buck (Pet...

    by movieclips
  11. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay2:43

    Monster's Ball (1/11) Movie CLIP - Like Father, Like Son (2001) HD

    Monster's Ball Movie Clip - watch all clips http://j.mp/zrGwKY click to subscribe http://j.mp/sNDUs5 The strained relationship between Buck (Peter Boyle), H...

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