Rate It

Seen it:    
Not seen it: 
Review: 
 
clear rating

Share It

Rating Averages

My Friends Not rated. () Want To See Not Interested
All Flixster 4.0 Stars (15858) Want To See 6054 Not Interested 18373
Female 4.0 Stars (5323) Want To See 2032 Not Interested 6168
Male 4.0 Stars (10535) Want To See 4022 Not Interested 12205

More Like This

Tip

If you liked this, then you'll also probably like...

Got another recommendation for someone who liked this movie? Add it to the list!

Got an opinion? Use the buttons to vote on all the suggestions people have added.

If lots of people vote, the best suggestions will rise to the top.

I Am Sam (75%)
The Other Sister (100%)
My Louisiana Sky (100%)
The War (80%)
Radio (100%)

Plot: Billy Bob Thornton wrote, directed, and starred in this mesmerizing drama with haunting overtones of To Kill a Mockingbird. Thornton plays a mentally retarded man who has spent 20 years in a ps...( read more read more... )

Post it anywhere Link it anywhere

Meet Other Fans

Recent Reviews

  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    July 31, 2008
    Excellent movie with a great performance by Billy Bob. Kudos to him as well for writing and directing.
  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    July 22, 2008
    Billy Bob's masterpiece, an impressive combo of script, direction and acting. well paced with excellent performances by Lucas Black, John Ritter, Dwight Yoakam and others. Thornton is simply astonishing.
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    July 16, 2008
    I like them french fried tators, mhmm.

    Karl, played by Billy Bob Thorton, is a mentally challenged man who was put in the state hospital when he killed his mother and a man she slept with. After twenty years in the hospital, Karl returns to his home town.

    Karl has had a hard life, being raised in a shed behind his parents' home and burying his premature baby brother, and has a hard time getting on his feet after being released. He's gets a job fixing machinery with the help of the hospital director. He also gets to know a little boy named Frank, played by Lucas Black.

    Karl and Frank quickly become close friends. Their relationship is one of the most touching I have ever seen on screen. Through Frank, Karl also meets Frank's mother Linda, played by Natalie Canerday, Linda's boss Vaughan, played by John Ritter, and Linda's abusive boyfriend Doyle, played by Dwight Yoakam.

    A breathtaking performance from Thorton in this movie. And a great supporting cast to go along with it, with even a short scene with Robert Duvall playing Karl's father. Ritter does a fantastic job playing the concerned family friend and it's a shame the only thing I have seen Canerday in since this is "Walk the Line" where she plays a June Carter fan.

    All in all, one hell of a movie.
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    July 13, 2008
    Billie Bob Thorton and Lucas Black both give outstanding performances in this movie..Karl has his day of reconing
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    July 4, 2008
    interesting story...what a unique character Billy Bob created in this movie and put him on the map....touching..interesting...go see it!
  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    July 3, 2008
    this is a movie i grew up with and man is it good n_n I love it a lot. heh id recommentd watching it
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    July 1, 2008
    I first saw this film in my Directing class in film school. I know why my instructor chose it, there is not much wrong that the director did here. Billy Bob got out of the way of the story and let the characters & the story shine through. I recently rewatched this movie with a friend that had never seen it and it made me have an all-new appreciation for this movie brilliance.
  • 2.5 Stars
    MCT:
    May 19, 2008
    Forrest Gump meets Anthony Perkins. Someday, someone will have to tell me what makes this movie stand out.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    May 19, 2008
    This movie is a classic.Billy Bob Thornton continues to deliver excellent must see performances.I highly recommend this film.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    May 6, 2008
    Sling Blade was Billy Bob Thornton greatest achievement. His acting was Flawless. Thornton was robbed (IMO) of an Oscar in 1996, losing to Geoffrey Rush. I demand a recount!
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    May 1, 2008
    - "Ever think of killing yourself on purpose like my daddy done?"
    - "I studied about it. The Bible says you ought not to. It says if you do that, you go off to Hades. Some folks call it Hell, I call it Hades."

    This is without a doubt one of the most original and yet powerful and touching movies I have ever seen. This is true drama with Billy Bob showing his unique acting skills, this is not one to be missed.

    Billy Bob Thornton is Karl Childers, a mentally handicapped man who is released from a psychiatric hospital after killing his mother and her lover. At the start of the film Karl is interviewed for the newspaper and we can discover the circumstances of the deaths. Karl decides to go back and settle in his hometown, where he soon meets a young boy who he becomes friends with. It's not long before he meets the boy's mother and her abusive boyfriend, who is cruel to both the boy and the mother. It's written and directed beautifully by Billy Bob, making this moving and touching from the beginning. A truly original story.

    Billy Bob Thornton was again amazing, there's no stop to him surprising me with his acting and versatility. It's hard to imagine Karl Childers is actually Bad Santa, and although I love him in comedies he really is just as brilliant in these types of films. Dwight Yoakam also gives a great performance and Lucas Black was brilliant for his part. The emotion and story made this believable and the performances from the actors was terrific. Definitely worth seeing if you haven't already, this is Billy Bob Thornton at his best.
  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    April 29, 2008
    really cool performance by billy bob thornton .. i love the way he gives chemistry to his character .. wonderful story
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    April 25, 2008
    I am not a huge fan of Billy Bob Thornton but he played the part of Karl to perfection in this movie.
  • 3.0 Stars
    MCT:
    April 24, 2008
    kind fo a cool movie, a bit slow and so on, but its a great piece, billy bob playes yet another really wierd character, as usual, wellsince i made the whole flick himself so why not.. it aint all that fast and intriging but still i liked the pace of it..
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    March 21, 2008
    Billy Bob Thornton at his best. Not only did Thornton write and direct this masterpiece, he starred as the lead character, Karl Childers. A mental patient, suffering from a life of abuse as a child, and eventual imprisonment, returns to society only to discover that his world is truly that of the insane asylum as an anti-socialite.Billy Bob Thorton is pure genius.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    March 16, 2008
    I heard this man had to do it all himself just to get Hollywood to notice him. I definately noticed his ability when I sat down to this flick. Powerful stuff Mr Thornton!!
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    March 16, 2008
    Awesome movie.
    DOYLE
    What's all them books?

    KARL
    Different ones. The Bible's one of
    'em.

    DOYLE
    You believe in the Bible?

    KARL
    A good deal of it, I reckon. Can't
    understand all of it.

    DOYLE
    Well, I can't understand none of
    it. This one begat this one and
    that one begat this one and begat
    and begat and begat and lo somebody
    sayeth some shit or another. Just
    how retarded are you?

    Classic!!
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    March 10, 2008
    THIS MOVIE STILL FREAK'S ME OUT I LOVE THIS MOVIE I WISH I HAD SOMEONE LIKE HIM TO TAKE CARE OF MY PERVERTED DAD!
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    March 4, 2008
    Thorton put crushed glass in his shoes so that his character would walk with a consistent limp....

    yes...holy shit.
  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    March 2, 2008
    John Ritter should have received an Academy Award nomination for his subtle, understated role. A beautiful, touching film.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    February 22, 2008
    When is it o.k. to kill someone by smacking them in the head with a lawnmower blade? FIND OUT in SLING BLADE the MODERN CLASSIC!
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    February 11, 2008
    talk bout disturbing movie...but brilliant acting from Billy Bob and Dwight...i still get chills when i think of this movie!

My Friends Said...

Sling Blade Recent Reviews

Register or sign-in to see your friends' reviews !

Comments

  • pirateXgirlXclaudia
    It's called drama, and most people actually appreciate it. It was a brilliant film and NO it wasn't meant to be a joke, this was seriously one of the most original yet powerful and touching movies I have seen.
    posted 254 days ago
  • itsme1232
    Why does everyone seem to love this movie? It was the most boring, slow moving, predictable, pathetic waste of time ever. I knew the resolution after 15 minutes. Is this movie a joke? Was it supposed to be ble? Did everyone who saw this movie and subsequently reviewed it bash their head repeatedly on the sidewalk beforehand? The world may never know. I, for one, know that, had I not seen this movie, I would be more confident that the average person has an IQ greater than that of a common ground squirrel. Seriously, whats the big deal? I can sum it up in one sentence: Retarded biscuit-lovin' psycho kills man, plot. Don't see this travesty.
    posted 366 days ago
  • JesusZombie
    One of the best movie ever made! And Dwight Yoakam was unreal in this move.
    posted 582 days ago

Details

  • Rated: (R)
  • Directed by: Billy Bob Thornton
  • Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense
  • Released: November 20, 1996
  • DVD Released: June 16, 1999

Recent News

Movie Skins

Movie Quizzes

Sling Blade Quizzes