Sling Blade (1996)

96% of critics liked it
(51 reviews)
91% of users liked it
(51,654 ratings)

Sling Blade marked the directorial debut of country singer turned actor Billy Bob Thornton, who also authored the script (expanding George Hickenlooper's acclaimed short Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade) and stars in the picture. Thornton plays Karl Childers, a mildly retarded man who spent most of… More Sling Blade marked the directorial debut of country singer turned actor Billy Bob Thornton, who also authored the script (expanding George Hickenlooper's acclaimed short Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade) and stars in the picture. Thornton plays Karl Childers, a mildly retarded man who spent most of his life in a mental institution. When Karl was a boy, he was severely mistreated by his abusive father (Robert Duvall). At age 12, Karl found his mother having intercourse with a man who tormented him endlessly; he snapped, flew into a homicidal rage, and killed both individuals by decapitating them. Years later, as a middle-aged man, Karl is deemed harmless to society and released from the mental institution where he resides. Karl says he has learned his lesson and adds, "I reckon I got no reason to kill no one." He returns to the town of his boyhood, where he's befriended by Frank (Lucas Black), the son of a widowed mother who sees the eccentric but open-hearted Karl as a kindred spirit. Karl also gets a job at a fix-it shop and resides in the backroom, until Frank's mother, Linda (Natalie Canerday), takes a liking to Karl and lets him stay with them. However, Karl also meets Doyle (Dwight Yoakam), Linda's boyfriend, a sadistically cruel, narrow-minded drunk who tosses casual abuse at Frank, treats Linda like dirt, and mocks Karl endlessly. The late John Ritter co-stars as Linda's friend Vaughan, a mild-mannered homosexual who works at the neighborhood dollar store. Musicians Col. Bruce Hampton and Vic Chesnutt are among Doyle's party guests. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: Billy Bob Thornton
Written By: Billy Bob Thornton
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Nov 27, 1996 Wide
On DVD: Jan 1, 1998
Studio: Miramax Films

Critic Reviews

Rita Kempley, Washington Post
A masterpiece of Southern storytelling.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
An abundance of long, flat medium shots that rob the film of intimacy and give it a sleepy pace.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
A mesmerizing parable of good and evil and a splendid example of Southern storytelling at its most poetic and imaginative.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Sling Blade does homage to Psycho without slavishly imitating the memorable parts.
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews
Much of the audience appeal relies on the film's simplicity
S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media
Intense family drama with strong language, some violence.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Marking Billy Bob Thornton's debut as a director and solo writer, Sling Blade is a powerful southern gothic parable about good and evil.
Ryan Cracknell, Movie Views
Well acted, a multi-leveled story and a pure honesty make Sling Blade one of my favourite films of the 1990s.
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
Thornton brings three key ingredients to the table: distinctive, rich, authentic Southern locations, patient and painterly atmosphere, and a precise and fresh character to study. [Blu-ray]
Diana Saenger, ReviewExpress.com
An exceptional film with superb acting and great direction made even more enjoyable with this Blu-Ray release.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
An intelligent movie that beats with the heart of an indie film, with details and characters remaining more important than action or direct exposition.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
Thornton offers a subtle, thoughtful script, generally sensitive direction, and an understated performance, uh-huh.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Excellent character study of a mentally challenged person.
Michael Szymanski, International Press Academy
It's frightening and haunting and what put Billy Bob in the Hollywood scene as a writer and an actor.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
The film's many rewards cannot be described in conventional terms.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
There will never be another film like Sling Blade. And I reckon we'll have to live with that... Mmm-mmm.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Clintus M

Billy Bob Thornton's tour-de-force is one of the most memorable movies I've ever seen. It is not a comedy. Although my friends and I love to mimic Karl's voice and do quotes for laughs, there's actually very little to laugh about in this southern gothic drama.… More
Billy Bob Thornton's tour-de-force is one of the most memorable movies I've ever seen. It is not a comedy. Although my friends and I love to mimic Karl's voice and do quotes for laughs, there's actually very little to laugh about in this southern gothic drama. Whatever you think of Billy Bob Thornton, Slingblade is an unforgettable masterpiece; the writing, Karl's speech and walk, as well as the rest of the ensemble are some of the greatest in history. Maybe most significant is that although I've never met anyone resembling Karl Childers, the whole film has a frighteningly believable aura to it. While Thornton's Karl Childers is obviously the central character, other actors contributed mightily to the overall success of the film. The addition of John Ritter and Dwight Yokam to the cast provides both mainstream appeal and tremendous depth to the story. Even the lesser characters, James Hampton as Jerry- the administrator at the "nervous hospital", Natalie Canerday as Linda, and Rick Dial as "Bill Cox add distinctive local color and realism to the ensemble. Lucas Black as Frank Wheatley is probably my other favorite. The surrogate father-son relationship creates an unforgettable emotional attachment, cementing this film as so much more than a usual small town oddball story. The stark contrast between Karl's relationship with his father and the one he develops with Frank provides the emotional centerpiece to this both shocking and tender film. It's a masterpiece of southern storytelling from Thornton's twisted genius. Billy Bob Thornton contributes this masterpiece to the finest southern literary tradition. I am reminded of a quotation by the eminent author Flannery O'Connor, "Whenever I'm asked why Southern writers particularly have a penchant for writing about freaks, I say it is because we are still able to recognize one." The slow-moving, mentally challenged Karl stands in contrast to Doyle, Karl's father, and the sex criminal inmate. Slingblade won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay- Thornton adapted his own earlier work, and Thornton was nominated for Best Actor.
Sanjay R

A nice story with a masterful performance by Billy Bob Thornton. The movie is very slowly paced, but an enjoyable watch nonetheless.
Brad W

Sling Blade is a pure masterpiece, and is Billy Bob Thortons best performance ever. The plot is a work of genius, it follows a man named Karl and his long journey to self peace, and to help a young boy have the life Karl never got, and it is hard to describe just how good it was and… More
Sling Blade is a pure masterpiece, and is Billy Bob Thortons best performance ever. The plot is a work of genius, it follows a man named Karl and his long journey to self peace, and to help a young boy have the life Karl never got, and it is hard to describe just how good it was and how well made it was. Billy Bob Thorton has made a character that is so interesting, so funny, and so memorable that his performance may be one of the best of all time. This movie had everything we want from a film, great story, great cast, and amazing protagonist, and although the film is slow at many scenes, the first few minutes of the film are a work of genius and the rest of the film is something you will never soon forget, I loved it.
Conner R

Billy Bob Thorton's performance as Karl Childers is by far one of the greatest pieces of acting in a movie. His complete and utter believability is outrageous, he truly became a different person. Not only that, but a person that very well could exist in the real world. The… More
Billy Bob Thorton's performance as Karl Childers is by far one of the greatest pieces of acting in a movie. His complete and utter believability is outrageous, he truly became a different person. Not only that, but a person that very well could exist in the real world. The mannerisms, speech patterns and attitude is just amazing to watch. Not only that, but his directing is as equally strong. This feels almost like a David Lynch movie in that it's so awkward about being normal, much like Karl himself. The story is so powerful and important, it's impossible to not sympathize and fall in love with the characters. On top of that, it has some of the most memorable lines spoken in any movie. It's almost addictive.
Dan S

A depressing, often arresting character story involving a former killer, who is let back into society once he serves his time. Billy Bob Thornton's incredibly restrained performance is what keeps this movie interesting, he creates a character so broken from his former life, and… More
A depressing, often arresting character story involving a former killer, who is let back into society once he serves his time. Billy Bob Thornton's incredibly restrained performance is what keeps this movie interesting, he creates a character so broken from his former life, and now his new one, that the only thing that matters in his life (that being Lucas Black's character) is worth fighting for. You'll probably see the ending a mile away, but its definitely a fitting one. Great acting all-around, from Thornton, to Dwight Yoakam, John Ritter, to Lucas Black as the boy who befriends Thornton, this is an impressive movie. Don't watch it if you don't like sad stories, this is definitely a somber tale of a man who doesn't know where he fits in a world that is "to big" for him, as he says himself.
familiar s

Loads of people appreciated & recommended this, but I found it nothing much above average. Fairly watchable, but not a "must watch" IMHO.
Anthony L

Billy Bob Thornton is as good a director as he is an actor and he proves it in Sling Blade (well, at least he does as far as the directing goes). This is a really good film. It?s a shame Lucas Black grew up though as he was much better as a child actor.
Jason O

"I like some dem french fried taterz, mm hmm." Awesome, awesome movie, and everyone I know in person agrees. Always reminded me of "Forrest Gump."
Luke B

Billy Bob Thronton writes, directs and stars in this very moving and very human drama. Thornton plays Carl, a man just released from a psychiatric hospital after killing his mother and her lover, when he was just 12 years old. Carl is a simple man, but like many films, he has plenty… More
Billy Bob Thronton writes, directs and stars in this very moving and very human drama. Thornton plays Carl, a man just released from a psychiatric hospital after killing his mother and her lover, when he was just 12 years old. Carl is a simple man, but like many films, he has plenty of knowledge to share with those around him, even if they don't realise it. Ritter gets the best material, and shows himself to be the legendary talent that he was. He plays gay without being ridiculous. Thornton remembers to serve the comedy, drama and tension in small doses throughout, making this a surprisingly edgy watch. It's shot with great restraint, long takes letting the action evolve in front of us.
Lorenzo v

"Sometimes a hero comes from the most unlikely place." Karl Childers, now a grown man, is released from a psychiatric hospital where he has been hospitalized since the age of 12 for the murder of his mother and her lover. He returns to his childhood town… More
"Sometimes a hero comes from the most unlikely place." Karl Childers, now a grown man, is released from a psychiatric hospital where he has been hospitalized since the age of 12 for the murder of his mother and her lover. He returns to his childhood town and although being mentally handicapped, gets a job fixing small motors at a local repair shop. Karl befriends a young boy, Frank, and is soon invited by Frank's mother, Linda, to move into the family's garage. As a strong relationship develops between Karl and Frank, a confrontation builds with Linda's abusive and sometimes violent boyfriend Doyle. Review The film that made Billy Bob Thornton. Sling Blade brought out the best in him and this is Billy Bob sans Mr. Woodcock sans School for Scoundrels and whatever low class comedy he's made. He took a challenging dramatic role and he nails it in the coffin. I must admit, I wasn't expecting him to be this superb, I guess I underestimated the guy. Billy Bob just came out of nowhere with his explosive performance as reformed criminal/mentally challenged Karl Childers. One can only wonder how he ended up in tasteless movies and tedious comedies. Not only did he act but he also directed and wrote the film. Nothing more can be said other than, he really was passionate about this project and it shows when you see the movie. Great script, great cast and great performances all around. This is Billy Bob's shining moment and is undoubtedly the highest point of his career and credits is where credits due but you just can't help but also notice the support cast which includes Dwight Yoakam as the fiend of a step dad to a very young Lucas Black's character Frank. Black and Billy Bob glued perfectly on screen and you'll just love hating Yoakam's menacing performance. All in all, a brilliant film with powerful performances and quite possibly the best film of 1996.
Drew S

Ah, the "mentally retarded" movie. No other subject of film can end up being either unabashedly manipulative (Radio, I Am Sam) or as rewarding as Sling Blade. More later.
Tsubaki S

Red-states-Bush-loving america in a nutshell.
Jason S

A good character study mixed with a good story. I recommend this one as we get to see a side of Billy Bob's acting that I haven't seen since.
Daniel J D

This movie has some serious depth to it and the most believable portrayal of a mentally retarded person I've seen, to-date.
Nani V

For the longest I never knew Billy Bob Thornton was Sling Blade...excellent acting!
Rachel F

Billy Bob Thornton's best role. This is a brilliant but sad movie. Everyone should see this at least once.
Lady D

Wow! Billy Bob Thornton's performance in this film was amazing. Billy Bob, not only starred in this amazing film but also wrote and directed it and hit the jackpot on all three. It's a long viewing, but most certainly needed, great performances all around.
Curtis L

I think i'm gonna kill you, um hmm.
Leigh R

Very well done.
Michael G

Surprisingly amazing.