A Time to Kill is a 1996 Joe Schumaker (read our review of his Batman & Robin) movie that is based on a John Grisham novel and it is fantastic! Even though I have seen this movie a few times over the years, it never loses its impact. It is a brutal movie, one that is kind of hard to watch because of how it deals with racism, sexual assault, vigilante justice, and general injustice.
How to Download A Time to Kill
A Time to Kill was released on July 24, 1996. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
Reflecting on A Time to Kill’s Powerful Narrative
The thing with A Time to Kill is that this is a movie where by the time the credits start to roll, you are happy with the way things turn out in the moment, but it is hard to shake all the bad stuff you saw. The more you think about it, the more you realize that life for these characters must be so tough after the events of the movies. For me, that shows what a powerful and good movie this is as it keeps me thinking about it once it has finished, even though I knew the whole time what was going to happen.
Star-Studded Cast Delivers Compelling Performances
The cast in this movie is just insane! It was this movie that really made Matthew McConaughy a star in my opinion. He is as amazing as the lawyer, Jake Brigance. Samuel L Jackson gives a heartbreakingly brutal performance as Carl Lee Hailey, a father and husband who has to deal with a horrific event.
There is also Sandra Bullock, Kevin Spacey, Oliver Platt Kurtwood Smith, and Keifer Sutherland to name a few off the top of my head. Kurtwood Smith and Kiefer Sutherland in particular always make me feel uneasy watching them in this movie! I always think of Kurtwood Smith as Red Forman so when I see him in other roles, especially in this movie with him being the head KKK guy, it is quite shocking.
The Harsh Realities of A Time to Kill
To say that the story of A Time to Kill is brutal is a massive understatement. Set in Mississippi in 1984, 10-year-old Tonya Hailey is on her way home when two racists catch her and sexually assault her, leaving her for dead. This is a very hard scene to watch and it sets the tone for what you can expect.
Tonya doesn’t die! Her father, Carl Lee Hailey takes the law into his own hands and kills the men responsible and his lawyer, Jake Brigance needs to plead his case. This is a movie that can lead to a lot of discussion, there is probably no parent alive who would say that Carl Lee did the wrong thing here, but at the same time, he killed two men and he also injured a cop as well.
With the movie being set where it is, the chances of Carl Lee getting a fair trial are very slim. It is down to Jake and his team to put together a case that shows that Carl Lee was justified in his actions against the men who abused his daughter. Matthew McConaughy and all of the cast make you believe in everything that happens here! The horrible abuse that Jake, his team, and his family have to deal with is shocking as is the whole racist nature of many people who are fighting for Carl Lee to get the death penalty.
Concluding Thoughts on A Time to Kill
If you are in the mood for something fun and feel good, A Time to Kill is not the movie for you. I watched this a few nights ago and my wife refused to watch it as she said that she says that she likes it, but it is a hard movie to watch after a hard day at work! It is a very brutal and hard-hitting movie, but it is also a movie that is so well-made. It grabs your attention right from the start and it keeps you hooked all the way to the end.
