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Monster's Ball
Monster's Ball
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Monster's Ball

Monster's Ball

2001
Romance, Drama
1h 51m
A hard-hitting Southern drama tempered by a story of powerful, life-changing love. It is the story of Hank (Thornton), an embittered prison guard working on Death Row in rural Georgia. He begins an unlikely but emotionally charged affair with Leticia (Berry), the wife of a man he has just executed. (Lions Gate Films)

Directed by:

Marc Forster

Screenwriter:

Milo Addica, Will Rokos

Starring:

Peter Boyle, Billy Bob Thornton, Yasiin Bey, Halle Berry, Sean Combs, Heath Ledger, Coronji Calhoun, John McConnell, Marcus Lyle Brown, Taylor Simpson, Amber Rules

Genres:

Romance, Drama, Suspense/Thriller

Countries:

Canada, USA

Language:

English
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Monster's Ball

2001
Romance, Drama
1h 51m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 48.83% from 2564 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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ytadelYtadel
Rated 14 Aug 2007
6
70th
More depressing than cancer, but undeniably well-written and well-acted. Also, on a scale of 1-10, Halle Berry is naked.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
jebJeb
Rated 24 Feb 2009
74
54th
To start off, Halle Berry gives us the most overrated and overpraised performance of the past decades. She DID NOT deserve that Oscar. Anyway, Monster's Ball is a hard-hitting winner....sort of. As frustrating as it is to get used to and while it represents a variety of flaws, its a depressing and discouraging gem. To conclude, it's great.
Rated 24 Feb 2009
overratedoverrated
Rated 15 Jan 2021
31
23rd
Misery porn that didn't make me feel anything for these characters, especially Thornton who plays someone with wildly inconsistent motivations. MB approaches the subject of race with the same amount of subtlety as Crash - possibly worse with the fetishizing of Berry's naked body (who obviously did not deserve the Oscar).
Rated 15 Jan 2021
gtown1479gtown1479
Rated 16 Feb 2010
75
54th
Havin a hard time scoring this movie. I think the best part is watching Thornton's character evolve from the start to the finish of the film. Doyle's small role (as Thornton's dad) does a good job in proving to me that there is an evolution going on. Don't think Berry should have won an Oscar for her performance. It was solid but not amazing or memorable (for the most part). The scene where she is hitting her kid was rough to watch. Wish the ending would have concluded things better.
Rated 16 Feb 2010
thewhalerTheWhaler
Rated 13 May 2009
70
44th
Fantastic performances from Thornton, Berry and Ledger, a hell of trio that combined to create a story of endless change of heart and of the mind. The character develoment displayed on screen will not only hurt but heal as you see a cold, rigid man begin to evolve into a man of compassion and care. A noteworthy film in the careers of these big three actors, a must see.
Rated 13 May 2009
lucluc
Rated 28 Apr 2009
75
85th
Great movie with one of my favourite actresses Hall Berry. I do not know she deserves the Oscar but I like her very much. It's a pity I was not Billy Bob Thornton in this movie.
Rated 28 Apr 2009
nandorizzinandorizzi
Rated 25 Mar 2009
70
61st
The highlight of the film is the cast, good performances. The film is quite simple, but very realistic.
Rated 25 Mar 2009
pompousasspompousass
Rated 21 Mar 2009
20
44th
Forster focuses on the middle man in three generations of corrections officers. The film starts right out throwing haymakers -- first-thing-in-the-morning vomit, wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am sodomy, good-ole-boy bigotry, Death Row, the Last Walk, more vomit, a suicide, and a hit-and-run fatality -- before it settles down to a hesitant, awkward, muted interracial romance, and more vomit. By that time, it's all punched out. The electric-chair diaper is a new screen detail, if you're keeping track.
Rated 21 Mar 2009
fudgiebfudgieb
Rated 14 Aug 2007
97
93rd
Artistically successfully (though somewhat contrived) and features great acting. A movie that will affect you no matter who you are.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
warmachineWarMachine
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
66th
I only saw the part where Halle Berry gets naked, and thats what i'm ranking an 80.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
cclzaCCLZA
Rated 14 Aug 2007
50
23rd
Berry's exaggerated performance may be impressive to look at, but doesn't go along with the more subtle tone of the film the director clearly tried to achieve.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
martrynmartryn
Rated 09 Aug 2007
73
60th
I have jerked off to this movie.
Rated 09 Aug 2007
jhezabeeJhezabee
Rated 11 Jun 2007
70
26th
I really wanted to like it, but it was just messy and badly acted.
Rated 11 Jun 2007
myfavchordsmyfavchords
Rated 19 Nov 2024
78
72nd
Halle Berry deserved her Oscar win for this outstanding performance. The rest of the cast does great work here as well. The script has many depressing moments but it works. Overall I would recommend this film.
Rated 19 Nov 2024
newtothelytenewtothelyte
Rated 26 Jun 2023
48
3rd
A mess of a film that has all the elements for it to age as poorly as it did. White savior + damsel in distress = two thumbs down
Rated 26 Jun 2023
howler19howler19
Rated 04 Aug 2022
75
85th
I love the atmosphere. It's the sort of experience that showcases a film's ability to tell a story without really saying it in words. Beautiful.
Rated 04 Aug 2022
war_machineWar Machine
Rated 07 Jun 2021
65
39th
Raymonddadracistlool+abusesdumbfatsontoomuchlol+alwayshated-alwaysloved/killsself+samehookersonfuckedsocantlol+sonkilledbycar+heraccentkeepsgettingstrongerlol-showshusband-makemefeelgood:P+dadupsetshersoputsinhomelol+shecomesbackcuzevicted+eatamonithinklol+shefindsportraitsherhusbandmadeofhimandhissonrightbeforechair-shefreaksinsecretthenseemstoaccept
Rated 07 Jun 2021
matthagenmatthagen
Rated 15 Jan 2021
60
73rd
Seen: 2. It's subtle, dark, conflicted, and it strikes a nerve. But it's also a slow, tough watch. Not everything here comes off as genuine, but enough does to keep me invested. The acting and chemistry are stellar.
Rated 15 Jan 2021
methodlessMethodless
Rated 06 Jan 2020
58
16th
There are aspects of this movie that make you think this is one of the better movies out there. For me, it was the very clear depth written into each character. The movie however is slow-paced, and doesn't really have much going on outside of the written synopsis. The male lead character is established early to be racist and then never is again, not even a little. It just seems like they could have portrayed what they built a little better here.
Rated 06 Jan 2020
capodelnullacapodelnulla
Rated 29 Jun 2019
25
4th
kötü festival filmi formülüne stüdyo yaklaşımı??
Rated 29 Jun 2019
okkervilOkkervil
Rated 30 Dec 2018
60
52nd
Solid performances and engaging enough. It slips into something akin to TV melodrama a little too often.
Rated 30 Dec 2018
metalhankmetalhank
Rated 19 Jun 2018
72
82nd
Being a red blooded male makes it really tempting to seriously over-rate this film. It is a well made movie, even with its rather depressing material, and the chemistry between the leads is very good. What more can I say; o ya, Berry's berries are simply amazing here ;)
Rated 19 Jun 2018
francogonzoFrancoGonzo
Rated 21 Feb 2016
8
36th
Star Rating: ★★★
Rated 21 Feb 2016
thehynesthehynes
Rated 18 Mar 2015
62
75th
Sometimes you're meant to be with who you're meant to be with, regardless of the norms of your narrow minded segregated society or the fact your beau happens to have put 1800 volts through your husband's head
Rated 18 Mar 2015
dmcrimsonDMCrimson
Rated 21 Feb 2014
76
30th
I feel cheated out of a more focused romance story with the spread-to-thin attention to multiple themes that ultimately fail to develop good quality: mutually losing children, trouble with authority, racism, past-vs-future, and finding strength by developing truly-meaningful relationships. Each one is deep enough to investigate, hopping around all of them piece-by-piece was confusing.
Rated 21 Feb 2014
rttntomatoesrttntomatoes
Rated 03 Jan 2014
85
65th
Somber and thought provoking, Monster's Ball has great performances all around.
Rated 03 Jan 2014
nilooravaeinilooravaei
Rated 24 Dec 2013
73
22nd
halle berry was very good, but i kinda felt like the movie didn't have a point, like there was no progression of a plot.
Rated 24 Dec 2013
glm01glm01
Rated 05 Oct 2013
78
58th
78.000
Rated 05 Oct 2013
alex_wsAlex WS
Rated 20 Jan 2013
35
13th
Oscar Bait.
Rated 20 Jan 2013
ecitizeneCitizen
Rated 27 Apr 2012
95
99th
An extremely unlikely relationship develops between the beautiful but fragile wife of an executed man & the prison guard trying to overcome his guilt about participating in it. Halle Berry is extremely hot & quite exposed as she gives a memorable performance that nearly becomes soft porn. Billy Bob Thornton gave a career best performance. Sharp contrasts between the prejudice of color & the laws of love & attraction. Powerful & intense story. Rough around the edges & plenty of shock value.
Rated 27 Apr 2012
matthew_parkinsonMatthew Parkinson
Rated 28 Feb 2012
60
62nd
Monster's Ball isn't a bad film. The leads are strong when not acting beside one another, the other relationships work, even if the main one didn't, and the secondary actors were actually more memorable and got more emotion out of me than the main ones. But the screenplay is muddled, the plot felt contrived, and the film seemed kind of like a mess. A well-orchestrated, wonderfully filmed mess, but a mess nonetheless. It's not bad by any means, but it's not necessarily worth your time.
Rated 28 Feb 2012
glmglm
Rated 06 Feb 2012
80
66th
79.500
Rated 06 Feb 2012
wwallce4prezWWallce4prez
Rated 24 Oct 2011
73
54th
Gorgeous soundtrack and a wonderful capturing of small town South highlight this uneven film. Berry's performance is abrasive and Thorton's character just doesn't make sense. The ice-cream eating, son of a racist, father-of-the-year grabs the hottest chick in town...ok.
Rated 24 Oct 2011
slantmagSlantMag
Rated 14 Oct 2011
10
9th
"In Marc Foster's cure-the-hate melodrama, chocolate love goes a long way in soothing frayed white-black relations." - Ed Gonzalez
Rated 14 Oct 2011
apm2091apm2091
Rated 07 Jul 2011
63
25th
stale, boring, bland. Halle Berry basically plays an hysterical bitch the entire film, while Billy Bob Thorton plays the same alcoholic, depressing character as usual. not worth your time.
Rated 07 Jul 2011
dmbbearcatdmbbearcat
Rated 07 Jun 2011
64
30th
Halle Berry was excellent (and she looked great) and Billy Bob Thornton was fine too, but the movie was overall a little too depressing for my taste.
Rated 07 Jun 2011
davisty69davisty69
Rated 17 Jan 2011
81
50th
Make me feel good..
Rated 17 Jan 2011
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 25 Sep 2010
65
45th
Uneven and sometimes annoying. Berry's performance is fine, although not Oscar worthy, I secretly think the academy gave it to her for having to be nude with Billy Bob Thornton so much.
Rated 25 Sep 2010
bookhouseboybookhouseboy
Rated 21 Aug 2010
56
74th
#00s(l)#, liked, rewatch(2) }*{ #02#, reviews, story
Rated 21 Aug 2010
gorejunkygorejunky
Rated 16 Aug 2010
80
39th
Well done heart wrenching drama. Berry is perfect here and has some great chemistry with Thorton. Highly recommended!
Rated 16 Aug 2010
fantastardfantastard
Rated 02 May 2010
86
81st
Halle Berry's boobies make a appearance
Rated 02 May 2010
anselmi86Anselmi86
Rated 28 Jul 2009
70
51st
The supporting performances by Heaht Ledger and Mos Def outshine the leads.
Rated 28 Jul 2009
fantacbobFantacBob
Rated 12 Jun 2009
68
65th
Tough, emotional and torid. I thought HB was great and DID deserve the Oscar.
Rated 12 Jun 2009
rthornhillrthornhill
Rated 26 Mar 2009
89
67th
An interesting and intelligent film about disparate characters finding each other during a time of crisis. Recommended.
Rated 26 Mar 2009
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 17 Feb 2009
54
56th
okay movie
Rated 17 Feb 2009
stainStain
Rated 28 Jan 2009
80
68th
Heavy stuff, but well-performed
Rated 28 Jan 2009
uniquenameUniqueName
Rated 30 Dec 2008
80
62nd
Great performances by Berry and Ledger, Thornton was just ok.. since you can see both of them.. it should have been called Monster's Balls.
Rated 30 Dec 2008
sorefinedSoRefined
Rated 30 Aug 2008
72
18th
This was in the "I'm glad I saw it once but won't see it again" category for me. Very well done, but not for everyone.
Rated 30 Aug 2008
bitch_alertBitch Alert
Rated 30 Aug 2008
60
50th
Hally Berry is awful, probably one of the most overrated Oscar winners, on par with Denzel in Training Day. Luckily the film itself is decent, much more subtle than Berry's over-the-top performance.
Rated 30 Aug 2008
hstephen9hstephen9
Rated 24 Aug 2008
25
21st
Incredibly over-rated. Characters are unsympathetic, plot twists are unrealistic. Halle Berry looks hot, but chews the scenary.
Rated 24 Aug 2008
diegozflixsDiegozFlixs
Rated 19 Jul 2008
80
41st
wow, u just have to see it...trust me
Rated 19 Jul 2008
joshk84joshk84
Rated 05 Jul 2008
57
23rd
The movie was okay. The story was surprisingly intriguing, but it just didn't seem to work for me.
Rated 05 Jul 2008
dst7175dst7175
Rated 27 Jun 2008
76
79th
All i have to say is Halle Berry is HOT and naked.
Rated 27 Jun 2008
molesworthMolesworth
Rated 14 Jun 2008
30
10th
A big fuss was made when this came out, but it wasn't very memorable. Halle Berry performs with the rabid Hollywood pseudo-ugliness of a woman starving for critical acclaim. Billy Bob Thornton is a creep, as usual.
Rated 14 Jun 2008
jlkellerjlKeller
Rated 04 May 2008
80
30th
actresses take note: Film a sex scene with Billy Bob, Act like you enjoy it - win an Oscar!
Rated 04 May 2008
keauKeau
Rated 01 Apr 2008
95
91st
Loved this movie... it keeps you emotionally involved from start to finish.
Rated 01 Apr 2008
lonelypandalonelypanda
Rated 25 Mar 2008
60
69th
More like Monster Balls.
Rated 25 Mar 2008
gigglestickGigglestick
Rated 29 Feb 2008
20
28th
I waited 'til well after the hype was over to see this flick. In fact, I wasn't compelled to watch it until Halle won the Academy Award. Hmm...seems to me she won an Oscar for crying through the whole thing. And how does Billy Bob Thornton land all these badass chicks? He was with Angelina Jolie in real life -whom certainly upgraded after her thing with BBT ended- and Halle Berry in this flick. I just didn't get the hype...especially with that ending. Ice cream? That's it? Nah.
Rated 29 Feb 2008
warchildWarchild
Rated 22 Feb 2008
70
15th
Too slow. Most of the score for this movie goes to Halle.
Rated 22 Feb 2008
jarmannJarmann
Rated 08 Nov 2007
40
10th
Overrated and Halle Berry ruins everything as usual.
Rated 08 Nov 2007
cowmanCowman
Rated 29 Sep 2007
65
40th
All in all it's a good movie with some good performances, but was Halle Berry's acting job really worthy of an oscar? I mean; all she did was crying and have some orgasms, i'm not saying she didn't do a good job -she played the best role of her career - but honestly? An oscar for best female performance?
Rated 29 Sep 2007
dustydDustyd
Rated 17 Sep 2007
75
79th
good
Rated 17 Sep 2007
stflyst_fly
Rated 22 Aug 2007
89
93rd
Excellent
Rated 22 Aug 2007
grimsoothgrimsooth
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
73rd
It's hard to classify this movie because it may adjust your own perspective on the value of life as the professionals who take it are presented.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
joshstew06JoshStew06
Rated 14 Aug 2007
92
90th
A great film, with outstanding performances by Halle Berry (deserved in her Oscar win, whatever her recent work may indicate to the contrary) and Billy Bob Thornton. It also has one of my favorite endings of all time.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
spoonerspotspoonerspot
Rated 14 Aug 2007
82
77th
Halle Berry and Billy Bob work well together
Rated 14 Aug 2007
pilgermannpilgermann
Rated 14 Aug 2007
30
7th
Halle Berry's performance is way overrated, and just an unremarkable film overall.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
kerrekKerrek
Rated 14 Aug 2007
89
85th
Intriguing, but I can't get over Billy Bob Thornton's dad being Ray Romano's television father.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
3names3Names
Rated 14 Aug 2007
89
73rd
I knew the whole time I was watching this that I was watching the Best Actress performance of the year... I think Billy bob knew too. He gives one of the most gracious of supporting performances that you'll ever see... If you like great acting, you're in for a treat...
Rated 14 Aug 2007
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 16 Feb 2007
65
73rd
Quality.
Rated 16 Feb 2007
magbMagb
Rated 01 Feb 2007
65
30th
Good, I guess. Doesn't interest me that much, though.
Rated 01 Feb 2007
thedenizenTheDenizen
Rated 26 Jan 2007
65
51st
A frustrating movie that it is, at times brilliant, and at times the lowbrow work of a hack artist. Moves too slowly towards it's inevitable conclusion to be truly great.
Rated 26 Jan 2007
stlunatix202stlunatix202
Rated 30 Dec 2006
93
81st
a certain scene makes this movie worth watching but besides that the movie is still great. there are no boring parts...i only wish diddy couldhave done more
Rated 30 Dec 2006
jasonmyersjasonmyers
Rated 06 Dec 2006
60
25th
Great performances, but the story hurts. And, not in the best ways. Doesn't quite live up to the hype.
Rated 06 Dec 2006
chuchaquiChuchaqui
Rated 01 Dec 2006
86
66th
Very moving drama with a great Halle Berry who deserved an oscar for this performance.
Rated 01 Dec 2006

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