 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Monster's Ball
- Review Date: July 31, 2005
- R
- Genre: Drama
- 2002
Common Sense Media says
This brutal movie is for adults only.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a brutal movie. It includes an explicit execution, a suicide by gunshot, the death of a child, and extremely explicit sexual situations, including prostitution. There are very disturbing family situations involving emotional and physical abuse. Characters use very strong language, and they drink and smoke.
What's the story?
In MONSTER'S BALL, prison guard Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) clings to his hatred and racism as a way of distancing himself from his loneliness and misery. He throws two black boys off his property, even though they are friends of his son's. When his son (Heath Ledger), also a death row guard, gets sick while escorting a prisoner to execution, Hank brutally assaults him physically and emotionally. Although it is clear that it is Hank's own vulnerability and isolation that terrifies him, the attack and its aftermath are horrifying. Meanwhile, Leticia (Halle Berry), the condemned prisoner's wife, is desperate. Her son drowns his misery in candy and is very overweight. She loses her waitress job, her car breaks down, and she is about to lose her house. Hank and Leticia see their lives as hopelessly bleak, and they get worse as unspeakable tragedy strikes them both. In a way, the tragedy frees them. Having lost everything, there is no longer any reason to try to hold on to old notions and old fears.
Is it any good?
The artificiality of the plot is a distraction, at times seeming like a bizarre version of the old Hollywood imperative that the romantic couple has to "meet cute." But Thornton and Berry are magnificent. Berry deservedly won an Oscar for her brave and vulnerable performance. The dignity and poignancy of both performances is deeply moving. Sean Combs is outstanding in his brief appearance as Leticia's husband, demonstrating great dignity and a range of emotion as he prepares for his execution.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how people become racist and how we find help when we need it. Do you agree with what Hank decided about his father? What is Leticia thinking at the very end of the movie? What do you think will happen next?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
NO KIDS
This is a gritty real-life movie. No good messages. There's violence, degrading racial references, an extremely vivid sex scene no one under the age of 21 should see. If you watch this with your kids, you just might be a bad parent.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Moving drama has the power to change views on life
The entire film revolves around sensitive and real issues in everyday life - racism, families and death sentences being the 3 main themes in this film. Unfortunately, the explicit scenes, and the tragic execution scene play an important role in this film - obviously, the film isn't for anyone who can't handle it, or anyone not mature enough to. But, I definately recommend it. Heath Ledger's short-lived performance in this film is almost too good to describe, and Halle Berry's portrayal of heart-rending Laticia deserves the awards she rightfully picked up in turn.
A brilliant film, inside and out, it truly shows how the little things in life can build up to change a person completely; how a person with backwards views to everything can suddenly appreciate and turn their life around. Its just sad it took cataclysmic death for it to happen.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Horrible and shocking
I don't have the words to say how unprepared I was to see this explicit movie. The language was absolutely horrible, violence (including a graphic suicide) and several sex scenes which were in my opinion pornographic. Nothing worth watching!
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Judging a film based on content is NOT reviewing!!!
So we have two over protective parents and a teen 16 reviewing this film and the teen is more mature then the parents below, how ironic. I fail to see how no one under 21 should watch a simple sex scene and this film is only rated 15 in England, because we are not sensitive about the concept of 2 human beings making love. And why don't you guys do some research before you watch the film? Or here is an idea, LOOK AT THE F*CKING AGE RATING, you morons! And Rachel D, you obviously have no idea what pornography is, it's unsimulated sex with the goal of sexual stimiulation and if you got turned on by this, then you need to get out more. Moronic parents of common sense media, when will you learn that saying what the film contains is NOT reviewing, you are saying that content is what makes and breaks the film, by your logic G rated films are the best and NC-17 rated films are "santanic filth". You haven't even talked about the film, but I'm going to break that trend, personally I find this film mediocre, it has plot holes, an unsatisfing ending, the characters actions really confuse me (bad character writing) and it's not very well paced; Halle Berry is good, but it's not Oscar quality (look into the politics as to why she won).
You see kids, that's a review! If you are being bought up to soely judge a film based on it's content, then you are being bought up wrong!
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Studio: | Lionsgate |
| Director: | Marc Forster |
| Cast: | Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, Heath Ledger |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 101 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | February 8, 2002 |
| DVD release date: | June 11, 2002 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | strong sexual content, language and violence |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
