A Time to Kill (1996)
Experience a time you'll never forget.
A young lawyer defends a black man accused of murdering two white men who raped his 10-year-old daughter, sparking a rebirth of the KKK.
Rent on Prime Video $4.99 (opens in a new tab) Buy on Prime Video $9.99 (opens in a new tab)
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 24 July 1996 |
| Genre | Crime, Drama, Thriller |
| Director | Joel Schumacher |
| Starring | Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock and Samuel L. Jackson |
| Runtime | 149 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 6.2/10 · Metacritic 53/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 66% · TMDB users 7.4/10 |
| Budget | $40 million |
| Box office | $152 million worldwide |
Where to watch A Time to Kill
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Rent or buy
You can rent or buy A Time to Kill on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch A Time to Kill in 126 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Albania | Netflix about |
| Algeria | Netflix about |
| Andorra | Netflix |
| Angola | Netflix about |
| Antigua & Barbuda | Netflix about |
| Argentina | Netflix $8999 ARS, Disney+ $15599 ARS, Paramount+ |
| Australia | Netflix $20.99 AUD, Disney+ $17.99 AUD, ARD/ZDF |
| Austria | Netflix €10.99, Disney+ €10.99 |
| Azerbaijan | Netflix about |
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| Belgium | Netflix €10.99, Disney+ €10.99 |
| Belize | Netflix about |
| Bermuda | Netflix about |
| Bolivia | Netflix about , Disney+, Paramount+ |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | Netflix about |
| Brazil | Netflix R$51.90, Disney+ R$49.90, Paramount+ |
| Bulgaria | Netflix €5.99 |
| Cameroon | Netflix about |
| Cape Verde | Netflix about |
| Chad | Netflix about |
| Chile | Netflix $7190 CLP, Disney+ $10990 CLP, Paramount+ |
| Colombia | Netflix $18900 COP, Disney+ $36900 COP, Paramount+ |
| Costa Rica | Netflix about , Disney+, Paramount+ |
| Croatia | Netflix €5.99 |
| Cyprus | Netflix €8.99 |
| Czechia | Netflix 259 Kč |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Netflix about |
| Denmark | Netflix 109 kr DKK, Disney+ 119 kr DKK |
| Dominican Republic | Netflix about , Disney+, Paramount+ |
| Ecuador | Netflix $5.99, Disney+ $11.49, Paramount+ |
| Egypt | Netflix E£110 |
| El Salvador | Netflix , Disney+, Paramount+ |
| Equatorial Guinea | Netflix about |
| Estonia | Netflix €7.99 |
| Fiji | Netflix about |
| Finland | Netflix €10.99, Disney+ €11.99 |
| France | Netflix €14.99 |
| French Guiana | Netflix |
| French Polynesia | Netflix about |
| Germany | Netflix €15.99, Disney+ €10.99 |
| Ghana | Netflix about |
| Gibraltar | Netflix about , Prime Video |
| Greece | Netflix €8.99 |
| Guatemala | Netflix about , Disney+, Paramount+ |
| Guernsey | Netflix, Prime Video |
| Honduras | Netflix about , Disney+ |
| Hong Kong | Netflix HK$78, Disney+ HK$88 |
| Hungary | Netflix 3190 Ft |
| Iceland | Netflix about 1634 kr ISK |
| India | Netflix ₹199 |
| Indonesia | Netflix Rp65000 |
| Iraq | Netflix about |
| Ireland | Netflix €11.99, Prime Video €6.99, Disney+ €11.99 |
| Israel | Netflix ₪32.90 |
| Italy | Netflix €13.99, Disney+ €10.99 |
| Jamaica | Netflix about |
| Japan | Netflix ¥1590 JPY, Disney+ ¥1250 JPY, U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Jordan | Netflix about |
| Kenya | Netflix KSh300 |
| Kuwait | Netflix about |
| Latvia | Netflix €7.99 |
| Lebanon | Netflix about |
| Libya | Netflix about |
| Liechtenstein | Netflix , Disney+ |
| Lithuania | Netflix €8.99 |
| Luxembourg | Netflix €10.99 |
| Madagascar | Netflix about |
| Malaysia | Netflix RM33.90 |
| Mali | Netflix about |
| Malta | Netflix €8.99 |
| Mauritius | Netflix about |
| Mexico | Netflix $269 MXN, Disney+ $259 MXN, Paramount+ |
| Moldova | Netflix about |
| Montenegro | Netflix |
| Morocco | Netflix |
| Mozambique | Netflix about |
| Netherlands | Netflix €9.99, Disney+ €10.99 |
| New Zealand | Netflix $17.99 NZD, Disney+ $18.99 NZD |
| Nicaragua | Netflix about , Disney+, Paramount+ |
| Niger | Netflix about |
| Nigeria | Netflix ₦4000 |
| North Macedonia | Netflix about |
| Norway | Netflix 119 kr NOK, Disney+ 129 kr NOK |
| Oman | Netflix about |
| Pakistan | Netflix Rs450 |
| Palestinian Territories | Netflix about |
| Panama | Netflix $5.99, Disney+ $12.49, Paramount+ |
| Paraguay | Netflix about , Disney+, Paramount+ |
| Peru | Netflix S/28.90, Disney+ S/49.90, Paramount+ |
| Philippines | Netflix ₱279 |
| Poland | Netflix 37.00 zł |
| Portugal | Netflix €8.99, Disney+ €10.99 |
| Qatar | Netflix about QR32.72 |
| Romania | Netflix about 32.09 lei |
| San Marino | Netflix , Disney+ |
| Saudi Arabia | Netflix ﷼35.00 |
| Senegal | Netflix about |
| Serbia | Netflix about 705 din |
| Seychelles | Netflix about |
| Singapore | Netflix $15.98 SGD, Disney+ $18.98 SGD |
| Slovakia | Netflix €9.49 |
| Slovenia | Netflix €5.99 |
| South Africa | Netflix R99 ZAR |
| South Korea | Netflix ₩13500, Disney+ ₩9900 |
| Spain | Netflix €14.99, Disney+ €10.99 |
| St. Lucia | Netflix about |
| Sweden | Netflix 129 kr SEK, Disney+ 129 kr SEK |
| Switzerland | Netflix CHF14.90, Disney+ CHF16.90 |
| Taiwan | Netflix NT$290, Disney+ NT$285 |
| Tanzania | Netflix about |
| Thailand | Netflix ฿169 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Netflix about |
| Tunisia | Netflix about |
| Türkiye | Netflix ₺259.99, Disney+ ₺449.90 |
| Uganda | Netflix about |
| Ukraine | Netflix about ₴254 |
| United Arab Emirates | Netflix AED35.00 |
| United Kingdom | Netflix £13.99 GBP, Prime Video £8.99 GBP, Disney+ £11.99 GBP |
| Uruguay | Netflix about $U482, Disney+ about $U522, Paramount+ |
| Venezuela | Netflix about , Disney+, Paramount+ |
| Yemen | Netflix about |
| Zambia | Netflix about |
| Zimbabwe | Netflix |
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What kind of watch this is
A Time to Kill is a 149-minute legal thriller directed by Joel Schumacher. It pairs a young lawyer with a defendant whose motive is so severe it turns the courtroom into a minefield. Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock play the legal team, while Samuel L. Jackson anchors the emotional core. The runtime is long, but the tension is constant. You are not watching a trial; you are watching a fuse burn down. The KKK resurfaces, raising the stakes beyond the courtroom walls. It is a film that refuses to let you look away from the moral center of its characters.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes sits at 66% as of January 2026, a middle-ground result. Metacritic lands on 54 out of 100. The consensus calls the film overlong but well-crafted. Roger Ebert gave it 3 stars, noting he was "absorbed" by the strong performances. He called it the best Grisham adaptation. Not everyone agreed. Anthony Puccinelli of the Chicago Reader gave it 1 star, calling it "worthless." He argued the film disguised its message of vigilantism by making the vigilante black. That is a heavy charge for a courtroom drama.
How it did with audiences
The film cost $40 million to make. It earned $109 million in the United States and $152 million worldwide. In studio accounting, that is a solid return. In other contexts, it is just a good year. On TMDB, users rate it 7.4 out of 10.
What came next for the cast
Matthew McConaughey went from The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre to Interstellar. Sandra Bullock stepped from Speed into Gravity. Samuel L. Jackson left Jurassic Park to The Avengers. Kevin Spacey followed Se7en with American Beauty. The credits list these shifts. They do not claim A Time to Kill caused any of them.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched A Time to Kill.
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Sources
- A Time to Kill on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q498867 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “A Time to Kill (1996 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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