---
title: "A Time to Kill: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-time-to-kill/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/a-time-to-kill"
critics_score: 54
critics_reviews: 8
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# A Time to Kill (1996): what the critics said

Critics' score 54 from 8 reviews: 3 positive, 3 mixed, 2 negative.

Most critics find A Time to Kill watchable, and a fair number find it gripping: an absorbing, polished Grisham adaptation that holds attention across its length. The praise clusters almost entirely around Samuel L. Jackson, whose taut, anguished performance is singled out by reviewers on both sides of the verdict as the film’s strongest element. Kevin Spacey and Matthew McConaughey also draw notice, McConaughey chiefly for his closing speech, and several reviews credit the film with treating its charged subject forcefully.

The reservations are about method rather than craft. Several critics call the film manipulative, pushing hard for the audience’s feelings at the expense of subtlety, and a few go further, objecting to its simplified treatment of race and its apparent endorsement of vigilantism. The spread is wide: Radio Times is warmly positive, while Time Out dismisses the film outright for cultural myopia and The AV Club finds its politics troubling even while admiring the cast.

## Radio Times — John Ferguson

Rating 4/5. 

Ferguson gives the adaptation a positive verdict, noting its box-office success and its role in launching Matthew McConaughey. He singles out McConaughey’s rise to stardom as a notable result of the film.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-apyf76/a-time-to-kill/)

## Empire — Ian Nathan

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Nathan finds the film gripping and thought-provoking, though its closing hero worship weakens its ethical debate. He particularly praises Samuel L. Jackson’s taut, powerful performance.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/time-kill-review/)

## Variety — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 1996. 

McCarthy finds the film an absorbing, generally satisfying Grisham adaptation despite implausibilities and contrived melodrama. He praises Samuel L. Jackson’s riveting performance and the film’s polished production.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/a-time-to-kill-2-1200446194/)

## The New York Times — Janet Maslin

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 24 July 1996. 

The review gives a mixed but somewhat favorable verdict on the courtroom drama. It singles out the film’s forceful treatment of its charged subject matter.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/24/movies/film-review-a-father-s-revenge-for-his-child-s-rape.html)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 24 July 1996. 

Turan finds the film undeniably watchable but excessive, with its relentless push for audience arousal undermining subtlety. He singles out Samuel L. Jackson’s anguished, focused performance as the film’s strongest element.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-07-24-ca-27251-story.html)

## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 24 July 1996. 

The review regards the film as an emotionally manipulative courtroom drama. Its focus on provoking audience emotion is a central complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-time-to-kill-1996)

## The AV Club — Keith Phipps

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2002. 

Phipps argues that the film’s treatment of race and justice is overly simplified and its endorsement of vigilantism is troubling. He praises the principal performances, especially Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey, and singles out Matthew McConaughey’s climactic speech.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/a-time-to-kill-1798194955)

## Time Out — TCh

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review is sharply negative about the film’s handling of cultural issues. It faults the courtroom drama for relying heavily on cultural myopia.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-time-to-kill)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/a-time-to-kill.md