A simple man. A difficult choice.
Karl Childers, a mentally disabled man, has been in the custody of the state mental hospital since the age of 12 for killing his mother and her lover. Although thoroughly institutionalized, he is deemed fit to be released into the outside world.
Sling Blade (1996) is a drama film directed by Billy Bob Thornton, released on August 30, 1996 with a runtime of 2h 15m. It stars Billy Bob Thornton, Dwight Yoakam, J.T. Walsh and John Ritter. Viewers rate it 7.5 out of 10 across 888 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Sling Blade before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Sling Blade.
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Billy Bob Thornton
as Karl Childers
Dwight Yoakam
as Doyle Hargraves
J.T. Walsh
as Charles Bushman
John Ritter
as Vaughan Cunningham
Lucas Black
as Frank Wheatley
Natalie Canerday
as Linda Wheatley
James Hampton
as Jerry Woolridge
Robert Duvall
as Karl's Father
Rick Dial
as Bill Cox
Brent Briscoe
as Scooter Hodges
Christine Renee Ward
as Melinda
Sarah Boss
as Marsha Dwiggins
Directed by Billy Bob Thornton, written by Billy Bob Thornton and Billy Bob Thornton, produced by Brandon Rosser and David L. Bushell.
Average viewer score of 7.5/10 from 888 ratings.
***When a murderer is the likable protagonist, mmm-hmm*** A simple, slow, seemingly pensive man (Billy Bob Thornton) is released from a mental hospital in central Arkansas after 30 years and gets a job fixing lawnmowers. He makes friends with a boy & his mother (Natalie Canerday) and they let him live in their garage, but the mother’s abusive boyfriend presents a problem (Dwight Yoakam). John Ritter is on hand as…
Reviewed on December 31, 2019
**A film full of challenges, to which Billy Bob Thornton, in his greatest work, responded categorically.** I didn't really know what I was going to find when I decided to watch this film, and I'm happy about that: it's a really good, convincing and moving story, which doesn't try to escape the harsh reality of things to create unbelievable heroes. And it is probably the most solid and significant work of Billy Bob…
Reviewed on April 14, 2024
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Sling Blade (1996) is currently available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of Sling Blade (1996) includes Billy Bob Thornton, Dwight Yoakam, J.T. Walsh, John Ritter and Lucas Black. The film was directed by Billy Bob Thornton. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Sling Blade was released on August 30, 1996 and runs for 2h 15m.
Sling Blade (1996) holds an average rating of 7.5 out of 10 from 888 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Sling Blade trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
