Sling Blade (1996)
Kernel Score: 85% · 845 ratings · Rated R
Genres: Drama
Released: 1996-08-30
Runtime: 135 minutes
Overview
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 parents' guide: ages 15+
Parents need to know that Sling Blade is an R-rated drama about a mentally disabled man released from a mental hospital after killing his mother and her lover as a child.
- Violence & scariness: Moderate — The plot centers on a past killing and includes a death threat, consistent with its R rating.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official R rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like Sling Blade
If you liked Sling Blade, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) — 86%
- Rain Man (1988) — 87%
- I Can Only Imagine (2018) — 85%
- The Good Lie (2014) — 85%
- Calvary (2014) — 79%
- Hamlet (1948) — 84%
- The Long, Hot Summer (1958) — 77%
- Shotgun Stories (2007) — 76%
Director
Cast
- 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
Sling Blade FAQ
Is Sling Blade good?
Sling Blade has an 85% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels from 845 audience ratings.
Is Sling Blade OK for kids?
Sling Blade is rated R. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 15+. Parents need to know that Sling Blade is an R-rated drama about a mentally disabled man released from a mental hospital after killing his mother and her lover as a child.
What movies are like Sling Blade?
If you liked Sling Blade, try Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Rain Man, I Can Only Imagine and The Good Lie.