Sandra Bullock’s 90s Classic That Sparked Her Biggest Hollywood Romance Is Dominating Netflix
Sandra Bullock’s 1996 courtroom drama A Time to Kill is surging on Netflix, vaulting to No. 6 in the US per FlixPatrol as viewers revisit Matthew McConaughey’s breakout turn in a tense case of a young lawyer defending a Black father accused of killing the two men who assaulted his daughter.
One of the 90s courtroom heavyweights just jumped back into the spotlight. Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey’s 1996 legal drama 'A Time to Kill' is suddenly hot on Netflix again, sliding up to #6 in the US charts. Not exactly a light watch, but apparently we’re in the mood for small-town justice, KKK showdowns, and a star-is-born moment for McConaughey.
Why it’s trending (again)
Per FlixPatrol, 'A Time to Kill' is currently sitting at #6 on Netflix in the US, tucked right under #5 'KPop Demon Hunters' and just above #7 'Shrek Forever After' — which is a hilarious triple bill if you’re into tonal whiplash.
The movie itself is classic 90s prestige grit: a young lawyer (McConaughey) defends a Black father (Samuel L. Jackson) accused of killing the two men who brutally assaulted his daughter, and the case lights up the town’s racial fault lines — including the KKK — while a sharp, unflappable legal strategist (Bullock) helps him try to hold it together.
- Title: 'A Time to Kill' (1996)
- Director: Joel Schumacher
- Cast: Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Spacey
- Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
- Runtime: 2h 29m
- Current Netflix US rank: #6 (below #5 'KPop Demon Hunters', above #7 'Shrek Forever After')
The off-screen romance everyone remembers
Yep, the chemistry between Bullock and McConaughey was not just acting. They started dating around the time they made the movie and stayed close even after they split. McConaughey told The Howard Stern Show (via EW) that whatever sparks were there, they kept it professional on set. Bullock told Cosmopolitan that their bond was built on mutual respect, and that she’s always felt looked after by him, regardless of where life took them.
Post-'A Time to Kill', their lives went different directions: Bullock married TV personality Jesse James in 2005, and McConaughey married Camila Alves in 2012. The friendship survived. For 90s Hollywood love stories, this one still lands in the 'actually sweet' column.
How Bullock helped launch McConaughey as a leading man
Here’s the behind-the-scenes bit that’s easy to forget: before 'A Time to Kill', McConaughey was not the guy studios were fighting over. Director Joel Schumacher liked him, but wasn’t convinced a relative unknown could carry a big John Grisham adaptation — and Warner Bros. definitely wanted a big name.
"We went through everybody from Macaulay Culkin to George Burns. I don’t think there is a male actor on earth we didn’t discuss. I had Matthew in mind for a year, but it just didn’t seem possible. Warner Bros. knew they could get a big star, and lots of big stars wanted to do this. But John and I didn’t want that." — Joel Schumacher, via Clarion Ledger
Then Sandra Bullock signed on. Thanks to 'Speed', she was already rising fast, and according to McConaughey’s memoir 'Greenlights' (as relayed by THR), her involvement gave the studio cover to take a risk on a less bankable lead. Translation: her star power opened the door, he walked through it, and 'A Time to Kill' turned him from that Texas guy with potential into an overnight name.
Where to watch
'A Time to Kill' is streaming now on Netflix in the US. If you’re in the mood for a 90s legal epic with real heat — onscreen and off — this one still plays.