Selain adegan seksualnya yang eksplisit (terutama adegan Halle Berry dan Billy Bob Thornton), film ini juga menuai diskusi karena penggambarannya tentang rasisme yang sangat keras di awal film dan tema depresi berat yang mendominasi alur cerita.
The romance in Monster’s Ball is uncomfortable. It is born not out of attraction, but out of mutual obliteration. They are both drowning, and they grab onto each other to stay afloat. The film does not shy away from the racial tension that underpins their relationship, nor does it offer easy resolutions. It asks the audience to believe that a man raised in hate can change, not through a grand gesture, but through the simple, desperate need for connection. monster ball lk21 best