12 Angry Men

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2:13

12 Angry Men

1957

1h 35m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

100%

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63 Reviews

97%

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100,000+ Ratings

Following the closing arguments in a murder trial, the 12 members of the jury must deliberate, with a guilty verdict meaning death for the accused, an inner-city teen. As the dozen men try to reach a unanimous decision while sequestered in a room, one juror (Henry Fonda) casts considerable doubt on elements of the case. Personal issues soon rise to the surface, and conflict threatens to derail the delicate process that will decide one boy's fate.

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Critics Consensus

Sidney Lumet's feature debut is a superbly written, dramatically effective courtroom thriller that rightfully stands as a modern classic.

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Edward Kosmal

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

01/31/2023

Sidney Lumet's solid success is achieved without even once resorting to flashbacks or other standard procedures of the film trade. The secret rests in spirited dialogue, realistic setting and, of course, the excellent cast of outstanding character actors.

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Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

01/26/2018

A+

This movie is a masterpiece. That term gets thrown around a lot -- it's a very easy thing to say about great films like this -- but this movie is one of the best. This is one of the very few films that I will call perfect.

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Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

07/03/2013

5/5

Too few films take on the art of arguing as a subject; we could certainly use more of them, but until then, Lumet's window into strained civic duty will continue to serve mightily.

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Matthew Rozsa

Reason Online

Aug 2

4/4

The 1957 courtroom drama (based on an acclaimed 1954 teleplay) celebrates reasoned dissent, open debate, and the power of a single voice challenging consensus, principles Bhattacharya values deeply, especially in science.

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Joshua Stevens

Loud and Clear Reviews

Jul 8

5/5

It’s a classic for a reason, and it’s a film that everyone should see at least once in their life.

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Nadir Samara

Screen Rant

11/11/2024

10/10

A film like 12 Angry Men comes around once in a lifetime, and it will remain a blueprint for what a masterpiece looks like.

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Dbtracing

Apr 21

We love the old movies. No profanity, no blood and gore, no nudity. Just a great story with top notch acting.

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Gretchen W.

@RT16280876 1h

Probably one of my favorite movies ever.

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Jens B

@Jens97 May 23

Twelve men in a stuffy room, and each one performs with such intensity that it feels as if their very survival were at stake. It is immensely gripping from the first minute to the last. I hadn't realized that *12 Angry Men* was Sidney Lumet’s feature film debut. This is truly impressive, considering the *mise-en-scène*, the direction of the actors, and the dramaturgy—particularly because the film features so many very long takes involving camera movement, which—much like in Hitchcock’s *Rope* ten years earlier—must have required a monumental effort.

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F P

@Effeppi Apr 30

Great, great movie, maybe it was pretty obvious how this was going to end since the first 10 minutes, but I mean it's still a great movie

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Noah L

@PilgorOfSanAngora Apr 27

12 Angry Men is one of the most unique but most well written movies of all time! This movie has a simple story and takes place in just ONE ROOM the entire time but still manages too have high stakes and you just can't get your eye off the screen! Every character in this movie just feels so well written and developed as well. All of the 12 Juries have a backstory, personality, and reason to be here. There have been adaptions and remakes of this movie but (haven't seen them) and maybe they still could be good but I don't think any other remake could ever match this movie. This is my favorite old movie (Black and White) and no matter what time period we'll be in, this movie will always be one of the best.

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Murky S

@MarvinS Apr 13

1957 and I have never seen a film that presents so fittingly male society to this day.

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Sidney Lumet

Director

Henry Fonda

Juror No. 8

Lee J. Cobb

Juror No. 3

Ed Begley

Juror No. 10

E.G. Marshall

Juror No. 4

Jack Klugman

Juror No. 5

12 Angry Men: Official Clip - Re-enactment

3:42

12 Angry Men: Official Clip - These People

2:18

12 Angry Men: Official Clip - Not Guilty

3:42

12 Angry Men: Official Clip - A Responsibility

0:59

12 Angry Men: Official Clip - Nose Marks

2:40

12 Angry Men: Official Clip - This Isn't a Game

1:30

12 Angry Men: Official Clip - It's the Same Knife!

2:04

12 Angry Men: Official Clip - Kids These Days

2:16

12 Angry Men: Official Clip - Who Changed Their Vote?

2:37

12 Angry Men: Official Clip - Down & In

2:24

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12 Angry Men: Trailer 1

2:13

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Synopsis

Following the closing arguments in a murder trial, the 12 members of the jury must deliberate, with a guilty verdict meaning death for the accused, an inner-city teen. As the dozen men try to reach a unanimous decision while sequestered in a room, one juror (Henry Fonda) casts considerable doubt on elements of the case. Personal issues soon rise to the surface, and conflict threatens to derail the delicate process that will decide one boy's fate.

Director: Sidney Lumet
Producer: Henry Fonda, Reginald Rose
Screenwriter: Reginald Rose
Distributor: Criterion Collection, United Artists, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Orion-Nova Pictures
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 20, 1957, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 4, 2012
Runtime: 1h 35m