12 Angry Men

Name: 12 Angry Men
Genre: Drama, Crime
Released: April 1, 1957
Duration: 96 min
Rating: 97
Cast: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb

1957

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 18 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 638 Ratings

See All

8.8

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8.8	Your Score
8.8	User Score Universal acclaim based on 638 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

12 Angry Men

Now Playing: 12 Angry Men

Movie Details & Credits

United Artists | Release Date: April 1, 1957 | Approved

Starring: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb

Summary: 12 Angry Men, by Sidney Lumet, is a behind-closed-doors look at the American legal system. This iconic adaptation of Reginald Rose’s teleplay stars Henry Fonda as the dissenting member on a jury of white men ready to pass judgment on a Puerto Rican teenager charged with murdering his father. The result is a saga of epic proportions that12 Angry Men, by Sidney Lumet, is a behind-closed-doors look at the American legal system. This iconic adaptation of Reginald Rose’s teleplay stars Henry Fonda as the dissenting member on a jury of white men ready to pass judgment on a Puerto Rican teenager charged with murdering his father. The result is a saga of epic proportions that plays out over a tense afternoon in one sweltering room.… Expand

Director: Sidney Lumet

Genre(s): Drama, Crime

Rating: Approved

Runtime: 96 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

Roger Ebert

The movie plays like a textbook for directors interested in how lens choices affect mood. Read full review

100

Joshua Rothkopf

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. Read full review

100

Josh Howey

Rounded out by an incredible cast, Lumet’s realisation of Reginald Rose’s script didn’t require anything too bold or exaggerated. It simply took 12 men in a single room with something important to talk about. Read full review

100

Glenn Heath Jr.

What's most interesting about the intense deliberations that ensue, specifically when a piece of seemingly indisputable evidence is brought back into question, is how a fresh angle and perspective, usually born from Juror 8's critical thinking, can permanently alter the tone of the discussion. Read full review

Noel Murray

Though the jury in 12 Angry Men reaches a verdict, neither Rose nor Lumet definitively state whether they're "right." The point—as Lumet well knows—is that when it comes to making sense of a picture, a lot depends on the framing. Read full review

Time Out London Geoff Andrew

What really transforms the piece from a rather talky demonstration that a man is innocent until proven guilty, is the consistently taut, sweltering atmosphere, created largely by Boris Kaufman's excellent camerawork. The result, however devoid of action, is a strangely realistic thriller. Read full review

Jerry Tallmer

The great merits and great defects of the age-old Anglo-American jury system are examined with conscientiousness and considerable drama. [22 May 1957, p.6]

SEE ALL 18 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

Diptanshu

Oct 17, 2019

A Pure masterclass Piece of cinema!
Not even a single sec i felt it was shot in the single room with just arguments It's really gripping.Every single sec makes us feel We are going in a way Making the judgement of not guilty! Ending explains the all when two different perspectives people areA Pure masterclass Piece of cinema!
Not even a single sec i felt it was shot in the single room with just arguments It's really gripping.Every single sec makes us feel We are going in a way Making the judgement of not guilty! Ending explains the all when two different perspectives people are eager to make there point!It's really a Classic!… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

MattBrady99

Dec 19, 2017

The power of movie dialogue really makes this movie a true classic.

The story to 12 Angry Men is one man on a jury stands alone in a case in which most are initially convinced one way but one by one may be convinced another way. 12 men in one room just talking about one murder case andThe power of movie dialogue really makes this movie a true classic.

The story to 12 Angry Men is one man on a jury stands alone in a case in which most are initially convinced one way but one by one may be convinced another way.

12 men in one room just talking about one murder case and them sharing they opinions if the person that may have committed murder is guilty or not, now many things here could have went wrong, you got to have the best writer, the best director and the best actors to make this movie work and it payed off so well and I think this is cinema's greatest risk of doing something new with the story, giving it a twist and a edge and 12 Angry Men paid off brilliantly.

The acting from every singe actor in this movie all do realistic, believable, funny and serious performance's and they all add a lot of weight and drama to their character's. I wish I can bring up every single actors name in this cast but I'm not since these 12 of them and it's going to take up the all page and I can't talk about every singe actor and go into detail about them one at a time, but I can say that everyone in the movie did a flawless work of acting that's pure Oscar worthy and the kind of drama acting they should show kids in drama school. Nicely done fellas.

Sidney Lumet directed this movie and this has to be some of the best directing I've seen from this guy. He really added a lot to this movie when it came to story and characters and the back and forward they have with each other and it worked by his direction.

The characters in the movie (The Twelve Angry Men) don't really like each that much as in every scene they at each other's throat trying to confidence the other men in the room that the man is guilty for murder while that person and the other's bring up some really solid points that this man is guilty or not guilty for murder. As a viewer myself I got really interested in the case and trying to think if he's guilty or not, so this movie does a fantastic job of giving the viewer a opinion on the case and see if you think he did it or not.

For problems with the movie: I don't have any.

Overall 12 Angry Men is such a classic movie with excellent performances from everyone, the writing outstanding and the directing was some of the best. You haven't seen 12 Angry Men then I say go see it, it's worth your time.… Expand

21 of 24 users found this helpful213

Olihowzer7

Feb 27, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Best directorial debut in history! Sidney Lumet has certainly directed one of the greatest films in cinema history with the script and screenplay made to perfection by Reginald Rose. A stellar and perfectly picked cast with Henry Fonda leading the line. A film very unlucky not to win best any Oscars but another great film in Bridge on the River Kwai just piping it however, I do think that 12 angry men should have won best writing over Bridge on the River Kwai however it still a complete classic which deserves all the praise in the world. What makes this film so good is that it is so compelling and edge of the seat action of a different sense to an action film. A film that continuously makes you think. A real classic and an extremely breathtaking film… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

TheSweBoo

Dec 8, 2018

"IT'S JUST 12 MEN IN A ROOM FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF! BORING! 0/10!" This is why people love this movie haha. It is 12 different men with different outlooks on life being isolated in a confined space having to use the English language as a mean to compromise and persuade one another during a"IT'S JUST 12 MEN IN A ROOM FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF! BORING! 0/10!" This is why people love this movie haha. It is 12 different men with different outlooks on life being isolated in a confined space having to use the English language as a mean to compromise and persuade one another during a murder investigation for 90 minutes. Yes. Yet it's one of the most riveting movies I've ever seen, few movies have had me this invested. Seeing our main character, played brilliantly by Henry Fonda, at the start of the movie being completely alone voting against the execution one by one convincing the 11 other men to vote the same as him is an experience I think everyone should experience. During the final act I lost count of how many times I said "This **** guy" out loud. A very solid movie choice for a first black and white experience. Brilliant, just brilliant.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

Erzenico

Aug 18, 2021

This classic court movie gave me enormous suspence and thrill. What a masterpiece!

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

elorrie

Dec 13, 2021

Such a really good film! I think this is a film that represents really good the racism during the 50’s, and it can make us realize that the society where we live is not that different. I love all the actors. Each represents a different personality, which allows everyone to recognizeSuch a really good film! I think this is a film that represents really good the racism during the 50’s, and it can make us realize that the society where we live is not that different. I love all the actors. Each represents a different personality, which allows everyone to recognize themselves in at least on of these characters. My favorite is the juror number 8, He shows an example that everybody should listen: not to do as others do, but focused on yourself and make the choice that you want without listening other persons’s opinion. I really liked too, the fact that we can see the motivations which make the jurors change their votes. It shows us the thought that people had in this period, and makes us compare with the society where we live now, and see the different that there is, and sometimes they’re exactly the same, which proves that even in more that 60 years nothing change about people’s though. I recommend to 100%

Elorri E… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

Apr 20, 2022

Pour un film de Sidney Lumet, c’est étonnamment regardable. Il faut dire que le réalisateur de somnifères s’est limité à une heure et demi, ce qui est déjà conséquent pour un tel huis-clos procédurier. Ici, on ne suit pas le procès mais on refait le procès en coulisses et on s’engueule… etPour un film de Sidney Lumet, c’est étonnamment regardable. Il faut dire que le réalisateur de somnifères s’est limité à une heure et demi, ce qui est déjà conséquent pour un tel huis-clos procédurier. Ici, on ne suit pas le procès mais on refait le procès en coulisses et on s’engueule… et surtout on assiste à un numéro de manipulation magistral !

Pensez donc, un homme seul retourne les 11 autres comme des crèpes ! au nom bien sûr de la lutte (finale) contre l’affreuse peine capitale et parce que cet homme seul est un bisounours à faire mourir de honte Jésus et potentiellement un communiste refoulé : on ne voit pas d’autre explication.

Car les faits sont tout de même patents et ressassés, puis balayés au fur et à mesure par des interprétations sujettes à caution et particulièrement discutables. Il aurait fallu une affaire bien plus ambigüe pour rétablir la balance et partant, le doute.

Ici, on a l’impression fort désagréable de s’être fait manipuler pendant une heure et demi : tout était écrit d’avance et les faits s’y sont pliés bien gentiment, ne nous laissant qu’une illusion de rebondissements qui n’en sont pas. Non, on avale pas de telles couleuvres : récusez ce film en définitive bien merdique qui se fout de notre gueule !… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

SEE ALL 69 REVIEWS