12 Angry Men

4.83
    12 Angry Men
    1957

    Synopsis

    The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other.

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    Cast

    • Martin BalsamJuror 1
    • John FiedlerJuror 2
    • Lee J. CobbJuror 3
    • E.G. MarshallJuror 4
    • Jack KlugmanJuror 5
    • Edward BinnsJuror 6
    • Jack WardenJuror 7
    • Henry FondaJuror 8
    • Joseph SweeneyJuror 9
    • Ed BegleyJuror 10

    Recommendations

    • 100

      Chicago Sun-Times

      The movie plays like a textbook for directors interested in how lens choices affect mood.
    • 100

      The New York Times

      A penetrating, sensitive, and sometimes shocking dissection of the hearts and minds of men who obviously are something less than gods. It makes for taut, absorbing, and compelling drama that reaches far beyond the close confines of its jury room setting.
    • 100

      Slant Magazine

      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.
    • 100

      The Telegraph

      Few film directors can resist the urge to "open out" a story, to broaden the view and bring in as wide a variety of sets and locations as the narrative - and budget - will allow. The genius of Sidney Lumet's astonishingly powerful 12 Angry Men is that he does exactly the opposite: he takes an already small, claustrophobic space - a jury room - and makes it even more confined.
    • 100

      Time Out

      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.
    • 100

      Empire

      Sidney Lumet's dazzling debut, based on Reginald Rose's teleplay, delivers a masterclass in the pure dynamism of acting, as Henry Fonda's reasonable doubt gradually sways the 11 other jurors from their various prejudices.
    • 90

      Variety

      Perhaps the motivations of each juror are introduced too quickly and are repeated too often before each changes his vote. However, the film leaves a tremendous impact.
    • 90

      Time Out London

      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.

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