12 Angry Men

Play trailer

2:13

12 Angry Men

Released Apr 20, 1957

1h 35m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

61 Reviews

97%

Popcornmeter

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Edward Kosmal

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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.

Jan 31, 2023

Full Review

Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

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.

Rated: A+

Jan 26, 2018

Full Review

Joshua Rothkopf

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.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 3, 2013

Full Review

Nadir Samara

Screen Rant

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

Rated: 10/10

Nov 11, 2024

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

This arguably remains Sidney Lumet's most compelling work, a sweaty, sustained drama that milks its claustrophobic setting for all it’s worth.

Rated: 4/4

May 8, 2023

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

12 Angry Men is one of the best courtroom dramas in cinematic history.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 18, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Stephen H

The Camera work could not be any better as it focuses on each face. From a simple movie watcher's perspective the fact that this is shot in mainly 1 room is amazing. The way they all turn their back near the end... without spoilers I'll just say this is a masterclass all around.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/20/24

Full Review

Richard N

I first saw this film in 1997. As a law student then with ambitions of being a criminal lawyer, I was totally captivated. Over the years, I have repeatedly watched this cinematic masterpiece fascinated by the simplicity and effectiveness with which it depicts the legal process of jury decision-making in a criminal trial. BUT what captivates my being is the astounding depth of character development of the jurors as represented by the actors: The jurors socioeconomic backgrounds influence their viewpoints in decision-making and expose their biases in emotionally charged performances that make for a dramatic and cinematic masterpiece of all time! I persist in recommending this gem to all I meet whenever the topic of film-watching is broached! It firmly belongs at number 2 of my top 3 films in my life: The first is "Good Will Hunting". I'm still deciding about number 3.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/19/24

Full Review

Dionisis T

We can all agree that this is truly peak cinema!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/28/24

Full Review

3D W

A fantastic classic. I believe this will always remain relevant. It is brilliant, the characters feel realistic and intelligent.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/25/24

Full Review

Ozzie A

12 Angry Men is one of the only films to be so simple, yet so thought provoking and entertaining. If you enjoy any type of cinema, watch it. It's one of the few out there that is a masterpiece.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/23/24

Full Review

William B

Quite interesting. Must see film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/22/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

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

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

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

View more videos

The Defiant Ones

90%

88%

The Defiant Ones

Watchlist

Long Day's Journey Into Night

95%

85%

Long Day's Journey Into Night

Watchlist

The Pawnbroker

87%

87%

The Pawnbroker

Watchlist

The Phenix City Story

100%

74%

The Phenix City Story

Watchlist

Town Without Pity

60%

73%

Town Without Pity

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Know Your Critic: Clint Worthington, Founder of The Spool and Senior Writer at Consequence

Colin O’Donoghue’s Five Favorite Films

Swiss Army Man, Blade Runner, 12 Angry Men and More Available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and FandangoNOW

12 Angry Men: Trailer 1

2:13

View more videos

View more photos

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

Most Popular at Home Now