12 Monkeys

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12 Monkeys

R

Released Jan 26, 1995

2h 11m

Mystery & Thriller

Sci-Fi

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Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

74 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Traveling back in time isn't simple, as James Cole (Bruce Willis) learns the hard way. Imprisoned in the 2030s, James is recruited for a mission that will send him back to the 1990s. Once there, he's supposed to gather information about a nascent plague that's about to exterminate the vast majority of the world's population. But, aside from the manic Jeffrey (Brad Pitt), he gets little in the way of cooperation, not least from medical gatekeepers like Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe).

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Critics Consensus

The plot's a bit of a jumble, but excellent performances and mind-blowing plot twists make 12 Monkeys a kooky, effective experience.

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Ed Potton

Times (UK)

This dystopian time-travelling sci-fi is a reminder that the director can make films that are visually inventive, intellectually engaging and downright exciting.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 12, 2018

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

While all of Gilliam's movies are worth seeing, there's a fair amount of his designer grimness here mixed in with the cabaret comedy.

May 27, 2011

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Variety Staff

Variety

Neither as visually compelling as Brazil nor as emotionally gripping as The Fisher King.

Mar 26, 2009

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Elisa Guimarães

Collider

The fine line between the reasonable and the absurd is at the center of this flawed but gripping story about apocalypses and time-travel.

Rated: B+

Feb 1, 2024

Full Review

D.M. Palmer

Vague Visages

Their aesthetic production is taken at face value, their delusion is validated by the collective imagination...

Nov 8, 2023

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Michael Atkinson

Spin

The movie contemplates the circularities of time, apocalypse culture, and movies themselves... That shouldn't seem like some kind of pop miracle, but it does.

Dec 27, 2022

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Mason M

A strange, disturbing, and effective thriller that rocks phenomenal performances from Willis and Pitt and amazingly creative directing from Terry Gilliam. Though the plot could be pretty hard to follow at times, and the Vertigo scene was far too on-the-nose, this film properly thrilled me and kept me guessing for the entire run time.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/14/24

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Audience Member

Jesus, the constant erratic behavior of Bruce Wills is insufferable. I honestly could not watch it until the end. The plot is okay I guess, but again. I hated the acting and directing of it.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/24/24

Full Review

Ryuya S

One of the coolest time travelling movies. Not so cliche. It's not happy ending but leaves some space for the viewers to think where it leads to either good or bad in the end afterall. There was depressing mood thruout the entire film, since it's about dystopia, but I liked it!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/09/24

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Andrew F

Came for the Gilliam acid-influenced directing, stayed for Brad Pitt’s utter weirdness. A truly special movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/13/24

Full Review

Lucifer M

This is one of those films where you catch something new every single time you watch it, making it one mind bending crazy sci-fi experience no matter how many times you’ve seen it. The performances are amazing especially by a young Brad Pitt and the phenomenal Bruce Willis at his prime. For those that love head scratching, thought provoking sci-fi thrillers, this is the perfect film for you! It makes me want to check out what they did with the series of the same name.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/10/24

Full Review

Tony B

Richly plotted apocalyptic time travel film which demands multiple viewings. Great work by Bruce Willis, Madeline Stowe and Brad Pitt.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/29/24

Full Review

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Terry Gilliam

Director

Bruce Willis

James Cole

Madeleine Stowe

Kathryn Railly

Brad Pitt

Jeffrey Goines

Christopher Plummer

Dr. Leland Goines

Jon Seda

Jose

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Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - Explaining to the Doctors

1:59

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - The Great Escape

3:00

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - World War I

2:38

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - Eating a Spider

3:00

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - Jeffrey Reveals His Plan

1:57

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - The Scientists' Offer

1:49

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - Zoo Animals Run Free

1:38

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - Institutionalized With Jeffrey

2:37

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - Plague of Madness

1:57

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - Cole Meets Kathryn

2:00

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Synopsis

Traveling back in time isn't simple, as James Cole (Bruce Willis) learns the hard way. Imprisoned in the 2030s, James is recruited for a mission that will send him back to the 1990s. Once there, he's supposed to gather information about a nascent plague that's about to exterminate the vast majority of the world's population. But, aside from the manic Jeffrey (Brad Pitt), he gets little in the way of cooperation, not least from medical gatekeepers like Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe).

Director: Terry Gilliam
Producer: Charles Roven
Screenwriter: Chris Marker, David Webb Peoples, Janet Peoples
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: R (Violence|Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 26, 1995, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $57.1M
Runtime: 2h 11m
Sound Mix: Surround, DTS-ES, DTS, Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)

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