12 Years a Slave

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12 Years a Slave

R

2013

2h 14m

History

Drama

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

378 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

In the years before the Civil War, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South. Subjected to the cruelty of one malevolent owner (Michael Fassbender), he also finds unexpected kindness from another, as he struggles continually to survive and maintain some of his dignity. Then in the 12th year of the disheartening ordeal, a chance meeting with an abolitionist from Canada changes Solomon's life forever.

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Critics Consensus

It's far from comfortable viewing, but 12 Years a Slave's unflinchingly brutal look at American slavery is also brilliant -- and quite possibly essential -- cinema.

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Nijla Mu'min

Bitch Media

01/20/2021

Director McQueen, drawing on the visual aesthetic of his previous works Shame and Hunger, never shies away from frames that capture the ways that beauty exists in the most painful situations.

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J. Hoberman

Harper's Magazine

03/04/2018

12 Years a Slave is, like The Trial, a trapdoor over the abyss. Although less abrupt than Kafka's novel, the movie wastes little time before plunging its viewer into a nightmare of dehumanization.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

09/06/2017

A

Ambitious, honest and horrifying all at once, 12 Years a Slave may not be the easiest film to watch more than once, but it will stay with you forever once you see it.

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Guillermo Troncoso

Screen Realm

4d

5/5

A director working at the top of his game. A cast giving their all. The result is an important, beautifully made film that deserves, nay, needs to be seen.

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Carla Renata

The Curvy Film Critic

Mar 24

How is it possible that we have been taught in America everything there is to know about Anne Frank and Harriet Tubman, but NO MENTION of a man who endured such an injustice within our own history? N'yongo and Ejiofor will break your heart

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JD Duran

InSession Film

08/13/2024

Steve McQueen brought it to life and didn’t hold back from intensity this story has at its foundation. Incredible performances from Chewitel Ejifor and Lupita Nyong’o carry this film.

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Pedro Henrique C

@Pedro2005 May 13

12 Years a Slave (2013) It's a truly movie and powerful film that shows the harsh reality of slavery in the United States and how difficult it was to prove one's freedom in the face of so much injustice.

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Rex K.

@RT61793587 Apr 28

An entertaining movie that'll draw your attention in throughout the whole movie.

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Lasse L

@RT62932725 Apr 19

12 Years a Slave is a harrowing story, and the cast is great, but it's also exactly what I expected. There is always the risk that when films are based on real events, they won't necessarily be dramatically satisfying. Given the subject matter I understand why a, I assume, faithful adaptation was probably the right call, but I don't think it's a truly great film.

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Ethan W.

@RT08029849 Apr 13

Powerful and moving. Definitely one of those that you have to try to hold back tears.

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Michael T.

@MichaelTriv12 Apr 1

Disturbing but necessary movie detailing a troubled part of Americas past. Ejiofor gave an incredible performance and the cast all around was very good. It is crazy to me that all of this happened relatively recently in the scope of total history.

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Hayleigh P.

@haytay.shows22 Mar 29

Wow. Just wow. It’s so heartbreaking knowing people went through this because of skin color. Knowing this was based off a true story is so sickening. He missed his whole life, his children’s lives, wife and grandchild. It’s so heartbreaking knowing people truly went through this. No one should ever have to endure that because if the color of their skin. This movie depicted what slavery truly was and it’s so heartbreaking.

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Synopsis

In the years before the Civil War, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South. Subjected to the cruelty of one malevolent owner (Michael Fassbender), he also finds unexpected kindness from another, as he struggles continually to survive and maintain some of his dignity. Then in the 12th year of the disheartening ordeal, a chance meeting with an abolitionist from Canada changes Solomon's life forever.

Director: Steve McQueen
Producer: Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Production Co: River Road, Plan B Entertainment, New Regency Pictures
Rating: R (Some Nudity|Brief Sexuality|Violence/Cruelty)
Genre: History, Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 18, 2013, Limited
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jan 17, 2014
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 31, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $56.7M
Runtime: 2h 14m
Sound Mix: Datasat, Dolby Digital