Lincoln

Play trailer

Lincoln

PG-13

2012

2h 29m

History

Drama

Biography

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

288 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

With the nation embroiled in still another year with the high death count of Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln brings the full measure of his passion, humanity and political skill to what would become his defining legacy: to end the war and permanently abolish slavery through the 13th Amendment. Having great courage, acumen and moral fortitude, Lincoln pushes forward to compel the nation, and those in government who oppose him, to aim toward a greater good for all mankind.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Daniel Day-Lewis characteristically delivers in this witty, dignified portrait that immerses the audience in its world and entertains even as it informs.

Read Critics Reviews

Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

08/08/2022

4/4

Lincoln is a triumph.

Go to Full Review

Deborah Ross

The Spectator

09/04/2018

Its narrative swoop largely takes the legislative detail in its stride, plus the star is Daniel Day-Lewis, which is always a thing. He is not so much an actor, more a shape shifter.

Go to Full Review

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

metro.co.uk

09/01/2017

5/5

It's an intricate, thought- provoking and (be warned) very talkie study of democracy that is almost entirely schmaltz-free.

Go to Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Jul 20

5/5

The beauty and brilliance of Spielberg's Lincoln and Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis's astonishing portrayal of the title character is in the honesty, humility, and earnestness being committed to portray a U.S. President on the silver screen.

Go to Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

01/26/2025

2/4

...the picture, which runs a palpably overlong 150 minutes, has been saddled with a dry, procedural-like structure that becomes less and less interesting (or compelling) as time progresses...

Go to Full Review

Andrew Collins

Radio Times

04/12/2024

4/5

Spielberg's epic plays like The West Wing in stovepipe hats, and although it may be a little stolid for some, the film brings to life a moment of 19th-century political brinkmanship in captivating style.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Tim S.

@RottenTim May 25

Brilliant! Excellent tale of the struggle Lincoln faced bringing the end to slavery & the ratification of the 13th amendment! Daniel Day Lewis performance is extraordinary!

See more

Chris B

@Papa13070 May 14

I love, love, love this movie! I can't say enough great things about it. I'm so glad that Daniel Day-Lewis won the Oscar, it was so well deserved. I thought that Sally Field was robbed of the Oscar. This is not just a wonderfully great film, but an educational one as well. I learned things about that time period and Lincoln that I had either forgotten or never knew. I just loved it all the way through from start to finish. All the actors were great. David Strathairn was just as good as Day-Lewis and Tommy Lee Jones. I saw this film three times in the theater, it is that good. It's well acted, well directed, well edited, well put together and an A+ film. If you haven't seen yet, don't delay go watch it today.

See more

Michael A

@Kinich61 May 11

A wonderful masterpiece in every way. Some viewers in IMDB found it plodding and boring, must be the kind that don't like to be challenged critically.

See more

Paul K.

@pmkealey Apr 26

One of my favorite movies. Daniel Day Louis is spectacular.

See more

Stephen C

@bob25009 Mar 1

Academy Award winner in 2013 for Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis). 85th Annual Academy Awards ceremony.

See more

Leo O

@LeoObermyer Jan 6

Amazing performances by Daniel Day Lewis, Sally Fields, and ALL of the support cast, (esp James Spader).

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Steven Spielberg

Director

Daniel Day-Lewis

Abraham Lincoln

Sally Field

Mary Todd Lincoln

David Strathairn

Secretary of State William Seward

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Robert Todd Lincoln

James Spader

W.N. Bilbo

42

81%

85%

42

Watchlist

Unbroken: Path to Redemption

40%

73%

Unbroken: Path to Redemption

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Unbroken: Path to Redemption

The Current War: Director's Cut

61%

79%

The Current War: Director's Cut

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Current War: Director's Cut

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

61%

68%

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Watchlist

Victoria & Abdul

65%

68%

Victoria & Abdul

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Victoria & Abdul

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Rank Daniel Day-Lewis’ 10 Best Movies

Al Gore’s Five Favorite Films

Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s 10 Best Movies

View more photos

Synopsis

With the nation embroiled in still another year with the high death count of Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln brings the full measure of his passion, humanity and political skill to what would become his defining legacy: to end the war and permanently abolish slavery through the 13th Amendment. Having great courage, acumen and moral fortitude, Lincoln pushes forward to compel the nation, and those in government who oppose him, to aim toward a greater good for all mankind.

Director: Steven Spielberg
Producer: Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy
Screenwriter: Tony Kushner
Distributor: DreamWorks SKG
Production Co: Kennedy/Marshall, Amblin Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Intense Scene of War Violence|Brief Strong Language|Some Images of Carnage)
Genre: History, Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 16, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 3, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $182.2M
Runtime: 2h 29m
Sound Mix: Datasat, SDDS, Dolby Digital