12 Years a Slave (2013)
Average Rating: 8.9/10
Reviews Counted: 131
Fresh: 125 | Rotten: 6
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.
Average Rating: 9.7/10
Critic Reviews: 34
Fresh: 33 | Rotten: 1
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.
liked it
Average Rating: 4.5/5
User Ratings: 19,508
Movie Info
Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Solomon Northup, the New York State citizen who was kidnapped and made to work on a plantation in New Orleans in the 1800s. Steve McQueen (Hunger) directs from a script he co-wrote with John Ridley, based in part by Northup's memoir. Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sarah Paulson, and Paul Giamatti co-star. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Cast
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Chiwetel Ejiofor
Solomon Northrup, So... -
Michael Fassbender
Edwin Epps -
Brad Pitt
Bass -
Benedict Cumberbatch
Ford -
Paul Giamatti
Freeman -
Sarah Paulson
Mistress Epps -
Paul Dano
Tibeats -
Lupita Nyong'o
Patsey -
Alfre Woodard
Mistress Shaw -
Michael Kenneth Will...
Robert -
Scoot McNairy
Brown -
Garret Dillahunt
Armsby -
Dwight Henry
Uncle Abram -
Dickie Gravois
Overseer -
Bryan Batt
Judge Turner -
Ashley Dyke
Anna -
Kelsey Scott
Anne Northup -
Quvenzhane Wallis
Margaret Northup (ad... -
Tony Bentley
Mr. Moon -
Taran Killam
Hamilton -
Christopher Berry
Burch -
Bill Camp
Radburn -
Mister Mackey Jr.
Randall -
Chris Chalk
Clemens -
Craig Tate
John -
Adepero Oduye
Eliza -
Storm Reid
Emily -
Tom Proctor
Biddee -
Marc Macaulay
Captain -
Vivian Fleming-Alvar...
Mulatto Woman -
Douglas M. Griffin
Sailor -
John McConnell
Jonus Ray -
Marcus Lyle Brown
Jasper -
Richard Holden
Fitzgerald -
Robert Steinberg
Parker -
Anwan Glover
Cape -
J.C. Victor
Buyer -
Liza J. Bennett
Mistress Ford -
Nicole Collins
Rachel -
J.D. Evermore
Chapin -
Andy Dylan
Treach -
Deneen D. Tyler
Phebe -
Mustafa Harris
Sam -
Gregory Bright
Edward -
Austin Purnell
Bob -
Thomas Francis Murph...
Patroller -
Andre Shanks
Victim 1 -
Kelvin Harrison
Victim 2 -
Scott M. Jefferson
Master Shaw -
Isaiah Jackson
Zachary -
Topsy Chapman
Slave Spiritual Sing... -
Devin Maurice Evans
Slave Spiritual Sing... -
Jay Huguley
Sheriff -
Willo Jean-Baptiste
Margaret's Husband -
Cameron Zeigler
Alonzo Northup
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All Critics (131) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (125) | Rotten (6)
"12 Years a Slave" lays out an institution so twisted and wrong that its honest portrayal has been avoided for centuries. Yes, it's dark and brutal. It needs to be.
Top CriticOther movies and books have gone here, but few so far and with such overwhelming clarity of purpose.
The film offers a formidable indictment of the cruelty of which human beings are capable.
12 Years a Slave is likely the most painful, clear-eyed feature ever made about American slavery. In that light, it almost seems faint praise to add that it will also likely prove to be the best film of the year.
It is Ejiofor - bewildered, sorely tested, morally towering - whose staggered dignity anchors the film.
Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave, written by John Ridley and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, is a necessary corrective to the antics of Django Unchained, not to mention Mandingo and its ilk.
McQueen makes the theater drapes melt away, immersing audiences in a story that will make them feel like witnesses to history.
But make no mistake, this is Ejiofor's show, and he commands it utterly from minute one.
The film hits like a sledgehammer, in part because it suggests that films about slavery are rare because we are guilty of burying the shameful aspects of our history.
Though Solomon Northupp's story is one that deserves to be told, it could have benefited from a little restraint.
Imperfect but must-see epic drama with major cruelty.
A reminder of the awe-inspiring power great movies can have. Roll, Jordan, roll.
"12 Years a Slave" finally gives America a definitive movie on its peculiar institution.
12 Years a Slave is an outstanding triumph in filmmaking since it's so unbelievably captivating yet will leave you feeling so undeniably uncomfortable as it takes pride in ripping your mortality to shreds over the course of two hours.
Brilliant yet brutal without playing on our guilt. Straightforward horror with an astonishing cast. It is director Steve McQueen's masterwork
One of the finest historical movies ever made.
But the much talked-about 12 Years a Slave is more than a beautifully shot art piece. It's history made violently real.
Ejiofor brings imposing physicality and intimidating intellect to the role, and thus Northup poses a threat to his enemies -- even if they can't articulate it as such.
An important work, but one that's more potent on an intellectual level than an emotional one.
McQueen imbues his film with undeniable artistry and intellectual rigor, but startlingly little passion. You will be angered, horrified and moved by what you witness, but you will not be challenged.
With this powerful, almost classical drama, British director Steve McQueen has made the seminal film about slavery that Hollywood feared to tackle.
The production of "12 Years a Slave" is by far the most ambitious work for director McQueen who makes a strong statement against the still-ongoing issue of slavery.
A gripping drama and immaculate depiction of human suffering and strength.
Audience Reviews for 12 Years a Slave
Chiwetel Ejiofor shines here. I believe he will get nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, but not sure if he will win. This is one of his best performance to date. I thought he was amazing in Redbelt and great as the villain in movies like Serenity and Children of Men. He does an amazing job here. His character in a weird way reminded me of Adrien Brody's character in the Pianist. Michael Fassbender will also most likely get a nomination but I don't see him winning. He kind of reminded me of Ralph Fiennes character in Schindler's List. Lupita Nyong'o could end up winning the best supporting actress oscar. Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfre Woodard, Sarah Paulson, and Brad Pitt provide solid supporting work here. Paul Giamatti reminded me of his character from Planet of the Apes with Tim Burton. Paul Dano reminded me of his character from Cowboys and Aliens.
I definitely recommend this powerful film. Definitely bring tissues with you.
Super Reviewer
12 Years a Slave is structured as a sprawling epic following Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man living in New York who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. As Solomon is sent from plantation to plantation, he is introduced to the horrors of slavery just as the audience is, giving the story a first-person perspective that only serves to make it more intense.
Like Steve McQueen's previous two films Shame and Hunger, 12 Years a Slave features flawless performances from every single member of its star-studded cast. Although Chiwetel Ejiofor isn't exactly a household name, it really should be, because Ejiofor gives one of the most raw and powerful performances of the year as Solomon Northup. Ejiofor, who was previously known primarily for his roles in the criminally underrated science-fiction drama Children of Men and American Gangster, demonstrates the kind of acting ability that rivals that of the best actors working today. Speaking of the best actors working today, frequent McQueen collaborator Michael Fassbender plays a remorseless slave owner and he is at the top of his game. Fassbender's grotesquely cruel character is transfixing in his evil, yet he has depth and a wider range of emotion that makes him even more frighteningly real (and he is real, as the film is based on a true story). Fassbender is in my top five favorite actors because of his performances in films like 12 Years a Slave. His acting is so intense that he literally passed out on camera while filming one of the more disturbing scenes, and that take is used in the film. Paul Dano's character is equally if not more appalling than Fassbender's. Unlike Fassbender's psychotic character, Dano's doesn't demonstrate emotional depth beyond his violent hatred for slaves; his only desire is to break Solomon's will to live. I could go on about how great all the other actors are, but I'd be wasting your time; there is not a single performance that is anything short of mesmerizing.
Of course, this wouldn't be a Steve McQueen film without hauntingly gorgeous cinematography full of beautifully framed shots that linger for extended periods of time. 12 Years a Slave is the kind of film that has camerawork that is genuinely memorable, as strange as that may sound. There are stationary shots that last for minutes at a time, and one particularly powerful image halfway into the movie will undoubtedly leave an imprint on every viewer's mind for a number of reasons, not the least of which is because the shot lasts for nearly five minutes.
12 Years a Slave isn't necessarily the type of film that you're going to love and cherish and buy on Blu-ray to show all your friends. It's more likely that you'll watch it once, think it was astounding and incredibly well made, and then vow never to watch again. It's a very uncomfortable film, but a very necessary one. Although it's easy to claim that it's just about slavery and racism, its themes of cruelty and faith are wholly universal and more than anything else it shows the horrific acts that humans are capable of committing against one another. Don't expect to feel uplifted afterwards, but 12 Years a Slave is a work of intense dedication from everyone involved that shines through as an unforgettable artistic triumph.
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Solomon Northrup: I'm a free man!
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| Guess the Tomatometer | 4 days ago | 28 |
| Wow, where did all the different topics go? | 3 days ago | 10 |
| Robin Clifford's B+ review listed as rotten | 6 days ago | 8 |
| Stephanie Zachareks review | 4 days ago | 1 |
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October 24, 2013:
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Foreign Titles
- Twelve Years a Slave (DE)
- 12 Years a Slave (UK)
It can be a challenge to express why certain dramas work on a viewer more than others. A film like 12 Years A Slave, which is based on the true life chronicle of man kidnapped and forced into slavery, could function on a level that dwells purely on misery and offers little beyond sadness for the viewer to walk away with, but it is much more effective than that. 12 Years A Slave is a truly gripping story that most certainly serves as an unflinching look at a horrible period of a man's life, within a time period where injustice against man may have been at its peak in America, but does so with a mood that seems to distinguish itself from other period dramas. It may have to do with the filmmakers behind this feature, the emotional rawness of the performances, or other factors, but the film sets a high-water mark for torturous odysseys portrayed on film, such as this, set during an awful time like slavery.
read the whole review at thecodeiszeek.com