← Back to results
12 Angry Men
1957 97 min United States of America 16+
★9.3
Drama
Director: Sidney Lumet
🎭 Based on
«Twelve Angry Men»
byReginald Rose
Trailers
Description
The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other.
Budget:
$397,751
Worldwide:
$4.36M
Starring
Henry Fonda
Actor
Lee J. Cobb
Actor
Martin Balsam
Actor
Awards
Berlin International Film Festival 1957
— Golden Bear
BAFTA 1958
— Best International Actor
Berlin International Film Festival 1957
— OCIC Award
Golden Globe 1958
— Best Director
Academy Awards 1958
— Best Director
Academy Awards 1958
— Best Adapted Screenplay
Golden Globe 1958
— Best Actor (Drama)
Berlin International Film Festival 1957
— Golden Bear
BAFTA 1958
— Best International Actor
Berlin International Film Festival 1957
— OCIC Award
Academy Awards 1958
— Best Picture
Key opinion
Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men is widely considered a masterclass in tension and character-driven drama, utilizing a confined setting to transform the audience into an active participant. While its restrained approach is lauded as a timeless achievement in storytelling, some viewers find its deliberate, dialogue-heavy nature to be a matter of personal preference.
| Direction | The film successfully maintains high stakes and audience engagement through a minimalist, single-room setting. | |
| Screenplay | Reginald Rose's screenplay effectively uses the jury deliberation to expose deep-seated human biases and the fallibility of logic. | |
| Acting | The ensemble performances, particularly the work of Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb, anchor the film with raw, palpable tension. | |
| Runtime | The film’s 90-minute runtime is viewed by most as a perfect, concise length, though opinions on its necessity for rewatching vary based on individual engagement with the slow-burn narrative. | |
| Adaptation | Comparisons to Nikita Mikhalkov’s '12' reveal a divide: some viewers appreciate the original's restrained, dry logic, while others prefer the remake's increased emotional detail and cohesive character motivations. |