12 Angry Men poster

12 Angry Men

The jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.

Trailer

Director

Sidney Lumet

Studio

N/A

Release

10 Apr 1957

Runtime

96 min

Genres

Crime, Drama

Cast & Characters

Henry Fonda

Henry Fonda

Lee J. Cobb

Lee J. Cobb

Martin Balsam

Martin Balsam

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Critical Assessment

IMDb
9.0/10
RT Critics
100%
Metacritic
97/100

12 Angry Men holds 9.0/10 on IMDb (981,488 votes), 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 97/100 on Metacritic.

Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.

Ratings as of 2026-07-30

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AI Verdict

AI-generated

Based on aggregated scores (9.0/10 on IMDb (981,488 votes), 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 97/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.

Fan & Critic Buzz

AI Summary

The public reaction to "12 Angry Men" is mixed but overwhelmingly positive. Many reviewers praise the film's well-made direction, strong performances from the cast, and thought-provoking script. The movie has been called a timeless classic, with some critics noting its ability to expose each character's thoughts and personalities, making it a powerful exploration of reasoning and discussion.

Reviews

  • Master piece. Fantastic script and evolution of the characters.

    Andres Gomez · 10/10
  • Unlikely, but it is possible. 12 Angry Men is directed by Sidney Lumet and adapted from a teleplay of the same name by Reginald Rose. The cast is headed by Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb. The film tells the story of a jury made up of 12 men as they deliberate the guilt or innocence…

    John Chard · 9/10
  • Jurors: Martin Balsam John Fiedler Lee J. Cobb E.G. Marshall Jack Klugman Edward Binns Jack Warden Henry Fonda Joseph Sweeney Ed Begley George Voskovec Robert Webber 12 jurors deliberate on the guilt or innocence of a young Spanish-American man accused of murdering his father. As…

    barrymost · 10/10
  • A timeless classic in which the characters really come to life. Slowly exposing each man's thoughts, personalities and prejudices, ‘12 Angry Men’ isn't really about solving the crime, but about the power of reasoning, discussion and dialogue. 9/10

    AstroNoud · 9/10
  • Unassuming. This is the first impression one may have, upon reading what this movie is about: 12 jurors deliberate about a murder case, where the accused suspect is the victim's son, a 18 y.o. boy. They must reach a unanimous verdict of guilty or innocent. As it starts, it seems…

    Krakatoa69 · 10/10
  • Twelve jurors are sent to their deliberating room after hearing the evidence in a murder trial. It's potentially the hottest day of the year as this collection of white, male, individuals take their seats around the table and wait for foreman Martin Balsam - none of the character…

    CinemaSerf · 8/10
  • **A very well-made film, with great actors.** As a non-American myself, it's a little tricky for me to understand how well this justice system works. Don't get me wrong, but in my country it is not usual to resort to this type of trials, where the decision depends largely on the…

  • .

    James · 8/10

From the trailer's comments

  • Man, I am 36 and just discovered this gem, my brother in law recommended this to me saying that it's in his top top list of all time.

    @avenpace · 597 likes
  • That scene with the two knives was great, Im glad I didnt see this trailer before watching the movie

    @NanenMauricio · 1007 likes
  • Quite simply, a masterpiece of filmmaking. Lumet's directorial debut. A wish list of seasoned actors. A provocative script. Cinephiles take note of the varying camera angles.

    @jamesdrynan · 356 likes
  • This film should be a required viewing for High School students.

    @machonsote918 · 33 likes
  • Totally underrated classic. I show it regularly to my high school students in the psychology class because of the depictions of group processes here (group think, conformity etc.)

    @ezghthrt7733 · 174 likes
  • This movie perfectly shows human negligent towards other people. One person’s life can mean nothing to another one. The movie emphasises how reasoning is important in any situation and sometimes things are not as they seem to be on the surface.

    @Muslima_Muzaffar · 81 likes
  • Saw it once. It was a very good movie. Show what precarious and stereotyping is like. It take one person to see pass that in order change a stranger life. Good acting, good dialogue and good use of reasoning.

    @teax25 · 564 likes
  • _12 Angry Men_ is the definition of a perfect cinema. To keep the movie interesting for its audience during its entirety was commendable, given the script of it. Topnotch direction & acting and the list goes on... It's only obvious why this film continues to impress people to thi…

    @prathameshbhambure · 265 likes
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