12 Monkeys

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12 Monkeys

R

1995

2h 11m

Mystery & Thriller

Sci-Fi

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Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

76 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Traveling back in time isn't simple, as James Cole (Bruce Willis) learns the hard way. Imprisoned in the 2030s, James is recruited for a mission that will send him back to the 1990s. Once there, he's supposed to gather information about a nascent plague that's about to exterminate the vast majority of the world's population. But, aside from the manic Jeffrey (Brad Pitt), he gets little in the way of cooperation, not least from medical gatekeepers like Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe).

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Critics Consensus

The plot's a bit of a jumble, but excellent performances and mind-blowing plot twists make 12 Monkeys a kooky, effective experience.

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Ed Potton

The Times (UK)

10/12/2018

4/5

This dystopian time-travelling sci-fi is a reminder that the director can make films that are visually inventive, intellectually engaging and downright exciting.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

05/27/2011

While all of Gilliam's movies are worth seeing, there's a fair amount of his designer grimness here mixed in with the cabaret comedy.

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Variety Staff

Variety

03/26/2009

Neither as visually compelling as Brazil nor as emotionally gripping as The Fisher King.

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Grant Hermanns

Screen Rant

Feb 12

10/10

Even more supportive of the script's twisty nature is the mesmerizing direction from Gilliam. Utilizing the same hyperstylized art design he had on Brazil, the Oscar nominee brought a haunting feel to the apocalyptic future.

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Chance Solem-Pfeifer

Willamette Week

Jan 14

[12 Monkeys] will it not make you feel better about pretty much anything. But it’s a feast for thought.

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James Croot

The Post NZ

Jan 1

It’s our own "Cassandra Complex" about what’s transpired in the past three decades that makes re-watching it now even more disquieting, unnerving and thoroughly engrossing.

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Pipe Smoking L

@RT92467537 Jul 11

A MOVIE... in which most people are confused and confounded and unable to understand if they liked it or hated it... ...which might've been its goal... being written by some couple no one's heard of and directed by a minor Monty Python cast member... Be on the edge of your seat, as Time Travel takes you 3 years into the past, the present, and then 12 years into the future... then 30 years into the future... then back 24 years... none of this s%#t makes sense but it doesn't matter... because interesting scenery and props... and Bruce Willis! Think this plot isn't going anywhere? You're just too dumb to understand it... go watch something more tailored to your mental acuity like Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties. You will rip your teeth out after swearing someone is listening through them after you've sat with a Godly level of patience through the first hour... STARE... at Madeleine Stowe, as nothing else is really that gripping to look at... Brad Pitt! The silhouette of a monkey.

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Sharang L

@Scribe187 Jun 20

Hasn't aged well, I am afraid!

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Andr D

@RT63576551 May 28

One of the greatest films of all time, absolutely spectacular. A masterclass in acting by the cast.

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Chris H

@RT60525826 May 22

I watched this for the first time last night and, yes, it really is as good as they say. Less bizarre than some of Terry Gilliam's other works and with a strong, cohesive plot (although you have to keep your wits about you). Played beautifully by Willis and Stowe, with an eye catching turn by Brad Pitt as a mentally disturbed idealist (Pitt doing a good impression of Dennis Hopper's photojournalist in Apocalypse Now - was this deliberate?). Oh, and watch out for when Willis says "I see dead people".

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David P.

@dab240 May 21

For a ’90s sci-fi film, this is genuinely next level in my personal opinion. Bruce Willis absolutely nailed this performance, delivering a mind-bending role that fully immerses you in the world with him. Absolute MUST watch for sci-fi fans. 5/5.

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Mickey B.

@Mickerdoo May 9

Really comes full circle. Suspense of bouncing back from (in)sane. Cool premise. Pitt plays a fun wacko.

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Terry Gilliam

Director

Bruce Willis

James Cole

Madeleine Stowe

Kathryn Railly

Brad Pitt

Jeffrey Goines

Christopher Plummer

Dr. Leland Goines

Jon Seda

Jose

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - Explaining to the Doctors

1:59

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - The Great Escape

3:00

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - World War I

2:38

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - Eating a Spider

3:00

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - Jeffrey Reveals His Plan

1:57

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - The Scientists' Offer

1:49

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - Zoo Animals Run Free

1:38

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - Institutionalized With Jeffrey

2:37

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - Plague of Madness

1:57

Twelve Monkeys: Official Clip - Cole Meets Kathryn

2:00

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Synopsis

Traveling back in time isn't simple, as James Cole (Bruce Willis) learns the hard way. Imprisoned in the 2030s, James is recruited for a mission that will send him back to the 1990s. Once there, he's supposed to gather information about a nascent plague that's about to exterminate the vast majority of the world's population. But, aside from the manic Jeffrey (Brad Pitt), he gets little in the way of cooperation, not least from medical gatekeepers like Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe).

Director: Terry Gilliam
Producer: Charles Roven
Screenwriter: Chris Marker, David Webb Peoples, Janet Peoples
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Atlas Entertainment
Rating: R (Violence|Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 26, 1995, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $57.1M
Runtime: 2h 11m
Sound Mix: Surround, DTS-ES, DTS, Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)