Have an Account?
| Register Now
Movie Poster
View Photo Gallery

Remove ads with our VIP Service Facebook logoTwitter logo
12 Years a Slave
Academy Award® Winner
Based on an incredible true story of one man's fight for survival and freedom. In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is...  View more >

Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'o, Benedict Cumberbatch...  View more >

Add Movie to Favorites

Seen It?

How would you rate this movie?
[--- See Now! ---] [--- Good ---] [--- Wait for Rental ---] [--- Stay Away! ---]

Reviews Summary


Please Note: Reader Reviews are submitted by the readers of The BigScreen Cinema Guide and represent their own personal opinions regarding this movie, and do not represent the views of The BigScreen Cinema Guide, or any of its associated entities.

Nov 8, 2013
This is an ugly film of man's inhumanity to man. That slavery is/was incredibly wicked and cruel is no new information. The film goes WAY beyond depicting the viscousness of the whippings. How many scenes of torn flesh does an audience have to endure. I can't think of any redeeming feature in this film.
Nov 9, 2013
Terrible movie. Why are they still putting movies out like this.
Nov 10, 2013
Nov 19, 2013
"12 Years a Slave" could never had come at a better time. Recently there was a national debat on slavery. but it's not what's you think. Many Republicans are comparing Obamacare to slavery. Anyone who compares Obamacare to slavery needs to see this movie. Amyybody else who is confused about the issue, needs to see this movie. This movie doesn't take this issue lightly. It stars Chiwetel Ejiofer as a free northern name Solomon Northop. who is aa acomplish musican who was aducted and sold into slavery in the deep south. He had to endure beatings and pull huninatition from the slavers. The movie is hard to watch and the impact on slavery will move the audience. "12 years a Slave" does to slavery what "Schindler's List" did for the Holocaust. This film serves sa a history lesson on the horrors of slavery. You need to see this film.
Nov 21, 2013
Making blacks hate whites is not something needed now.

I would like to know if anyone realizes that Middle Eastern Muslims were the people who caught the native Africans in the first place. Oh yes, here's something else...the practice is still performed daily in Africa and in large by the same group as the original slave traders.

Read your history and stop viewing gross terrible hate filled movies such as this one. Don't waste your money.
Nov 23, 2013
The movie is very biased compared to the book. The movie tries to depict all slaves as caring and intelligent in an evil slavery institution. The book showed evilness, brutal and humane owners, good, brutal, and uneducated slaves. One sided movies turn me off.
Jan 27, 2014
Not an easy film to watch but gets across the notion that slavery--even in its most "ideal" forms--was harsh. And in its most brutal forms, slavery was criminal. I was very interested in the notion that slavery reduced its owners to dependence upon their property for income to uphold their way of life. One minute, the owners might be preaching the gospel to their slaves. The next minute, beating them "for their own good" or to serve as an example to the others. I thought Michael Fassbender as the harsh slave owner did a particularly good job of displaying this duality.
Apr 25, 2014
This movie won three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Lupita Nyong'o), and Best Adapted Screenplay, and it was nominated for six more, including Best Director, Best Actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor (the lead character), and Best Supporting Actor for Michael Fassbender as a truly evil slave owner.

So, with all these awards (plus many others), why only a "Good" rating? Because this isn't going to be a movie for everyone. If you can't handle scenes of brutality towards other human beings, there are some scenes that will make you at least flinch, if not leave the room altogether.

If you can get through those scenes, however, you will be rewarded with what appears to be an honest portrayal of the life and times of slaves in the pre-war United States. The story of a man being kidnapped and sold into slavery not only documents an event in our past history, but also, in a broader sense, what continues to happen under the title of "human trafficking."

Perhaps the most poignant scene in the entire movie for me was when a slave owner is asked if he would like to be bought and sold like the slaves he keeps, and his response was that it was impossible. He couldn't fathom how something like that could happen, all the while it was happening to the lead character standing near him. The only difference between them was the color of their skin.

This is a good story backed up by good performances. It was deserving of the accolades it received, and it's well worth checking out if you have not already done so.

Looking for more opinions?

Check out our Featured Movie Reviews for 12 Years a Slave.




New Movies - Box Office - Favorite Movies - All Movies
Coming Soon - Search



Home - About Us - Feedback
News Headlines - Theaters - Movies - Reader Reviews - Movie Links
Your Account - VIP Service

The BigScreen Cinema Guide is a service of SVJ Designs LLC. All graphics, layout, and structure of this service (unless otherwise specified) are Copyright © 1995-2024, SVJ Designs. The BigScreen Cinema Guide is a trademark of SVJ Designs. All rights reserved.

'ACADEMY AWARDS®' and 'OSCAR®' are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Find Us on Facebook
Find Us on Instagram