This movie is proof that great storytelling doesn't require a multi million dollar budget or cgi to make a impact with the audience.... Just a well written script and great performances!

I show this in my criminology class every year. The students, at first, have a hard time getting them into it because of its age. But by the middle of the film they are invested. Shows you how the quality of the writing can carry a film even today

I like how the film doesn’t paint Juror 8 as someone who absolutely believes the kid is not guilty, but someone who doesn’t know for sure and is asking reasonable questions based on what they’ve been given. It’s a masterful painting of mob mentality and how you should always ask questions before just immediately giving into a point of view.

I show 12 Angry Men to my 12th grade students every year. They're always skeptical at first, but ended up loving and appreciating this classic film! Must watch!

When I was a teacher, teaching middle school English, we would do a unit every year on Mob Mentality, and one year I decided to show a clip from this movie during the unit not thinking it would appeal to many students because it's old and black/white footage but it demonstrated a good lesson. To my surprise, the students freaked out when the clip ended and said they had to know what happened and asked if they could either watch the movie in class or get the name so they could go home and watch it. I decided to spend one day watching it in class and the students loved it. I showed the movie for years to come after that. Just goes to show how powerful good STORYTELLING can be even without all the typical Hollywood BS.

Twelve men talk in a room for an hour and a half, yet it's one of the most interesting and exciting movies in history.

This movie needed to be shown in every single gender studies class.

This movie has been in my top 20 for ever. The absolute pinnacle of character development. And seeing how many parodies are made base off this film, It must be a top twenty of American Film making.

Everytime i watch this movie, and everytime i watch other people's opinions on it, i develop a whole new level of respect and appreciation for this movie. On the surface, its a fairly simple concept but it is so deceptively layered, complex and utterly compelling. It is absolutely remarkable how they were able to actually flesh out 12 characters to that degree in 90 minutes when certain other movies can't do so with less characters and nearly twice the amount of time.

This is a fantastic film everyone needs to see. I remember being assigned to watch this film in my "Film 101" class in college. At the time, I wasn't as invested in movies and what they can do as I am now. As such, I wasn't really thrilled to be assigned to watch an old black and white movie from the 50's. However, after seeing it, I was shocked at how good it really was. It opened my eyes to how a well constructed narrative, tight script writing, and thoughtful cinematography can turn what sounds like a boring premise into an intense and gripping movie. That and you get to walk away with an ending that feels right and justified. The Drinker was 100% right that this movie will stay with you long after the credits roll. It's one of the rare movies that even though I haven't seen it in over 10 years, I can still remember it clearly after only one viewing. It left an impression on me and if you give it a chance, I bet it'll do the same for you.

One of the best films ever. Decades ago, a first-rate high school teacher of mine showed the class this film in connection with a lesson on the social and judicial reforms of the 1950s and 60s. It was an inspired choice - my classmates and I were fascinated by the movie and the lessons it imparts about social justice, basic decency, and moral courage live with me still.

I remember watching this in high school, still in my top 5 movies. It's so perfectly sculpted, like a dovetailed piece of carpentry. Also I found it very easy to forget it was a movie, it seems very real and gritty, you can imagine scenes like this transpiring in courthouses anywhere. I think I could probably call it a masterpiece of cinema. I have a tendency to play devil's advocate and I wonder how much of that may have been influenced by 12 Angry Men.

This is a movie that is a must-see for any cinema enthusiast. Funny, as the years go by, recommending movies becomes an exercise in archeology.

Not to mention that the cast is a who's-who of acting legends. One of my favorite classics. Well done Drinker for putting this on the radar of your viewers!

After every single one of your Extra Shots I find myself googling, "Is x film streaming?" Either I haven't seen it and want to now, or I have seen it and want to see it again. Thanks Drinker!

This is a truly great film. Even though 99% of it takes place in one room, at no time do you lose interest. It's absolutely compelling throughout. I've seen it several times over the last few decades and will no doubt watch it again!

12 Angry Men fascinates me because on paper, it doesn't seem that interesting: no action scenes, no fun locations, and the case itself is relatively low-key. Yet it's by far one of the most gripping films I've ever seen and a textbook example of how scaling down the scope of your story can make it more meaningful and intense. Juror 8 is one of my favorite fictional heroes despite the fact he does no fighting, is never in danger, and won't see any long-term consequences from his actions no matter how the verdict goes. The moment when he slams the second knife into the table doesn't have a word spoken and no one gets hurt or insulted, yet it's one of the single best moments of ownage in any story ever; I aspire to write a scene as good. While the Drinker talks about the film's themes of doing the right thing even under peer pressure, another understated theme is one of compassion: not just for the accused young man, but also for Juror 3, the last one to change his vote. We acknowledge he's wrong, but we can still understand where he's coming from and have sympathy for him. Frankly I think we need to see more of that sort of thing nowadays.

I rarely comment, but for this one it's a must: absolute masterpiece. Must watch, not only for movie enthusiasts, but everyone in these our days where short-sighted wins too often over rational thoughts. It also portrays perfectly that taking good decisions takes time and requires you to think beyond what you believe to be true.

One of my favourites of all time! It still surprises me that the simple setting of 12 people having a chat in a single room could be so captivating! Absolutely brilliant script and delivery. For those who enjoyed this one, I highly recommend Hitchcock's "Rope" for a similarly compelling viewing experience.

I remember being shown this movie in my high school law class. My favorite part was the "You don't really mean that, do you?" line. Even after so many decades this story still holds up so well, because it's lessons are universal. Definitely gotta try and find a hardcopy of this movie.

I had a teacher in high school who never used a video in class. Actually hated the ideal. Said he wanted us to think and most videos didn't help with that. But one day the TV was set up and he told us that this was the only video he would ever show us in class. We sat and watched 12 angry men. After it was over made us go home and break down every character and what their journey was. It changed our lives. Thank you Mr. Fabrizio, we miss you breeze.

One of the few movies I’ve seen where I actually stood up at certain points in sheer excitement or panic. Fantastic movie. Probably the most important movie ever made.

One of my all time favorite films.

I remember watching this in school and got an appreciation for Henry Fonda. He has excellent delivery when airing thoughts in monologue or giving speechs. A lot of the best character actors of the time in that film. It's because of this movie I enjoy plots that lead to critical thought of actions and decisions.

My father, who is now 94, used to tell me whenever I would stop long enough, that the writing in the movies of the 40’s and 50’s was so much better than my movies of the 60’s and 70’s. Now that I’m 62, I have changed my opinion about many of the movies he put forth in comparison to several of mine which haven’t aged nearly as well. BUT… both groups of films from the long ago past have much better writing than the majority of what I see now. My son however has totally bought into the CGI based movies today and couldn’t really be bothered to attend to a story based film. I guess growing old sucks in ways I couldn’t have imagined when I was young. In any case, thank you for discussing what an old man still thinks is a great film

I only saw this movie as a kid, because my literature teacher showed it to us, watched it with us and gave a detailed explanation as to why the characters did what they did, and answered our questions. Then she made us write an essay about the story, but as if we were one of the jury members and we would have done and how would we have reacted in the different scenarios. Twelve Angry Men is on my list of my favorite movies of all time, because of it.🎥📽🎬

I first saw this movie on TV when I was 9. It was such a compelling movie that I instantly loved it. So many scenes were packed with tension that it could easily keep a kid's attention.

Watched it last night for the first time in my 37 years on this planet. I was hooked to the screen during the entire runtime. Wonderful motion picture.

When I was a teenager, I got in an argument about this film with a close friend of mine. He insisted the movie stunk because it really only had one set. I decided, at that moment, to stop discussing movies with him. Twelve Angry Men is a classic film from an era when plot, themes and well developed characters were actually seen as important elements in a movie. Back before computer generated special effects existed to distract the audience from the fact that the dialog was garbage, the acting sub-par, and the plot nonsensical. This is one of my all time favorite movies. Thank you for shining a spotlight on a cinematic masterpiece.

It also needs to be said that the cast for this film is top-notch: Martin Balsam, Jack Klugman, E.G. Marshall....some of the absolute best actors of that era.

At the end, they all vanish into the crowd, alone, and no longer significant. Classic! They showed us this movie at Harvard Law School. We laughed at the poor reasoning even Henry Fonda's hero employed on occasion, but by the end we all got the larger points. Interestingly, My Cousin Vinnie was recommended by our evidence professor, Charles Nesson (one of five graduates of HLS with a perfect GPA in its history), as perfect for understanding the rules of evidence. Go figure.

Whenever I think about the best movies ever made, this is always on my list. A masterpiece.

I'm surprised this isn't on your main channel, fellow Drinker. A film like this deserves all the attention it can get -- Literally one of the greatest movies of all time, and not so for small, superficial reasoning.

In obvious absence of good modern movies, young Will should look more often for ancient gems like this one. There are plenty of them in the archives.

An absolute masterpiece..not only one of my favourite classics but one of my favourite movies. Period

Man I miss movies like this. Smart, compelling, great acting and worth watching.

I often site the "Bigot's Speech"in this film when I argue that sunshine is the best disinfectant to kill bad ideas rather than censorship. It isn't until he finally gets to share his view without restrictions that even HE sees the emptiness of his position.

Great story check Great characters check Great performances check = In my humble opinion, one of the best movies ever made . Also, a very hard movie to make in this agenda, woke and the "message" driven era , sadly. Cheers Peter from the land of Oz 🇦🇺.

What I find so interesting about this movie is that everyone is so happy when Henry Fonda helps the defendant go free. What everyone fails to consider is that, because Henry Fonda is so charismatic and convincing, he may have very well let a murderer go free.

One of the greatest films by one of the greatest directors to ever work in the industry. I highly recommend Sidney Lumet's The Offense as it contains the greatest performance Sean Connery has ever put to film. Lumet was an original who at one point was turning out certified classic after certified classic. Definitely a talent whose filmography deserves a thorough exploration by any and all cinephiles out there.

One of the best movies ever made. Absolutely incredible!

I am so glad you mentioned the cinematography in this film, as it represents a master class in how the camera can be used as a way to enhance the storyline and affect the mood of the film. Cinematography is the director's right arm, and 12 Angry Men is an excellent example of that.

I saw this film as a kid of 10 in 1966, it made a great impression on me at the time.

I saw this movie years ago and it still resonates with me years later. One of the best dramas of it's time. Modern Hollywood, get a clue.

My favorite part of this movie is we don't know if he did it or not. When this movie is unnecessarily remade I'm sure they'll have flashbacks showing what actually happened because we as the viewer aren't smart enough to draw our own opinions or conclusions.

The "turning the backs" scene is fkng stunning every time.

Thanks so much for reminding me of this movie. I saw it when I was young and it inspired me because it shows REAL heroism. REAL integrity. I got it as a kid and it has influenced me for my entire life. This is what the USA used to be about. This kind of courage.

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.

This has been one of my favorite films for years now, every single actor kills it in this film. Who would’ve thought that a film that takes place in one room could be so suspenseful and compelling. An absolute masterpiece.

Some years ago I began recommending movies like this and many others to my kids… my eldest and i have long engaging discussions about them… movies can bring people together and should never set them at odds. Well done drinker, well done!

I watched this in High School. Excellent film! I still remember parts of it thirty years later.

Great movie. In high school I was in the play of this movie. I played the old dude.

The original was actually required watching in middle school. Great movie. I’m old, these days if someone played that movie in middle school half the parents would be sending death threats to the faculty.

I strongly recommend Fringy's (of EFAP fame) breakdown of the movie. He does an excellent job pointing out all kinds of juicy little details.

My 9th grade Government teacher showed my class this movie as well as an awesome T.V. series called Jericho 😎 I'm probably the only one from my class that remembers watching this, but I'll always be grateful for the insights and wisdom these films/shows gave us/me :)

This is easily one of my all-time favorite films. What makes it work is how timeless the story is. It could be 1957, 1997, or even today, but the themes and subject matter will forever ring true.

Couldn't agree more. This is a pretty excellent film: a simple concept, well thought out, well written, well shot and well acted. I would say it's also pretty timeless because of how it looks and how few (if any) plot points are decade specific. Could use this film to introduce someone to good, older movies that don't receive as much attention as they should.

Funny how I saved this movie on my “films to watch” list on Tubi just a couple of days ago and then this is recommended to me. Thanks for the spoiler-free analysis, Drinker! Gotta watch this soon!

One of my all-time favourites.

This movie has been a mainstay in my personal movie collection for a long time. One of the best of the 1950s.

Oh man I can't believe you did this one. I'm a theater geek myself and just brought this up and a pitch meeting and pretty much have the go ahead to get her running and will most likely direct, which will be my first. I love this movie and would argue it's in the top five greatest films of all time. I'd take Drinker's review deeper and point out that there is no wasted shots. Watch when they leave the courtroom to deliberate the jurors that look back are the first to change their vote except 12 who looks back because the person in front of him does. The way 6 gets 9 a chair long before defending him. When 3,4, and 10 are the last hold outs 3 is the first to turn his back to 10's racist rant and 4 is the one to tell him to close his filthy mouth, while they all agree guilty 3 and 4 are not doing so because of the defendents race. 7 is a turd bucket that could care less about setting a guilty man free or an innocent man off to death he just wants to go to his ball game and even he looks completely indifferent to 10's rant because he's a dick for a different reason, in fact being a sports fan his favorite people are probably black or immigrants. This movie is a master piece in show don't tell. Even when two are talking the actions and gestures of the other ten are relevant, in other words there is no fat in this film and every scene is important. Also it reminds me a bit of the Ache conformity project. Juror 8 isn't Sean Spencer and deduces the whole thing by himself he just breaks the group think which gets the wheels of 9 turning then 5 and 10 etc. While some are dicks you would call stupid in an online argument none are actually stupid in the Websters definition of the word.

One of my all time favorites. Was one of the first "old b&w films" I fell in love with despite it being old its more riveting than anything modern. Ive never been tempted to watch the remake.

Watched this show a few years ago. It should be MANDATORY watching before every criminal jury trial.

Dude, I just saw this movie. A masterpiece in film, totally love it. I usually check my phone every 10 or 15 minutes, for this film I didn't check my phone once, completly invested in it

When I was 12-years-old back in my first year of high school, there were two movies my year 8 English teacher made us watch and analyze that gave me a lifelong love of classic movies; 12 Angry Men and To Kill A Mockingbird. We had to write numerous essays on each after watching them, going into pretty deep critical analysis for a bunch of 12 and 13 year old kids, and I loved it. We also watched a shit ton of James Bond movies, because she fucking loved Sean Connery. Good on you, Mrs Robertson.

Thanks for reviewing this movie, it has always been one of my favorites since I was a kid. My Mom was a movie lady, so I cut my teeth on stuff like this and "Arsenic and Old Lace" and to this day I'm a movie guy. You hit all the major points on this movie, but the one you missed that I think is very important especially in this cancel culture era is the very ending of the movie. At the end all but two of the jurors have left the room. Lee J. Cobb (the one who seemed to want the execution to happen for personal reasons) is still sitting at the table stunned and sobbing slowly after his emotional outburst. Henry Fonda who played Juror number 8 sees Cobb's suit jacket hanging in the closet. Instead of walking out of the room and ignoring the man he spent 2 hours arguing with he brings him his jacket and helps him put it on. They fought and it was over and it went back to normal, no victory dancing, no rubbing someones nose in it, no taunting. We had some words , we worked it out, lets move on. That is what we need to bring back in society the ability to disagree and not have it turn personal.

Not sure if already mentioned in comments , but the walls on set were moved closer into the set as it developa to ramp up the claustrophobia. Great subtle touch a fantastic timeless movie.

I was so amazed by this movie ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I saw this movie many years ago, when I was going down a list of the most legendary movies of all time. Some of those movies may not have really deserved the title… but yeah, this one really did.

It's been 25 years since I saw this film, and I only saw it once--haven't thought of it in a long time and yet the story and dialogue still echo in my head to this day. Incredible characters and a great lesson in humanity. Thanks Drinker.

I love this movie. I saw it when I was 14 and it changed my life

One of my all-time favorite movies. Should be required viewing in schools.

C s Lewis, the Narnia author, talked about “chronological snobbery”. The idea that just because something is recent and newer, it’s better. Ben Hur aside, a lot of older films didn’t have huge budgets and had to rely on good writing and decent acting. Sure, I enjoyed Villeneuve’s Dune, but we know he can produce on the “epic” scale. I like to see him work on a limited budget with one set. Just to see what he could do.

Fun fact: If Juror 8 had brought the duplicate knife from outside in real life, the case would have been thrown out right then. But I quibble on what is basically a solid film. Amazing performances especially given we don’t get any names till the end!

One of my all time favorites. I watch it every year.

Easily in my top ten favorite movies and my go to on how to write characters and dialogue. This was before flashy special effects via CGI. When the writing was the only thing on display outside the performances.

I've loved this film for years. Its a masterclass of how to keep the setting in a single room whilst still keeping the tension using well crafted dialogue and fantastic acting. Gripping and thought provoking throughout

Top 5 movie for me! Absolute fantastic film making.

This is one of my FAVORITE films. I've watched it so many times

I love this movie. but one thing i think you may have missed, its that a lot of movies from this era were based on stage plays. and shot accordingly. that could be why the character development is so succinct and on point.

I honestly feel that this is one of the very, very few films you could recommend to just about ANYONE and they would love it. Seriously, you could probably show this to a 12-year-old kid who's never had the slightest interest in black and white films and even they would find at least a significant amount of it absolutely gripping.

I remember watching this movie on t.v. when I was around 13 yrs. old and even at that age I loved this film . It is truly gripping.

When Henry Fonda died, the BBC put this on as a tribute. It was the first time I'd heard of it and I was actually just heading up to bed. An hour and a half later I was still watching, as they walked down the courthouse steps, enthralled by some of the finest writing and strongest acting I'd ever seen. Still one of my top ten to this day.

Saw this movie in 8th grade with one of the best middle school (junior-high) teachers I’ve ever met. I’ve got to rewatch it again!

This is one of movies that caused my love of film and the judicial system. The ability to capture the dialogues of such diverse characters, capturing the way people rush to judgement, the inability/lack of desire to listen to other points of view and the strength of one person to stand in their truth and seek the right decision about someone’s life, and not falter. I have always tried to be the one who takes the time to listen to ALL the evidence. It may take more time, but it allows for at least seeming to come to the truth. Anyway, Sidney Lumet was a master of these films and I am glad the studios allowed for such characterizations and the tackling of such complex issues.

I love when turner classic movies has this on, I’ve seen it at least 5 times but I always end up sitting down and watching it to completion every time it’s on. The book is amazing and the movie is just as good

I remember watching this movies as kid at my grandmothers place and how suspensefull and captivating it was.

I would recommend a film released the same year Timelock, simple premise Kid trapped in safe and people trying to get him out and i believe first appearance of Sean connery but i really loved that film and feel it needs more love

Thanks! We need more classic movie reviews. I find myself watching more and more old movies in the void of new good ones. The younger generations would probably gain hugely from getting a glimpse at these treasures. Not only because they lack perspective on what good moviemaking really is, but also because of the more refined set of values and use of language these movies have to offer.

Watched it 5-6 times and every time it's amazing.

This movie stayed with me ever since the 1st watching decades ago.. this and Inherit the wind.. He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

Seen the movie many years ago and it still has left a huge impression on me. Great review!

I've read the "book" and saw the film. I actually cried when I saw the man bring out a picture of him and his kid, than crying after tearing it up.

Watched a play adaptation of this in high school in a festival, where my best friend played Juror 8, and he and the rest of the cast made it the only play that I actually remembered fondly that whole week. Great pick!

Talk about movies we don't get anymore. Brilliant script and simply brilliant cast. It takes both to make such a simple film taking place in basically one room for two hours so entertaining and a classic. Proof positive that what makes a great film or tv show is the content: characters, casting, strong script and storytelling etc. Not just bells and whistles.

This was a rare case where the remake was almost as good. 12 Angry Men is everything you said it was, and more. The original, with Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb, and the kindly old man, I'm pretty sure was the voice of Piglet in the Winnie the Pooh cartoons. The remake had Jack Lemmon in the Henry Fonda role and George C. Scott played Lee J. Cobb's part. I remember Tony Danza was the sports guy, but I can't remember anyone else. Another thing that you never mentioned, none of them had names. They were only ever referred to as "Juror Number (X)" Only Henry Fonda gave his name at the end, when he shook hands with the old man, and I don't remember what it was, cause honestly, it's not important by then. You've just watched a master class in film making, that was little more than 12 guys in a small room for 90 minutes.

There's so much about 12 Angry Men that's already been said. But it really is an everlasting great film as for new viewers it pulls you right in and for those who've seen it you find you're still captivated my everyone's dialogue and quick cuts.

An all time great work of art.

How I love this movie. PERFECT in everyway.

I remember watching this movie as a teenager. Something about it just rang as QUALITY. It was several years later and a second watching that I understood. This movie and such as '12 O'Clock High' set a very high bar for me to judge a movie as Great or even Good instead of just enjoyable. Also they showed what great acting was supposed to be instead of someone going through the motions to get a paycheck.