SummaryBetween sanity and madness, fantasy and reality, the past and the future, comes an adventure beyond imagination from Terry Gilliam, the acclaimed director of "The Fisher King." Penal colony prisoner James Cole (Willis) must travel back in time from the year 2035 to find the cause of a virus that killed five billion people in 1997. (Universal)
Directed By:Terry Gilliam
Written By:Chris Marker, David Webb Peoples, Janet Peoples
Twelve Monkeys
Metascore
Generally Favorable
75
User score
Universal Acclaim
8.1
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
80% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
20% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
Gilliam, along with the gifted cinematographer Roger Pratt and production designer Jeffrey Beecroft, fashions a disturbing and dazzling lost world.
90
Fierce and disturbing, with a plot that skillfully resists following any familiar course. The film's hero fears that he's half-crazy, and for two hours Mr. Gilliam artfully keeps his audience feeling the same way.
User score
Universal Acclaim
86% Positive
310 Ratings
310 Ratings
11% Mixed
40 Ratings
40 Ratings
3% Negative
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
Feb 7, 2023
10
Another favorite in my BEST OF series of movies that made movie history. Here Terry Gilliam delivered his masterpiece. One of the best directors of our time. A dystopian science fiction end time film with remarkable and unbelievable plot twists. The main protagonist is played by the incomparable Bruce Willis, who unfortunately had to end his film career recently due to a serious illness. One of the best! Perhaps his best work. Also of special note is the beautiful and wonderful Madeleine Stowe. A feast for the eyes and a great talented actress. The calm and yet exciting narrative impresses. The intense camera work and Brad Pitt's incredible acting are convincing. One of my favorite films, which I have watched several times. Always worth seeing. Great! BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO!
Jan 17, 2021
10
Es una de las mejores películas de ciencia ficción en la historia del cine; es tensa, dramática y la actuación de Bruce Willis es grandiosa.
88
It's refreshing to encounter a movie with a logical, intelligent approach to the dangers of zipping through time.
80
To Gilliam's quiver of attributes this new movie adds a quality that's on the endangered list in today's Hollywood: coherence.
70
A densely plotted, visually dynamic post-apocalyptic thriller.
60
Brad Pitt has fun with his secondary part as a pontificating lunatic, but I wish I'd enjoyed the rest of the cast more.
40
Intent on both dazzling and punishing the viewer, Gilliam gets lost in creepy spectacle and plenty of old film clips (notably "Vertigo"). But at the sight of three giraffes crossing a city bridge, you'll think of a more recent movie. A bad one. [8 Jan 1996, p.69]
Nov 19, 2020
10
Great story with some twists and incredible performance by Brad Pitt as a weirdo.
Aug 1, 2017
10
gut .........................................................................................................................................................
May 3, 2022
6
12 monkeys is an average sci-fi time travel plot featuring an exceptional cast. The highly stylised production fails to excel in the over saturated genre with its mediocre screenplay and cinematography. There are some interesting concepts at play, and as much as I liked some of the reality bending stuff this is no vanilla sky. Just as it feels like it's pushing past the boundaries of mediocrity, it trips up on its own heels into 90's silliness instead.
Aug 8, 2021
6
Despite its frustratingly disappointing ending, "Twelve Monkeys" still holds itself up with some solid twists and aesthetic brilliance all throughout.
Production Company:
- Universal Pictures
- Atlas Entertainment
- Classico
Release Date:Jan 5, 1996
Duration:2 h 9 m
Rating:R
Tagline:The future is history.
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 2 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Awards Circuit Community Awards
• 9 Nominations
