12 Angry Men

Sidney Lumet's solid success is achieved without even once resorting to flashbacks or other standard procedures of the film trade. The secret rests in spirited dialogue, realistic setting and, of course, the excellent cast of outstanding character actors.

This movie is a masterpiece. That term gets thrown around a lot -- it's a very easy thing to say about great films like this -- but this movie is one of the best. This is one of the very few films that I will call perfect.

Too few films take on the art of arguing as a subject; we could certainly use more of them, but until then, Lumet's window into strained civic duty will continue to serve mightily.

The film takes a confined, almost completely banal real-world location and makes it completely dynamic, using incredibly nimble camera movements to establish character motivation and theme.

The film leaves a tremendous impact.

Mechanically written, but within its own middlebrow limitations, it delivers the goods.

A film like 12 Angry Men comes around once in a lifetime, and it will remain a blueprint for what a masterpiece looks like. 

This arguably remains Sidney Lumet's most compelling work, a sweaty, sustained drama that milks its claustrophobic setting for all it’s worth.

12 Angry Men is one of the best courtroom dramas in cinematic history.

It’s a near perfect mix of theme and setting, personal drama and social commentary, a microcosm that suggests an entire world outside the frame ...