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12 Years a Slave

  • 2013
  • R
  • 2h 14m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
716K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,308
52
Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.
Play trailer2:27
38 Videos
99+ Photos
BiographyDramaHistory

In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.

  • Director
    • Steve McQueen
  • Writers
    • John Ridley
    • Solomon Northup
  • Stars
    • Chiwetel Ejiofor
    • Michael Kenneth Williams
    • Michael Fassbender
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    716K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,308
    52
    • Director
      • Steve McQueen
    • Writers
      • John Ridley
      • Solomon Northup
    • Stars
      • Chiwetel Ejiofor
      • Michael Kenneth Williams
      • Michael Fassbender
    • 982User reviews
    • 493Critic reviews
    • 96Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #182
    • Won 3 Oscars
      • 242 wins & 337 nominations total

    Videos38

    UK Trailer
    Trailer 2:27
    Watch UK Trailer
    Trailer #1
    Trailer 2:29
    Watch Trailer #1
    12 Years a Slave
    Trailer 2:21
    Watch 12 Years a Slave
    The Rise of Chiwetel Ejiofor
    Clip 4:09
    Watch The Rise of Chiwetel Ejiofor
    12 Years a Slave
    Clip 0:41
    Watch 12 Years a Slave
    12 Years a Slave
    Clip 0:56
    Watch 12 Years a Slave
    12 Years A Slave: I Did As Instructed
    Clip 0:47
    Watch 12 Years A Slave: I Did As Instructed
    12 Years A Slave: A Lusty Visit In The Night
    Clip 0:24
    Watch 12 Years A Slave: A Lusty Visit In The Night
    12 Years A Slave: Welcome To Washington
    Clip 1:09
    Watch 12 Years A Slave: Welcome To Washington
    12 Years A Slave: I Want To Live
    Clip 0:41
    Watch 12 Years A Slave: I Want To Live
    12 Years A Slave: Soap
    Clip 0:41
    Watch 12 Years A Slave: Soap
    12 Years A Slave: What'd You Say To Pats?
    Clip 1:22
    Watch 12 Years A Slave: What'd You Say To Pats?

    Photos200

    Chiwetel Ejiofor and Adepero Oduye in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
    Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
    Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
    Paul Dano and Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
    Lupita Nyong'o in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
    Sarah Paulson and Michael Fassbender in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
    Paul Giamatti in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
    Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kelsey Scott, Quvenzhané Wallis, and Cameron Zeigler in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
    Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, and Lupita Nyong'o in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
    Chiwetel Ejiofor and Benedict Cumberbatch in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
    Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
    Sarah Paulson and Lupita Nyong'o in 12 Years a Slave (2013)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Chiwetel Ejiofor
    Chiwetel Ejiofor
    • Solomon Northup
    Michael Kenneth Williams
    Michael Kenneth Williams
    • Robert
    Michael Fassbender
    Michael Fassbender
    • Edwin Epps
    Brad Pitt
    Brad Pitt
    • Bass
    Dwight Henry
    Dwight Henry
    • Uncle Abram
    Dickie Gravois
    • Overseer
    Bryan Batt
    Bryan Batt
    • Judge Turner
    Ashley Dyke
    Ashley Dyke
    • Anna
    Kelsey Scott
    Kelsey Scott
    • Anne Northup
    Quvenzhané Wallis
    Quvenzhané Wallis
    • Margaret Northup
    Cameron Zeigler
    • Alonzo Northup
    Tony Bentley
    Tony Bentley
    • Mr. Moon
    Scoot McNairy
    Scoot McNairy
    • Brown
    Taran Killam
    Taran Killam
    • Hamilton
    Christopher Berry
    Christopher Berry
    • Burch
    Bill Camp
    Bill Camp
    • Radburn
    Mister Mackey Jr.
    • Randall
    Chris Chalk
    Chris Chalk
    • Clemens
    • Director
      • Steve McQueen
    • Writers
      • John Ridley
      • Solomon Northup
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    A Guide to the Films of Steve McQueen

    A Guide to the Films of Steve McQueen

    Through detailed close-ups, single-take dialogues, and powerhouse performances, Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen has shown audiences his unflinching perspectives on real-world drama.
    Watch the video
    Editorial Image
    2:08

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The tree where Solomon sees several men being lynched was actually used for lynching, and is surrounded by the graves of murdered slaves.
    • Goofs
      When "Platt" is explaining how to bring the logs down the river, the overseer scornfully asks him where he became an expert in engineering and "terraforming." This a word coined by science fiction author Jack Williamson in 1942, almost exactly 100 years after the scene takes place.
    • Quotes

      Solomon Northup: I don't want to survive. I want to live.

    • Crazy credits
      "Solomon brought the men responsible for his abduction to trial. Unable to testify against whites in the nation's capital, he lost the case against the slave pen owner, James Burch. After lengthy legal proceedings in New York, his kidnappers Hamilton and Brown also avoided prosecution."
    • Connections
      Featured in The Onion Film Standard: 12 Years a Slave (2013)
    • Soundtracks
      My Lord, Sunshine
      Written by Nicholas Britell

      Performed by Roosevelt Credit and David Hughey

    User reviews982

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Abducted to a Southern hell
    Considering the social and economic importance of slavery in America's history, the scarcity of serious films depicting the daily life of slaves in the Confederate States is significant - especially since the after-effects from this shameful episode still echo through the culture. '12 Years a Slave' is based upon the memoirs of Solomon Northup, who endured a hellish period of enslavement in Louisiana, which is backed up by legal records.

    The story begins with him living with wife and children in upstate New York as a free man and respected member of his community. After being lured to Washington by a couple of con-artists who promised him work, he was subsequently drugged, locked in chains, viciously beaten, stripped of his identity and shipped to New Orleans to be sold into slavery. Over the next twelve years, he was owned by two men who treated him in contrasting ways. The first was a relatively civilized fellow, but the plantation's half-witted manager was threatened by Northup's superior intelligence. Their mutual dislike produced a dangerously volatile situation, and unwilling to lose his investment, Northup's owner re-sold him to a neighbor. This unbalanced individual regarded his slaves as property to be used for pleasure and profit, which caused them to live in perpetual fear that his capricious moods would flare into sadistic lust or rage at any moment.

    It's noteworthy that a British director has become one of the few filmmakers to delve deeply into this subject, and the combination of John Ridley's powerful script and McQueen's directorial skills has inspired exceptional performances from the entire cast. Their dramatization of Northup's experiences is both riveting and uncomfortable to watch, as the film depicts the perverse nature of a society that permitted such a barbaric system. Hopefully it will reach a large US audience, who will learn how a privileged Southern elite cruelly exploited their fellow humans in order to acquire greater wealth for themselves.
    helpful•153
    99
    • tigerfish50
    • Sep 22, 2013

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    FAQ11

    • Is '12 Years a Slave' based on a book?
    • Did Solomon really play the violin?
    • Did Solomon's kidnappers really drug him?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 8, 2013 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Twelve Years a Slave
    • Filming locations
      • Madame John's Legacy, the French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA(slave pen)
    • Production companies
      • New Regency Productions
      • River Road Entertainment
      • Plan B Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $20,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $56,671,993
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $923,715
      • Oct 20, 2013
    • Gross worldwide
      • $187,733,202
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 14 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
      • Dolby Surround 7.1
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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