Should I watch 12 Years a Slave Reviews, Reasons to watch, Stream It or Skip It?

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I try to judge a movie on its own merits and hope that the outside stuff doesnt cause problems. Keith & the Movies

Given 12 Years A Slaves subject matter, its a welcome surprise that John Ridleys script pushes McQueen to prove he can proficiently execute multiple t ..

Yet its more than just a litany of sorrows, the ultimate slavery movie its already been dubbed. Av Club

While there are hints of tension between Epps and a neighboring white man, the script largely sweeps aside the specifics of the drama in favor of gene .. Indie Wire

Enjoyment is undefinable, but brilliance cannot be denied just remember that while youre watching Steve McQueens film and youll understand exactly why .. We Got This Covered

Its a painful yearning that dominates the film without overwhelming it. Austin Chronicle

Once you get inside those eyes, its hard to feel anything else.Other performances in the film are equally effective. Austin Chronicle

Its a film made for a mass audience, but it doesnt want them to feel comfortable for a second. Time Out

Ive been obsessing about this movie for hours and cant quite believe it actually unspooled. Time Out

Alongside, some scenes Platt making ink from watery beetroot stew, burning a letter as darkness overwhelms are of tremendously moving simplicity.Basss .. ETimes (TOI)

(But then what other honest outcome could there be.This isnt a Quentin Tarantino revenge fantasy, after all.) 12 Years a Slave is frequently masterful .. Paste Magazine

Nothing wrong with such fairy tale allusions, but its handling jars. Rogerebert

Fassbender, like Ralph Fiennes in Schindlers List, goes beyond boilerplate evil into a deeply twisted humanity, while Nyongo in her feature film debut .. E Film Critic

Of course the language and violence in 12 Years a Slave makes you wince, but the brutality here is as sleek as a knitting needle, and slips between yo .. Telegraph

The poignant drama is stuffed from start to finish with notable stars and impeccable performances. Cinema Blend

Sometimes you have to prepare yourself for the journey a film takes you on. Ny Daily News

To paraphrase, basically he said it took a Brit to make the definitive American film about slavery. JoBlo

McQueens storytelling approach is more accessible here than with his previous films, yet its also too removed and is partly to blame for making the vi .. Screen Rant

If Hunger was theatre of cruelty and Shame a contemporary opera, 12 Years a Slave is, like its source material, raw melodrama. The Globe And Mail

A tale of impossible cruelty and incredible survival, this essential piece of filmmaking embodies, in microcosm, the long and shameful chapter of Amer .. Philly

Hunger was a harrowing film about the hunger strike of IRA prisoner Bobby Sands and Shame is a riveting portrait of a sex addict who is very set in hi .. Spirituality And Practice

As a result his film is an important work, but one thats more potent on an intellectual level than an emotional one. One Guys Opinion

Its an image of great visual beauty.And it looks like art direction. Village Voice

Its essential viewing even if it, probably, is not one of the most entertaining films you will ever see. Sover

Based on an incredible true story of one mans fight for survival and freedom. Blu Ray

Like Hunger, its unrelenting, but without any kind of respite.And unlike Shame, it doesnt allow for much emotional connection to the character. Combust Ible Celluloid

Slavery here is not only a great moral darkness but a sweeping canvas for depicting the emotional deformities of the people who enforced and exploited .. Chicago Reader

There are no names here; the faces are unknown to us.It is routine. Mark Reviews Movies

Subjected to appalling cruelty for a dozen years, Northup perseveres. Usa Today

With this powerful, almost classical drama, British director Steve McQueen has made the seminal film about slavery that Hollywood feared to tackle. The Times

This is a British and American production.It seems only fitting that this should have been directed by an American director since it is an American st .. Lariat

McQueen makes sure we believe.Shot #2 is at the opposite end of the movie, in the final half hour. Eric Ds Nider

Here, he carries the whole movie and gives it its core of unquenchable humanity. News Review

The added bonus is that its also a tremendously powerful piece of cinema, a tale of suffering, endurance, courage and abiding humanity about a freebor .. Radio Times

Just be prepared for moments that will likely be seared into your mind and soul for some time. Screen It

In terms of storytelling, there isnt much dramatic tension here.This is primarily a chronicle of suffering and exploitation. Independent

This prickly renegade restores your faith in the harsh power of movies. Rolling Stone

The concept album that is Arethas Gold follows the chronology of Aretha Franklins hits, all released in 1967 and 1968, apex years of the decade not ju .. Pop Matters

The concept album that is Arethas Gold follows the chronology of Aretha Franklins hits, all released in 1967 and 1968, apex years of the decade not ju .. Pop Matters

Its as difficult and harrowing as the material demands that it be. The Wrap

Its an adventure movie, a hostage tale, a white knuckle thriller, a story of triumph. News Day

Having said that, I wish the truly searing moments in this film were not continually counterbalanced by an overall historical reenactment stiffness in .. Cs Monitor

It is one of those rare pieces of art that all its successors taking a shot at the same topic will be measured against. Film Journal

Sarah Paulson is a standout in the supporting role of the insanely jealous mistress. Hindustan Times

Critics are moved by the honest narrative and the stellar performances. Hindustan Times

Ejiofor proves himself a master of physical understatement, the clench of his teeth and slightest parting of the lips speaking volumes. The Guardian

There is a new passion and moral force in the film; a new tragic grandeur. The Guardian

But neither does it lecture.McQueen chooses to let all the actions and inactions convey their own message. The Guardian

The acting is outstanding, the direction assured if straightforward. Az Central

It combines cruelty on an unrelenting basis, so that it plays as matter of fact for those dispensing it, with a crushing sense of scale. Smh

When it wins Best Picture, and it will, most of the mud will be washed away in the euphoria. Smh

One wonders if McQueen might secretly have preferred to make a film about the villain and this is just one faultline in a film that, despite its surfa .. Smh

Beautifully made and stylish to no end even elegant. With an assured hand, McQueen has captured the uncomfortable juxtaposition of natural beauty and .. Mountain X

Rife with visceral beatings, multiple lynchings and an almost casual air of psychological cruelty, 12 Years a Slave is anything but easy to watch, but .. Npr

The film is both brutal to watch and stunning to contemplate, powerfully challenging audiences particularly white audiences to examine their conscienc .. Star Tribune

For the same caricatures as characters reasons, 12YS is, not bad, but not that all fired good, either.Apart from those characters, the cinematography .. Reel Talk Reviews

It doesnt involve lynching, or beatings, or whippings, or rape, or psychological torture, but rather the films protagonist, Solomon Northup, a born fr .. Q Network

And while the films very title bespeaks an end to Northups enslavement, for Patsey there is no hope.Hers is the most tragic predicament of all. Daily Mail

Its a masterpiece of modern cinema and one I intend to celebrate whenever I can. Cinema Crazed

(Im very mixed on that film, by the way there Are flashes of remarkable insight amid the spaghetti western revenge fantasy. Salon

(Grand Guignol as it sounds, this horrific detail is true to Northups narrative.) Slate

Steve McQueens (Hunger, Shame) film adaptation is a powerful portrait of this horrifying period of history. Flim List

If 12 Years lacks the formal boldness or sense of rigour of McQueens previous work, it is not by the numbers prestige filmmaking either. Empire

One of this years must see films, this is not simply a worthy tribute of a subject too often ignored by Hollywood; its also a remarkable piece of cine .. Eye For Film

Gruesomely cringe inducing, this true tale will shock you and anger you, but it may also touch you very deeply. Susang Ranger

The ultimate cruelty of humanity is tested to the perimeters of hell in 12 Years a Slave, a true story about the ugliest and most shameful chapter in .. Observer

12 Years a Slave goes slack as it marches toward the end, sputtering when it should crescendo.The ending, truthful as it may be, feels anti climactic .. Common Sense Media

See this film just to witness one of the greatest debut performances of the decade. Movies

12 Years a Slave is anything but reticent.It is brutal, at times too brutal, and though the title of the movie lets you know the horror ultimately end .. Sf Gate

12 Years a Slave is a reminder of the awe inspiring power great films can have. Boston Herald

This may remind us of what Solomon lost, but theres no feeling to the flashback because McQueen cant express that it comes from Solomons remembrance b .. Slant Magazine

The film continues McQueens Foucauldian preoccupation with the demoralization of societys power structures. Slant Magazine

But its also a crowning achievement of a filmmaker whose command of the medium extends beyond mere narrative and its reductive, sentimental snares to .. Washington Post

Its a desperate path and a story that seizes you almost immediately with a visceral force. The New York Times

It does what great cinema should do: takes you on an extraordinary journey and make you feel grateful to be alive. Express

It is also uneven enough to be merely very good rather than masterful. Reeling Reviews

Chiwetel Ejiofor, finally getting the high profile lead he deserves, seethes with the injustice Northrup is rarely allowed to express.The subject has .. The Irish Times

There is nothing we can do to change this terrible chapter in American history. Blogs Indie Wire

A profound cinematic achievement on every level.Filmmaking at its finest. Blogs Indie Wire

12 Years a Slave is by no means light entertainment but it provides a more worthwhile cinematic experience than about 90% of whats out there and the i .. ReelViews

British director McQueen, whose striking first two features, Hunger and Shame, remained restricted to the art film world, paints on a much bigger canv .. Hollywood Reporter

Rather, it is a blistering portrait of the human capacity for cruelty. The Atlantic

12 Years a Slave is not a feel good, inspirational movie.Its a crushing, somber and depressing portrait of American history laid bare in all its uglin .. Lyles Movie Files

Its a deeply inward, deeply felt performance, surely a cert for one of the many Oscars this film must win. Standard

COLE SMITHEYS MOVIE WEEK EPISODE #295 ENZO AVITABILE MUSIC LIFE 12 YEARS A SLAVEROBERTO ROSSELLINIS ROME, OPEN CITY Click Here to Visit the FilmBlog f .. Coles Mithey

Once 12 Years has shown us this vignette, it is doubly shocking to flash back to Platts life when he was Northup, a free man in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. .. Los Angeles Times

But will audiences have the stomach for a film that rubs their faces in injustice Variety

It can be hard to see the tree for the forest when it comes to films about culturally loaded topics, none more so than American slavery.Its useful to .. Groucho Reviews

12 Years is a powerful drama driven by McQueens bold direction and the finest performance of Chiwetel Ejiofors career. Hit Fix

12 Years a Slave isnt always easy to sit through, but it is most definitely a vital and profound motion picture. Aisle Seat

Fassbender manages a level of emotional complexity that transcends what couldve otherwise been a simple depiction of pure insanity and evilness. Forbes

Without it, the films anguished and sustained cry of injustice would ultimately go unheard. Herald Sun

Hes troubled by cruelty, but not enough to reject the system that allows it to flourish.At times, McQueen presents us with tableaus that might have be .. Movie Habit

Much is made of Northrups sense of humour in the book if the film is funny at all, I missed it. Film Freak Central

McQueens film, based on Northrups memoir, is a visceral depiction of unfathomable inhumanity and heroic fortitude. Oregon Live

As the end credits roll, we feel we have experienced as well as seen this wonderful masterwork from a filmmaker with oodles of natural talent. Urban Cine File

Tremendous performances from Chiewetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender and a stellar supporting cast anchor a gripping, brutal and brutally honest tale .. Ner Dist

While it might not be perfect, it demands and deserves your attention. Movies Tv Guide

Perhaps McQueen isnt concerned with anything outside of merely educating (or reeducating, or reiterating).

British artist turned filmmaker Steve McQueen (who directed Hunger and Shame) has made an unflinchingly powerful film, which is rich in content, beaut .. Mirror

For all the hostility and aggression he is daily confronted with, it is that inner turmoil that keeps you holding your breath and it is entirely palpa .. Digital Spy

But this is overall a much broader, more sweeping and less inward looking film than we might expect from McQueen, trading in distinctiveness for a mor .. Digital Spy

In Hunger and Shame, these extremes hinge mostly on denial and excess. Digital Spy

Mostly there is a rare feeling of watching greatness accumulate on a movie screen. Tamp A Bay

There are many striking moments (photographed by Sean Bobbit) and outstanding performances in this movie. New York Post

This devastating real life drama surfaces as an Oscar front runner by embedding its hero into a system so deeply monstrous its hard to fathom it was e .. Kansas City

Despite reports to the contrary, Steve McQueens Oscar bait drama is not the greatest film ever made. Flicks

**** (out of four) 12 Years a Slave is a raw, powerful film that matters, but watching it doesnt feel like work.If this movie ever appears on a syllab .. Red Eye Chicago

Viewers will likely leave this film accustomed to looking at Chiwetel Ejiofor through a wash of tears. The Stranger

Many viewers will likely have a hard time sitting through it. Watching it is necessary, though, and hugely rewarding. The results arent just supremely .. Dustin Put Man

Watching this film is a riveting, unnerving and ultimately moving experience. Contact Music

Once the films strong tactile imagery takes hold of you, its impossible to escape around the edges.McQueen has you breathing in the same soot and smok .. Ar Kansas Online

For his part, McQueen delivers a more full hearted story here that would be expected from some a strictly mechanistic director.But McQueens reticence .. Film Racket

12 Years a Slave is a master class in turning history into cinematic drama. Larsen On Film

In many ways, Northrup, an educated free man, is the ideal avatar for the modern audience. Christianity Today

It seems no surprise that the divide in our country politically between progress and regressiveness often splits the country along the same lines as t .. Hollywood And Fine

Ejiofors performance is typically unshowy yet subtle, conveying a dignity and humanity that the film needs in the face of such unfathomable injustice. The Arts Desk

As Epps, Fassbender does the near impossible by making a man of such brutality not sympathetic exactly but certainly painfully human, laying bare his .. The Arts Desk

This isnt a Spielberg film with beautifully framed lensing and paint by numbers morality tales.

Its a heavy, depressing film but its also one thats hard to discredit. The Film Pie

The flayed flesh and pink mist that filled the air is the price of master noticing you. Js Online

But McQueen and screenwriter John Ridley treat it more as straight up horror, an abduction that has Solomon witnessing and experiencing absolute, unam .. The Dissolve

1 of 2 2 of 2 Directed by Steve McQueen.Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, and Alfre Woodard. Straight

12 Years a Slave Synopsis Based on an incredible true story of one mans fight for survival and freedom. Movie Web

Hollywood continues to pay reparations for Gone With the Wind with this elegiac adaptation of Solomon Northrups autobiographical saga of a free black .. Sandiego Reader

The sheer power of the performances capably transport viewers to a place that most of us cant even comprehend but the fingerprints of the filmmaker ca .. Hollywood Chicago

But the picture ultimately becomes stuck in gear between epic period piece and art film, between the worlds of Spielberg and Malick. Cinemix Tape

Like McQueens past work, its not an easy film to recommend to everyone whole heartedly, even if its another step forward in the growth of one of the m .. ComingSoon

If only you could jump out of your seat and do something about it. Shockya

You might wonder how a director might handle a slave narrative post Django Unchained, and in this case you might be sorely disappointed. Sbs

But it was all too real, and all too common.Movies can do a great many things they can make us laugh, or incite our heroism, or frighten us, or make u .. Flavor Wire

Its an important subject given a realistic, respectful treatment without diminishing the cruelty and the inhumane nature of institutionalized slavery. Daily Herald

Breathtakingly real with awe inspiring performances.Soulful and beautiful. Awards Circuit

Its more visceral than thoughtful, more frightening than anything else. Crave Online

That it will make you sob uncontrollably and render you emotionally spent. Mercury News

The film is beautifully underplayed with an emotional undercurrent that gradually builds an accumulative force, before all of that anger and sorrow fi .. The Skinny

Its scary stuff, and though director Richard Rowley sometimes milks the thriller overtones too forcefully, Scahill explores the subject with admirable .. Scots Man

Screenwriter John Ridley takes a story thats episodic in nature and crafts a narrative that manages to build in intensity and emotion for over two hou .. Under The Radar Mag

In a movie season when man (or the occasional woman) meets adversity Somali pirates, an unforgiving sea, AIDS, cataclysmic space debris Solomon Northu .. Post Gazette

This is a film that will leave your guts, heart and tear ducts wrung dry. Metro

Even though its told from Northrups limited perspective, the movie covers a wide spectrum of institutionalized cruelty and achieves a sweeping portrai .. Scene Stealers

McQueens film can claim to be unflinching without being sensationalist but it also doubles as a well judged piece of social history. The Ooh Tray

There are no false pretenses or unnecessary charging, instead, there is patience and time. The moments of suspension often become the biggest delight. Movie Mezzanine

The fortuitously named follows up his previous pictures Hunger and Shame with this similarly pit of the stomach venturing, queasy making drama Streaming Quickflix

In its own right, Steve McQueens new movie is an extraordinarily accomplished and captivating piece, yet in the wider context of American history, bot .. Concrete Play Ground

Let us just say that it has taken a hundred years before a halfway American film could show the impact of a whip on a bare back. New Republic

The film earns the impression of gravity because McQueen puts in the work required to thoughtfully and intelligently convey it.This intelligence makes .. Bfi

No one will ever call this film an easy watch (repeat viewings would seem impossible), but it is an authentic, stunning, and moving work about the dar .. From The Balcony

A more conventional effort than Hunger or Shame, but its every bit as searing and tough minded, and hardly less challenging. Film Blather

Fortunately it remains scientifically proven that no one can gaze upon Ejiofors face and remain impassive. New States Man

Scenes of body horror bear higher emotional stakes than your average horror film. New City Film

Theres hope amidst the despair, but it takes faith and perseverance to bring it forward. Cinema Sight

Except that McQueen is not a schlockmeister sensationalist but a remorseless artist. Entertainment Time

12 Years A Slave bears its subject in its title, but one should not conflate the idea of cinema with entertainment. Trespass Mag

But it seems the Academy that honoured Gone With The Wind with an astonishing ten Oscars feels the time is right to don a hair shirt.If the bookies ar .. Daily Star

But after watching and experiencing the film, the fit is exactly right.12 Years a Slave is an adult look at an adult subject and the raw and intimate .. Daily Film Fix

Youll be glad you mustered your courage to go.Its a landmark film, and hopefully reduces the lag time between human holocausts and genocides, and our .. Theepoch Times

Calling this movie a tribute to the indomitable human spirit would only shortchange its achievement. Fw Weekly

Given the subject matter of the film, its unsurprising to say that 12 Years a Slave is moving, but its a testament to the filmmaking just how devastat .. Columbus Alive

Ambitious, honest and horrifying all at once, 12 Years a Slave may not be the easiest film to watch more than once, but it will stay with you forever .. Reel Talk Online

Its a rare sugarless movie about racial inequality.McQueen doesnt even give you any orchestral elevation. Grant Land

McQueens film is way too long for such a thinly scripted story, hammering you with the same ideas over and over to the point of exhaustion. Blog Bullz Eye

So raw and distressing is this historical account of a true life American slave, its tempting to turn away from the screen. Or maybe just cover your e .. Us Magazine

Despite not being given enough time for character exploration, Ejiofor is wonderful as the leading role of Solomon and the British actor manages to ca .. Cairo 360

(Opens Nov. 1.).In the 1840s, a free black man from upstate New York found himself kidnapped and sold into slavery. Sf Weekly

Ejiofor never lets us see hate or fear in the mans eyes, only resignation and slivers of hope that he might somehow escape this hell. Wp Me

This film stands as it is and should be applauded as a cinematic achievement. Johnhanlon Reviews

The Southern U.S.A locale particularly the swamps, dense sweaty forest and the trees that look as if theyre gnarled death draped in grey are nothing s .. Graffiti With Punctuation

The film can be cold and clinical, a vile history lesson told to a classroom and not shared by an audience, unlike the devastating humanity of Schindl .. Toledo Blade

With all this in its favor, its really a shame that 12 Years a Slave isnt more dramatically engaging. Battleship Pretension

And as a viewer you cant escape the oppressive torment of the bayous humidity and bugs, which McQueen serves up as a sensual feast akin to a gauzy Ter .. Cambridge Day

It does confront slavery and all its dreadful operations head on.It minces no words nor avoids any images. Honey Cutts Hollywood

This brave, unsentimental, honest movie achieves what Steven Spielberg did with Schindlers List and the Holocaust it gives a mainstream cinema audienc .. Sky

A harrowing, stark movie that is equal parts educational and devastating. Richard Crouse

It is a searing portrait of a dark time and of a terrible practice that nevertheless may leave some audience members feeling somewhat cold. Free Beacon

An incredible story of a man who clung to the hope of returning to his family, and used it to push away the horrible world he was forced into. Mac Guff

The films achievement is that by employing a restrained and naturalistic visual aesthetic, the portrayal of violence is authenticated and sidesteps ex .. Impulse Gamer

But in greater part, its that McQueen has constructed a film thats agonizing but not lurid, compassionate but not melodramatic, patient but still thri .. Willamette Week

12 Years a Slave knows better and muddies up every distinction freedoms just a word, its meaning rendered by the person who says it or doesnt say it, .. The Film Experience

If youve heard anything about the film, its probably that its a likely Oscar contender, if not a front runner. Ut Sandiego

12 Years a Slave is an exquisitely constructed film, with the beauty of the visuals in stark contrast with the unflinching brutality of the action. Hey U Guys

The once bright and intellectual man seems to only live out his years waiting to die. The Diva Review

Leave it to a Brit to make the greatest movie about American slavery. Bad Ass Digest

The film is a series of snapshots, moments both brutal and banal taken from a 12 year span in which one man fights to have a story at all.Its a gutsy .. Pgh City Paper

Fassbenders sadism is clearly fuelled by intense self loathing, an erosion of the soul that only the systematic denial of anothers humanity can achiev .. O Canada

While the heartfelt performances overcome the storys inherently one dimensional worthiness, the cinematography by Sean Bobbitt (The Place Beyond The P .. Birmingham Mail

I remember feeling this albeit much more intensely as I watched The Passion of the Christ: I want to witness much more than just the horror of brutali .. Looking Closer

The film has led you to experience slavery as an unending nightmare so horrific that there is something cruel even in Northups liberation from it. The Nation

The director isnt pandering to your emotions, begging for you to feel something. The Popcorn Junkie

There simply arent that many compelling and unique takes on slavery, at least not enough to inspire an overwhelming sense of fatigue. City Beat

The intervention of a pro abolitionist Canadian carpenter (Brad Pitt) alters Solomons fate. World Socialist Web Site

This may be the first narrative film to show slavery this realistically. Leepers Us

You owe it to yourself to watch it, even if again like Schindlers List you never watch it again. Blogs Houston Press

All published materials contained herein are owned by their respective authors and cannot be reprinted, either in their entirety or in selection, with .. Cinema Phile 2010 Blog Spo ..

Ridleys script can be literate and old fashioned, but he knows how to strip language until empathy is all the audience can feel.12 Years a Slave is mo .. Brightest Young Things

But the beating heart of this story is truth without adornment, pure and precious.Truth is what strengthens us, inspires our compassion, gives life me .. M Live

This is a story of strength and will in the face of unflinching cruelty. Daily Record

Its hard to resist comparing 12 Years a Slave with The Butler..Both are based on real men and their stories The Butler is an insiders look at the blac .. Japan Times

Hereditary (2018) When your grandma dies, cult related ordeal after ordeal doesnt tend to ensue. CNET

This may only last 90 seconds but feels like an eternity and is just one burning visual that McQueens film will etch in your brain. Fox News

Ejiofors finely etched portrayal of Solomon is neither a passive victim nor a movie world wish fulfillment hero but something far more complex, far mo .. The Movie Report

It is a brutal, unflinching, relentless and emotionally ruthless look at life in the ante bellum south. Cines Nark

Fassbender stirs up more hate and derision from the audience than any villain I have seen in years. Dc5

Just one of the great things about this great new movie is that it shines a light on a significant cinematic hypocrisy. 7 Dvt

The flashes of extraordinary filmmaking become seasoning for something that ultimately seems more interested in being worthy, earnest filmmaking. City Weekly

A decent film, but hardly the breakthrough anti slavery masterpiece many have claimed. Its difficult to stay in the brutal reality with A list movie s .. Arts Fuse

12 Years makes no concession to the viewers wish for satisfaction or closure. Nc Register

But the best sequences in 12 Years a Slave are not history lessons. They are, instead, visually ambiguous and open ended, presumably owing something t .. Ny Books

That the same God serves both slave and master is one of the films many understated ironies. James Wegg Review

McQueen has achieved that incredibly rare feat, crafting a traditional Hollywood movie without sacrificing his ferocious filmmaking style. Ib Times

You may wonder why you should see such a film.Why even make it, 160 years later Charlotte Observer

There are moments that are less crushing than others, but there is no free floating hope here, only that which Northup can make. Events Austin 360

How could the two other discussants rave about Steve McQueens film without knowing what preceded it Louis Proyect

But for all its commendable points, as a film it never quite hangs together cohesively. Un Cut

One of the greatest strengths of this film is Chiwetels expressive face. Bitch Media

In his typically visceral way, McQueen rips the scab off a wound that may never fully heal and dares us to look away. Television Without Pity

For all the films thematic importance but emotional caution, its performances embody the former but not the latter and it is here that it becomes not .. Arts Hub

12 Years a Slave (2013) Summary: Steve McQueens adaptation of Solomon Northups memoir is a searing and thought provoking portrait of pre Civil War Ame .. Awards Daily

There is a reason that Slave has topped the best of list of 25 major film critics and won the Golden Globe for Best Picture. Miss it at your own loss. The Crat

Whatever its flaws, Schindlers List didnt betray a sense of flourish. Reverse Shot

And Fassbender avoids turning the malevolent Epps into a one note nemesis. America Magazine

A sobering slave narrative recounting a recorded, real life case of inhuman bondage. Aalbc It

Along with Ejiofor and Fassbender, McQueen should reap all the accolades for bringing 12 YEARS A SLAVE to the screen without shoving guilt at us.This .. Las Vegas Informer

Because its about a serious subject I should hate watching it.That makes it less effective. Filmdrunk Uproxx

That isnt to say its depictions of violence are crass or exploitative. Next Best Picture

Out of a sense of historical accuracy, McQueen doesnt recoil from the cruelty, but he brings a sad poignancy to even the most unbearable scenes. Deep Focus Review

Far from didactic, theres a sharp seam of humour through this searingly honest movie. The New Daily (Australia)

Ejiofors performance is a study in restraint, a combination of stunningly detailed character work and the sort of unforced naturalism that truly talen .. Spin Off Comic Book Resour ..

12 Years a Slave is indeed a sophisticated, unnervingly visceral cinematic reminder that slavery did happenand we should never forget it.Its a fitting .. Indy Week

12 Years a Slave lets us stare at the primal sin of America with open eyes, and at moments it is hard to watch, yet its a movie of such humanity and g .. Insidemovies Ew

The film wants to hurt you, knows you are terrified of what it will show you, then shows you way more than you bargained for. Because I Told You So

Even Michael Fassbenders powerhouse plantation owner Epps doesnt eclipse Solomon and other slaves harrowing experiences.

Discussed in this essay: 12 Years a Slave, directed by Steve McQueen. Harpers

A lot of the slave movies we see turn around and become a white savior movie, which this one avoided. Every element of this film is done so well and a .. Medium Popcorn

If you like your Hollywood movies sugar coated and happy ended, Steve McQueen isnt your director. CathsFilmForum.com

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