In 1954, anthology drama series, “Studio One” aired an episode titled, “Twelve Angry Men.” Written by Reginald Rose, this episode involves twelve jurors debating on whether the defendant is innocent or guilty. Conflict ensues when one of them claims the defendant’s innocent. A Year Later, Reginald sold the rights to his teleplay as a dramatic play. It became a huge it. This caught Henry Fonda’s attention to adapt it into a potential film. He and Reginald formed a collaboration to produce “12 Angry Men” with Sidney Lumet in the director’s chair.
Released in 1957, (same year Burger King introduced Whoppers) it received huge praise from critics and movie goers alike. Plus, it was a modest box office hit. 12 Angry Men was nominated for three Academy Awards including “Best Picture.” However, it won nothing. To this day, the play and film introduce newcomers in middle school/high school theatre and literature classes. Anyway, I have one good reason why I wanna review this classic gem. Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated epic adventure fantasy, “The Odyssey” will be released on July 17, 2026. Mr. Nolan mentioned 12 Angry Men is one of his favorite films.
This review contains no SPOILERS.
Innocent & Guilty Aspects
Innocent: Henry Fonda and the rest of the cast all did a terrific job for their respective performances. In addition to headlining the titular jury, Henry also co-produced the film.
Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon, Network, The Verdict) did a decent job directing.
Reginald Rose himself wrote the script. He made sure story elements remain intact. Plus, he served as a co-producer.
Cinematography’s shot in stable condition lacking technical issues throughout.
Although there’s no stakeout, fight scenes and epic scenery, this film is intended to be like the play. Primarily a dialogue driven story. If you’re not into these type of one location stories, this may not be your cup of tea. I on the other hand, didn’t feel bored.
Fun Facts
- In 2007, 12 Angry Men was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.
- As of 2026, the film’s ranked #5 on IMDb’s “Top 250 Films.” It went one number above “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
- American Film Institute or AFI for short ranked Henry Fonda’s character, Juror 8 as #28 Hero under “AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Heroes & Villains.”
- The Criterion Collection digitally restored the film on DVD/Blu-Ray as spine #591.
Random Thought: First time I heard about 12 Angry Men was from that one “Hey Arnold” episode, “False Alarm.” Arnold fills in Henry Fonda’s role trying to convince his classmates that Eugene didn’t pull the fire alarm.
Guilty: Both the play and film are quite dated. For instance, the jurors mentioned the defendant forgot the name of a movie he saw. Nowadays, people with bank accounts will check on their transactions on how much they spent on their credit or debit card. Therefore, people can remember what movie they saw with a click of a single button via desktop/laptop.
The Final Verdict: A-
It’s gonna sound controversial, but I don’t think 12 Angry Men isn’t on the same 10/10 territory as The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Don’t get me wrong, the former has good parts that hold up including performances, Sidney Lumet’s direction, camerawork, production value and well written dialogue. If you’re a Christopher Nolan fan like me or looking for something to watch, I highly recommend it. If you’re a Criterion Collector, add this on your shelf.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 