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DramaHistory TIFF 2013 · People's Choice Award Editor's Pick

12 Years a Slave Review (2013) — 89% Celluloid Score

Directed by Steve McQueen · 2013 ·

LLM fact sheet (.md)

Answer Summary: Is 12 Years a Slave worth watching?

12 Years a Slave (2013) earns a 89% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

Quick Verdict: What is the Celluloid Score for 12 Years a Slave?

Averaged from five public sources (critic, audience, Metascore, Letterboxd, IMDb). See how we calculate scores.

89%
Celluloid Score Recommended

Five-source breakdown

95% Critic Score
90% Audience
96 Metascore
★★★★☆ Letterboxd 4.1
8.1 IMDb /10
Runtime
2h 14m
Cast
Chiwetel Ejiofor , Michael Fassbender , Lupita Nyong'o , Benedict Cumberbatch , Paul Dano , Sarah Paulson , Adepero Oduye , Scoot McNairy , Paul Giamatti , Brad Pitt

Where to watch in the United States

Not yet streaming in the United States — check local listings.

Why this score?

  • Strong critic approval (95% positive).
  • Audiences widely enjoyed it (90%).
  • Metascore signals universal acclaim (96/100).
  • Letterboxd diarists rate it highly (4.1/5).
  • IMDb users score it 8.1/10.

Best for

  • Viewers who want a well-regarded drama, history pick

Not ideal for

    Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

    Is 12 Years a Slave worth watching?

    Yes — 12 Years a Slave earns a 89% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.

    Critics Consensus

    12 Years a Slave — People's Choice Award at TIFF 2013. A landmark festival winner on Celluloid.

    Celluloid Critics Consensus

    Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

    What is 12 Years a Slave about?

    In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.

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