No fancy sets, no special effects, just great acting

Rating: 9/10 (21 February 1999)

You have to wonder if the contemporary movies we enjoy today would not be so enjoyable if they did not have any special effects. Not that such movies are bad in and of themselves, but lately the trend seems to be to err on the side of dazzling high tech illusions rather than on the side of good acting. Twelve Angry Men shows that there is no substitute for good acting.
As viewers, we're not being asked to solve a murder case here. The focus is on the jurors, their personalities, prejudices and conflicts with each other while they deliberate. The actors were so convincing in their roles I often associated some of the characters with people I have known.