Not your standard thriller !

Rating: 9/10 (1 March 2020)

12 Angry Men is a very different thriller, it isn't even classified as one here on IMDb. But it is still a thriller nontheless, since it thrills, and boy does it thrill well !
It has no hidden bombs ready to detonate, no climactic shootout, no heroes getting imprisoned in the lair of the villains, but the suspense comes from one simple thing: the dialouge.
12 Angry Men is built on one of the better screenplays I have seen, and that is quite a feat since 90% of the movie takes place in one single room. But that is perhaps what makes it so tense and so great; the fact that you are stuck in one room with twelve very differing jurors divided into two groups, each of them trying to debunk the arguments of the opposing side over one question; is a teen convicted of first-degree murder guilty, or not guilty ? The heated conversations between the twelve delivers constant curveballs and plot twists, some quite shocking.
What I also love about the movie is the fact that it all seems like one take (comparisons can be made with the recent 1917 (2019), but perhaps not to the same extent). The excellent editing and the brilliant acting by all twelve jurors make sure of this.
I have seen people complaining over the lack of music in 12 Angry Men, but in my opinion, the dialouge serves as the music, if that makes any sense. It is a pure delight to listen to.
To conclude, 12 Angry Men is one of the best and most suspenseful movies I have ever seen, but in a very different way. It is a great shame that it is not as widely avaliable as some other highly rated IMDb titles, but perhaps that only adds to its factor of exclusivity.
10/10