Brilliant writing, directing, acting, and filming!

Rating: 10/10 (4 February 2017)

This film is a must see! No bells and whistles here, just the clear suspenseful plot of 12 men negotiating the future of a young man charged with murdering his father. Simply made, this black and white classic is nearly exclusively filmed in the confines of a small, hot, and miserable jurors room.
Juror #8, played by Henry Fonda, sets the standard initially with the sole "Not Guilty" vote. Each character then has to do some serious soul-searching to remove personal bias, conformity, and arrogance to properly perform their civic duty of determining the accused youth's fate. Sidney Lumet masterfully composes an instant classic by giving the viewers an inner look at individual and group conflict along with conflict resolution. This film is a great case study for communication styles for individuals and groups, as well.
Award winning acting, simplistic yet revealing dialogue, and before it's time camera angles and editing join together beautifully to create a suspense driven plot without the use of action, color, special effects, or an expensive budget.