

12 Years a Slave
The extraordinary true story of Solomon Northup.
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.
TMDB
7.9/10
12,307 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $20M
- Box office
- $187M
- Language
- English
- slavery
- louisiana
- based on true story
- racism
- based on memoir or autobiography
- period drama
- slave owner
- shocking
- 19th century
- sold into slavery
- abolitionist
- african american history
Top billed cast


















Behind the camera
Director
Writers
Music
Produced in
United Kingdom, United States of America
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
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Videos
Release dates
IndiaIN
- Theatrical21 Feb 2014
United StatesUS
- PremiereTelluride Film Festival30 Aug 2013
- PremiereNew York Film Festival8 Oct 2013
- Theatrical (limited)R18 Oct 2013
- TheatricalR8 Nov 2013
- PhysicalR4 Mar 2014
United KingdomGB
- Premiere15London Film Festival18 Oct 2013
- Theatrical1510 Jan 2014
United Arab EmiratesAE
- PremiereDubai International Film Festival9 Dec 2013
AustraliaAU
- PremiereBrisbane Film Festival23 Nov 2013
- TheatricalMA 15+30 Jan 2014
CanadaCA
- PremiereToronto International Film Festival6 Sept 2013
- Theatrical14A18 Oct 2013
ArgentinaAR
- Theatrical6 Feb 2014
ArmeniaAM
- Theatrical12 Dec 2013
BelgiumBE
- Theatrical1822 Jan 2014
BrazilBR
- Theatrical1421 Feb 2014
ChileCL
- Theatrical6 Feb 2014
ColombiaCO
- Theatrical7 Feb 2014
Frequently asked questions
12 Years a Slave was released on 18 October 2013.
Audience reviews
5- K
kineticandroid
6/21/2014
Sometimes, I just have to stop my brain in the middle of a film and just admire its exceptional craftsmanship. I found myself doing that time and time again during this film. Perhaps I was more open to admiring the shot compositions and acting choices because, as I cynically told myself before the film, it's not like I needed much convincing that slavery was bad. Or perhaps it was because I was shielding myself from …
- A8/10
Andres Gomez
5/2/2015
This movie is very, very well done. Well, edited and with the proper long shots at the proper moments bringing you to the life of Solomon without remedy. All the cast performs exceptionally well and Ejiofor is to be remembered for this film. A must to be seen.
- P8/10
post_orgasmic_mood
2/20/2017
Not in a long time have I seen a movie that brings out real emotions from my cold hearted soul. This movie brought them out in floods of tears. the acting was superb, especially from the lead Chiwetel Ejiofor, he acted from his little toe right up to his eyes. The style was also filmed beautifully with some (extremely) painful long shots which pulled you into Solomons nightmare. Im not sure if its a film I c…
- S10/10
Shreyance Parakh
5/4/2017
**Dreaded at the thought that human kind ACTUALLY had this kind of livelihood at some point of time..** Could not gather my thoughts to write this review at the end of the movie.Feeling really bogged down by some heaviness on my chest. Thinking about the times in history when we actually used to do these atrocities on other human beings makes me cringe.To imagine waking up one day and find me in chains just becaus…
- C7/10
CinemaSerf
1/14/2026
There are plenty of stories of slaves in the USA, but this is the only one I’ve come across where a free citizen is kidnapped and sold into slavery. It’s this latter-day people trafficking that sees successful family man Solomon Northup (Chiwitel Ejiofor) fall foul of some villains, beaten savagely, then sold to work in the sugar plantations of Louisiana. He’s an intelligent man, a man of integrity and spirit - and t…
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