12 Monkeys
8.088%88%7.6
In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.
Where to Watch 12 Monkeys
- Kevin WardJuly 14, 2025In 1996/1997, 5 billion people die from a deadly virus outbreak. The last remaining humans have receded underground for survival. In this future, prisoners “volunteer” to conduct scientific expeditions and in return prisoners can receive reduced time off their sentences or even pardons. These research expeditions include trips to the surface but also ventures back in time with hopes of locating the origin of the virus and potentially a cure. Bruce Willis stars as James Cole, one of said prisoners. The science of time travel is messy and carries unknown (or possibly known) side effects on the traveller. They don’t always send the person to the correct time. The traveller can become disoriented and lose touch with reality. James, in fact, is sent to 1990 instead of just before the viral outbreak in 1996 and winds up in a mental institution where he meets Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), a meeting which may have some unintended consequences of its own. As James undertakes more and more time jumps, he begins to lose his grip on reality. And though he has the knowledge of a calamitous future, he’s burdened with the absolute inability to do anything to change it. Terry Gilliam’s brilliant direction brings this grimy and bleak futuristic vision to life. The script smartly written and is incredibly conceived, particularly for a plot that involves time travel. Bruce Willis gives one of the best performances of his career and Brad Pitt gives perhaps his wildest. (Not to mention you get to see both of their bare asses). The film hits even harder now after having lived through a pandemic. James yearning to stay in the pre-pandemic past even if it means he’s mentally insane is, well….relatable. If you’ve somehow never seen this film, I highly recommend. Masterpiece.
- Clay Jar1d agoI watched this for the first time in 2026. What a trip through time this movie was. Seeing a young Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis was a delight, even back then it was clear both were great actors. The story of 12 Monkeys is incredibly enticing and while it may have some slower pacing at moments, it's still an incredible watch that held my attention from the first scene to it's final breath. If you are looking for a psychological thriller with a dash of sci-fi this is a must watch. I give it 4 monkeys out of 5.
- George BananzaSeptember 8, 2026I think there were 12, I didn’t count.
- CallumNovember 6, 2025⭐⭐⭐⭐½ – 12 Monkeys – Madness, Memory, and the Loops We Live In Before COVID, 12 Monkeys felt like dystopian fiction — now it feels disturbingly plausible. Terry Gilliam’s grim, twisting vision of a world undone by disease and desperation has only grown sharper with time. What once played as science fiction now reads as a mirror held too close for comfort, reflecting humanity’s fear, denial, and desperate search for control. Bruce Willis delivers one of his most haunting performances as a man sent back through time to find the source of a plague that destroys the future. Each jump leaves him more unmoored, and the question shifts from what’s real to what’s remembered. Brad Pitt is manic brilliance as the anarchic Jeffrey Goines — a performance that steals every scene without ever breaking the film’s internal logic. Madeline Stowe, meanwhile, grounds the chaos with emotional clarity, balancing the madness around her with quiet empathy. It’s a cerebral experience — the kind of film that demands your full attention. The time loops aren’t neat puzzles but tragic inevitabilities; you can’t fix what’s already happened if the act of trying is what caused it. Watching it now, post-pandemic, the film’s sense of paranoia and fatalism hits harder than ever. On the Grim Dark Scale, 12 Monkeys sits in the same unsettling space as Children of Men — bleak, thoughtful, and disturbingly human. It’s not a film you relax to; it’s one that lingers, whispering what ifs long after the credits fade. 🥃 Pairing: A smoky single malt — complex, introspective, and heavy enough to leave you quiet for a while after the last sip.
- rrdavis1959June 16, 2026Brad Pitt is the actor of our time.
- Helen WrightMay 29, 2026I enjoyed it. But at times it seemed confusing but it comes together at the end. The acting is very good.
- mdediegoMarch 14, 2026The plot is not great, but this movie is a “must-watch” for a number of reasons. The first is Brad Pitt in a role that really makes him shine. It was the first movie I saw that made me say, “This guy can act.” The second is the whole atmosphere that Terry Gilliam brings to his films, which you can clearly see in 12 Monkeys. Another one is the love story between the main protagonists draws you in, along with the film’s questioning of reality, insanity, and mental institutions.
- Alex SquiresApril 16, 2026The only time travel this movie experienced was the literal 6 months it took to push myself into finishing.
- whitney1977April 12, 2026Man, fuck all y'all don't do this to me I'm a fragile fucking snowflake
- Lasse ViinikainenJuly 31, 2025A classic blend of sci-fi and an unusual cinematography.
- capitanpesoNovember 24, 2025Interesting movie with some pretty good twists. Excellent acting all around.
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12 Monkeys was released on December 29, 1995.
12 Monkeys was directed by Terry Gilliam.
12 Monkeys has a runtime of 2h 9m.
12 Monkeys was produced by Charles Roven.
In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.
The key characters in 12 Monkeys are James Cole (Bruce Willis), Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe), Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt).
12 Monkeys is rated R.
12 Monkeys is a Science Fiction, Thriller, Mystery film.
12 Monkeys has an audience rating of 8.8 out of 10.
12 Monkeys had a budget of $29M.
12 Monkeys has made $168.8M at the box office.