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12 Monkeys

12 Monkeys

The future is history.

1995129 minRMidcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Director
Terry Gilliam
Starring
Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer

In the year 2035, convict James Cole reluctantly volunteers to be sent back in time to discover the origin of a deadly virus that wiped out nearly all of the earth's population and forced the survivors into underground communities. But when Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990 instead of 1996, he's arrested and locked up in a mental hospital. There he meets psychiatrist Dr. Kathryn Railly and the son of a famous virus expert who may hold the key to the Army of the 12 Monkeys; thought to be responsible for unleashing the killer disease.

Where to watch

Where can I watch 12 Monkeys?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list 12 Monkeys on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about 12 Monkeys?

12 Monkeys earns 13 badges, led by Top 1% in Mystery and Stood the test of time.

Show 5 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is 12 Monkeys worth watching?

12 Monkeys' Midcredits score is the 97th percentile of all films, from 1.2M ratings across 6 sources. 89% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

97th percentile

Better received than 97% of films

99th percentile among Mystery97th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)95th
Approval (how many liked it)97th

78 /100

95th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Mystery97th percentile among 1990s

Critics 75 · Audience 79

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

89% liked it

97th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Mystery98th percentile among 1990s
89% rated it 7–1011% rated it 1–6

Critics 88% · Audience 88%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 2 Oscar noms · 11 wins / 23 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Actor in a Supporting Role
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Costume Design

99th percentile

1.2M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Mystery99th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 13% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$29M
Opening weekend$185K
Domestic gross$57M
Worldwide gross$169M

Returned 5.8× its budget — 94th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A dark, ambitious time-travel thriller anchored by strong performances from Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.

Fans praised

  • Brad Pitt's unhinged, hilarious performance
  • Bruce Willis's vulnerable, character-driven turn
  • Dense, twisty time-travel mystery that rewards attention

Detractors panned

  • Muddled, impenetrable plot that over-explains and under-delivers
  • Pretentious, overhyped sci-fi masquerading as depth
  • Dragging pacing and overlong runtime

What stands out

ActingDivisive85

Brad Pitt's manic energy, Bruce Willis's grounded vulnerability

AtmosphereDivisive82

Dystopian dread and paranoid tone, reminiscent of Gilliam's Brazil

OriginalityDivisive78

Fresh spin on time travel, though later seen as clichéd

TensionDivisive72

Paranoid suspense, thriller elements keep engagement

CharactersDivisive70

James Cole's tormented arc, memorable supporting cast

Plot and storyDivisive60

Convoluted time-travel narrative, confusing for some

EndingDivisive55

Provocative but polarizing finale, leaves questions

Pacing45

Drags in parts, overlong by some accounts

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 7 points apart
  • Critics vs users 3 points apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is 12 Monkeys like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Mind-bender: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want a puzzle and can give it your full attention.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Mind-bender.

Moods
TenseDreadMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Dark humor
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Bleak · 8% of filmsSatirical · 5% of films
The answer rests on this: Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its apocalyptic scenario and psychological disintegration with a dark, brooding seriousness, even as it indulges in surreal visual flourishes.
The rideThe film maintains a constant sense of tension and dread, with the mood shifting to melancholic and devastating in its final act.
StructureThe story jumps between 1990, 1996, and 2035, with flashbacks and dreams, creating a disorienting but structured narrative.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you pondering fate, memory, and the futility of changing the past, while its poignant ending lingers with a mix of tragedy and acceptance.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% (this title) · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

10% of films fit this archetype

with Overcoming the monster underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe protagonist is sent back in time to gather information about a deadly virus, but his mission becomes complicated by mistaken identity and the psychological toll of time travel.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfTruthIdeas
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% (this title) · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Ideas

Truth · 4% of filmsIsolation · 5% of filmsMemory · 3% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film is about the struggle to be believed and to distinguish reality from delusion in the face of a world determined to ignore the truth.
StanceThe film mourns the truth being ignored and the inevitability of catastrophe, with Cole and Railly as the dual protagonists trying to be heard.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalScience fiction
Orchestral modernExperimentalSupportive music · original score
SettingA post-apocalyptic Philadelphia underground compound in 2035, and Baltimore/Philadelphia in the 1990s.
MusicNot specified in provided data.

Content guide

Is 12 Monkeys okay for kids?

R

12 Monkeys is rated R: “Rated R for violence and language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (66/100), sexual content at mild (33/100), language at intense (67/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (19/100) and frightening material at moderate (58/100). Overall it is heavier than 31% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 29 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada13+
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland15
  • New ZealandM
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Argentina13
  • Czechia12+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Greece15
  • Hungary16
  • IndiaUA
  • IS14
  • Israel16
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoB-15
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • SingaporeNC-16
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
  • TH18
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 57% of all filmsHeavier than 31% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 44%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 28%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 52%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 6%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 42%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language and violence. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does 12 Monkeys have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in 12 Monkeys?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; Brad Pitt won the Globe for this film.

Bruce Willis
as James Cole
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Madeleine Stowe
as Kathryn Railly
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Brad Pitt
as Jeffrey Goines
Globe win: Golden Globe — Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion PictureTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Christopher Plummer
as Dr. Goines
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
David Morse
as Dr. Peters
Jon Seda
as Jose
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Christopher Meloni
as Lt. Halperin
newcomer then · star now
Joey Perillo
as Detective Franki
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
LisaGay Hamilton
as Teddy
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Matt Ross
as Bee
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like 12 Monkeys?

Movies like 12 Monkeys include The Zero Theorem (2013), Brazil (1985) and One Point O (2004). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films by Terry Gilliam, and several are cyberpunk films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

9 of these 12 share its world: dystopian. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with 12 Monkeys?

292 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: time loop. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.