Parents' Guide to

12 Years a Slave

Movie R 2013 134 minutes
12 Years a Slave Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

S. Jhoanna Robledo By S. Jhoanna Robledo , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Imperfect but must-see epic drama with major cruelty.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

  • 2:15
  • 12 Years a Slave
  • 12 Years a Slave
  • 12 Years a Slave

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 13 parent reviews

FilmFanatic
FilmFanatic Adult
October 20, 2013
age 15+

Touching movie, but intense

Fantastic movie but has some really intense scenes/themes that may not be suitable for younger teens. Positive Role Model/Message- Solomon proves to be great role model and brings a great message to the movie. He presses on even through hard and seemingly unbearable times in the hopes of seeing his family again. Bass's views on slavery and the differences between white and black people also makes him a worthy role model. Violence- Very brutal beating/whipping scenes with harsh results. The viewer usually doesn't see the wound being directly inflicted, as the camera angle is opposite of the actual contact. You can. however see the gory after affects, whipping sounds, pained faces and even blood spray from the more savage hits. A woman slave asks another slave to end her life because she is suffering so much at the hands of her master. A man is hung by the neck on his toes for an extended scene before his is cut down. (He is okay.) In a scene, a few slaves are hung and we see their bodies convulse briefly. The violence is intense and realistic. Sex/Nudity- There are two sex scenes. One consensual and lasts about 20-30 seconds and another of the same length that borderlines on rape (She doesn't fight back but it is implied she doesn't have much of a choice in the matter.) None of these scenes have nudity. There are a few scenes of nudity, but they are non-sexual. Slaves are washing up and bare butts and breasts can be scene. In a slave market, the slaves are sold nude so that their potential buyers can inspect them. Again, butts and breasts can be seen. Language- Frequent uses of mild to moderate language such as the N word and one use of b*tch. The N word is used very frequently in a negative manner.
Miriam Y.
Miriam Y. Parent
July 16, 2017
age 15+

There's no sex itself but....

There isn't any actual sex scene, however this is a mature movie because of "sexual content". A woman is forced to take her clothes of while buyers buy her at an auction. THIS IS FULL FRONTAL NUDITY. Other than that scene the content is pretty tame and nothing a 15 year old can't handle. However, the violence is pretty graphic which is why I suggest mature 15 year olds. I also recommend that parents watch this first before letting their children.
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What's the Story?

An accomplished violinist and free man living in the state of New York, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) agrees in 1841 to tour with two gentlemen and perform while his family is away visiting relatives. Sadly, they were no gentlemen and there was no tour. Instead, they kidnap him, sneak him to the South and sell him as a slave. No matter how many times Northup says he's a free man, no one believes him, least of which the slave trader (Paul Giamatti) who insists on naming him "Platt." His first master, William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch), means well, but is scared off by neighbors who won't let him be kind to his workers. Northup's second master, Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), is a forbidding, troubled taskmaster who preys on a female slave, Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o), who then becomes the subject of cruelty at the hands of Epps' embittered wife, Mary (Sarah Paulson). Will Northup ever be free? Will the man from Canada named Bass (Brad Pitt) help or betray him? And how will he survive, both spirit and mind intact?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (13 ):
Kids say (51 ):

Inspired by real-life events, 12 YEARS A SLAVE is punishing and demoralizing to watch, so committed is director Steve McQueen to tell this story unwaveringly. You will leave the theater reminded of the wretched brutality that men and women have been, and still are, capable of, and it will leave you untethered. But a must-see it is. McQueen, for the most part, exerts restraint where a lesser director may have belabored the endeavor with overstuffed frames, waves of music, and speechifying, most of which he avoids here. Casting Ejiofor was a stroke of brilliance. He is magnetic, embodying the character so fully we believe in his resolve not to founder, and suffer when he does. Fassbender is Ejiofor's counterpart as the frightening Epps, and he's just as watchable, if not as sublime. His rendering is a little less nuanced, but compelling nonetheless.

12 Years a Slave goes slack as it marches toward the end, sputtering when it should crescendo. The ending, truthful as it may be, feels anti-climactic and rushed, more intellectually satisfying than emotionally fulfilling. But weeks after, the film will still sit with you, its impact weighty.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Northup's story: Have you heard of it before? If not, why not?

  • How is this movie different from, or similar to, others that explore the subject of racism and the history of slavery in this country?

  • Do you think the amount of violence in this movie helps viewers get a realistic understanding of the experience of slavery? Or is it gratuitous? Does the fact that the violence is in a historical context make it more (or less) tolerable?

Movie Details

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