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Twelve Monkeys (1995)

R 129 min  -  Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller  -   5 January 1996 (USA)
8.1
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Ratings: 8.1/10 from 237,057 users   Metascore: 74/100 
Reviews: 471 user | 123 critic | 20 from Metacritic.com

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.

Director:

Terry Gilliam

Writers:

Chris Marker (film La Jetée), David Webb Peoples (screenplay), and 1 more credit »
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Top 250 #185 | Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 8 nominations See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joseph Melito Joseph Melito ...
Bruce Willis ...
Jon Seda ...
Michael Chance Michael Chance ...
Vernon Campbell ...
H. Michael Walls H. Michael Walls ...
Bob Adrian Bob Adrian ...
Simon Jones ...
Carol Florence Carol Florence ...
Bill Raymond ...
Ernest Abuba Ernest Abuba ...
Irma St. Paule Irma St. Paule ...
Madeleine Stowe ...
Joey Perillo ...
Bruce Kirkpatrick ...
Policeman No. 1
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Storyline

An unknown and lethal virus has wiped out five billion people in 1996. Only 1% of the population has survived by the year 2035, and is forced to live underground. A convict (James Cole) reluctantly volunteers to be sent back in time to 1996 to gather information about the origin of the epidemic (who he's told was spread by a mysterious "Army of the Twelve Monkeys") and locate the virus before it mutates so that scientists can study it. Unfortunately Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990, six years earlier than expected, and is arrested and locked up in a mental institution, where he meets Dr. Kathryn Railly, a psychiatrist, and Jeffrey Goines, the insane son of a famous scientist and virus expert. Written by Giancarlo Cairella <vertigo@imdb.com>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Virus | Future | Monkey | Animal | Mental Institution  | See more »

Taglines:

They're Coming. See more »

Genres:

Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

12 monos See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$29,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$14,200,000 (USA) (7 January 1996)

Gross:

$167,000,000 (Worldwide) (August 1996)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo  | DTS  | Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

When Kathryn Railly first gets a call about Cole she is attending a poetry recital. The work being read is a quatrain from "The Rubaiyat" by Persian-born poet and astronomer Omar Khayyam. The quatrain being read is: Yesterday This Day's Madness did prepare; To-morrow's Silence, Triumph, or Despair: Drink! for you know not whence you came, nor why: Drink! for you know not why you go, nor where. See more »

Goofs

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The bandage on Cole's neck reattaches itself. But the shot where it was re-attached happened sometime later (he had slept some due to the shot) so it's very likely that one of the doctors had re-attached it. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: ...5 billion people will die from a deadly virus in 1997... /... The survivors will abandon the surface of he planet... /... Once again the animals will rule the world... / - Excerpts from interview with clinically diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, April 12, 1990 - Baltimore County Hospital.
See more »

Crazy Credits

The symbol of the 12 Monkeys provides the backdrop for the opening and closing credits. See more »


Soundtracks

"Comanche"
(1959)
Written by Milton Grant, Link Wray
Performed by Link Wray & The Wraymen
Courtesy of Epic Records Company Limited, London
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing See more »