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12 Years a Slave

Turkish title: 12 Yıllık Esaret

“The extraordinary true story of Solomon Northup.”

2013 · 2 h 14 min
Directed by Steve McQueen

Cast

Chiwetel Ejiofor Michael Fassbender Lupita Nyong'o

Credits

Written by: John Ridley

Plot

In 1841, Solomon Northup, a free Black violinist from New York, is lured to Washington, kidnapped and sold into slavery in Louisiana. He spends twelve years enduring cruelty under different owners, trying to hold on to his identity and find a way home. Steve McQueen's 2013 film, based on Northup's memoir, with Chiwetel Ejiofor, won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Sinekatalog’s take

Steve McQueen's adaptation of Solomon Northup's memoir is unflinching about the brutality of slavery. Chiwetel Ejiofor anchors it, and McQueen's long, steady takes make it hard to look away.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

Ratings

IMDb: 8.1 / 10 (796,388 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.

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