--- title: "Twelve Monkeys: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/twelve-monkeys/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/twelve-monkeys" critics_score: 69 critics_reviews: 7 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Twelve Monkeys (1995): what the critics said Critics' score 69 from 7 reviews: 5 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Twelve Monkeys, with praise centred on Terry Gilliam’s distinctive visual world, bleak atmosphere and ambitious time-travel storytelling. The performances provide an emotional foothold amid the disorientation, particularly Bruce Willis’s anguished, inward-looking turn. For the more enthusiastic reviews, the intricate plotting rewards attention and repeat viewing, while the uncertainty surrounding sanity and perception gives the science fiction something troubling to explore. The disagreement concerns how much confusion the film earns. Empire finds a coherent plot beneath the difficult structure; Variety argues that visual invention overwhelms dramatic logic and leaves the cast struggling with cartoonish characters. Between those positions, even sympathetic reviews note distracting camerawork, uneven pacing or an overextended script. The spread is wide rather than uniformly approving: most critics find feeling and purpose in Gilliam’s complications, but the strongest dissent sees a failure to make the story work. ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic praises the film's complex, coherent time-travel plot and emotional core despite its disorienting structure. Gilliam's visual flair and strong performances, especially from Bruce Willis, are highlighted as strengths that make it rewarding on rewatch. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/twelve-monkeys-review/) ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 4/5. The critic calls the labyrinthine sci-fi thriller very much the work of Terry Gilliam, who imposes his own pseudo-poetic vision onto the doomed world. They single out Bruce Willis's anguished introvert performance as what holds the gripping, hauntingly atmospheric film together. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-xi4mqv/twelve-monkeys/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 1995. Gilliam's direction fills the film with strange and wonderful sights but often distracts from plot mechanics, making it baffling and difficult to follow at times. It ultimately builds dramatic momentum in an unconventional way that a more straightforward version probably would not achieve. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-12-27-ca-18139-story.html) ## Time Out — TCh Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2012. The critic describes Gilliam's apocalyptic fantasy as even weirder than it sounds and a spectacularly disorienting inaction movie rather than a typical action pic. They call it a terrible mess but a terribly beautiful, tender one, praising Gilliam's lunatic poetry while noting issues with narrative pacing. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/12-monkeys) ## Variety — Emanuel Levy Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 1995. Gilliam constructs an overwhelming visual universe but neglects dramatic logic and narrative coherence, resulting in a spectacular mess that is excessively complicated and ultimately a box-office disappointment. The stellar cast cannot overcome the cartoonish characters or the film's lack of humor and sharp commentary compared to the director's prior work. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1995/film/reviews/12-monkeys-terry-gilliam-1200444003/) ## Eye for Film — Stephen Carty Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 June 2011. The critic calls the film dark, bleak and mind-bending, declaring it as good as sci-fi gets and one of the standout examples of the genre. They single out Gilliam's distinctive visuals, foredoomed atmosphere and clever handling of time-travel paradoxes for praise. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/twelve-monkeys-film-review-by-stephen-carty) ## Collider — Elisa Guimarães Rating B+. 18 February 2023. The critic highlights Gilliam's focus on the blurred line between sanity and insanity, with strong performances and ambitious time-travel storytelling that holds up, while noting flaws like some overly disorienting camera work and a slightly bloated script. [Read the review](https://collider.com/12-monkeys-review/) ## Den of Geek — Carley Tauchert Rating 4 out of 5. 23 September 2009. The critic calls Twelve Monkeys one of Gilliam's most successful films and praises its intricate, thought-provoking plot and visual style as a strong sci-fi drama open to interpretation. They single out Brad Pitt's Oscar-nominated performance as Jeffrey Goines for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/twelve-monkeys-blu-ray-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/twelve-monkeys.md