Twelve Monkeys (1995)
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A convict is sent back in time to find a cure for a man-made virus that decimated the human population.
The story
In 2035, thirty-eight years after a virus killed 99 percent of the global human population, James Cole is a prisoner in a compound underneath the ruins of Philadelphia. He is selected by scientists for a mission to travel to 1996 and collect information on the original strain of the virus so a cure can be developed. Cole experiences recurring dreams of a childhood experience in which he saw a man being shot in an airport terminal. Upon being sent back in time, Cole arrives in Baltimore in 1990, not 1996 as planned. He is arrested and committed to a psychiatric hospital where he encounters fellow inmate Jeffrey Goines.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2035, a prisoner named James Cole is sent back in time to 1996 to find the original strain of a virus that decimated the human population. He arrives in 1990 instead and is hospitalized. He eventually meets Dr. Kathryn Railly, who is investigating the virus. They discover that the 'Army of the Twelve Monkeys' is actually an animal rights group. Cole is repeatedly sent back to the future and then back to 1996. He and Railly eventually travel to the Florida Keys. At an airport, Cole realizes the truth about the organization and is shot by police while in Railly's arms. As he dies, he makes eye contact with a young boy who watches the scene, while a scientist named Jones sits next to a man named Peters on a plane.
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 129
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; France; Japan; United States; Germany
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Terry Gilliam
- Writers
- David Peoples · screenplay; Janet Peoples · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Bruce Willis · James Cole; Madeleine Stowe · Dr. Kathryn Railly; Brad Pitt · Jeffrey Goines; Christopher Plummer · Dr. Leland Goines
- Genres
- science fiction; thriller
- Themes
- information overload
- Tone and mood
- dark; disturbing
- Premise and plot tags
- time travel; post-apocalyptic; virus; science fiction
- Source material / true-story basis
- La Jetée
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was praised for its atmosphere and performances.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 75 · scale: 100 · review count: 20
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · Nomination; Academy Award · Best Costume Design · Nomination; Saturn Award · Best Science Fiction Film · Win; Saturn Award · Best Supporting Actor · Win; Saturn Award · Best Costumes · Win; Golden Globe Award · Best Supporting Actor · Win; Berlin International Film Festival · Direction · Honor
- Production trivia
- The film was inspired by the French short film La Jetée.; The film features a character who is a notable Christ figure.; The film is considered a significant work in the genre of science-fiction film noir.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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