12 Monkeys (1995) - Best Time Travel Movies | Filmiway
Temporal Complexity Analysis
A haunting exploration of madness and memory. It questions whether the future can be changed or if we are merely observers of our own tragedy.
12 Monkeys
The Experience
By 2035, humanity is forced to live underground after a deadly virus wipes out the population. James Cole, a convict, is volunteered to travel back to the 1990s to locate the virus's source: the Army of the Twelve Monkeys. But Cole is haunted by a recurring dream from his childhood and begins to question his own sanity. Is he a savior from the future, or just a madman lost in time?
Cast & Crew
Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt
Production Details
Budget: $29.5 million
Box Office: $168.8 million
TIME TRAVEL COMPLEXITY SCORE
A transcendent masterpiece redefining narrative complexity.
Clean Content Record
12 Monkeys: No sexual content or graphic scenes present in this film.
📊INTENSITY GRAPHIntensity GraphShows plot intensity
throughout the movie. Higher peaks
indicate more intense moments.
throughout the movie. Higher peaks
indicate more intense moments.
🧬CINEMATIC DNAGenre DNA BreakdownVisual representation of the movie's
genre composition. Larger segments
indicate dominant genre elements.
genre composition. Larger segments
indicate dominant genre elements.
Genre DNA Distribution
- SciFi: 45%
- Thriller: 35%
- Mystery: 20%
Movie Intensity Arc
- Minute 18: First Jump (42/100 Intensity)
- Minute 52: Psychiatrist (63/100 Intensity)
- Minute 85: Army of 12 (74/100 Intensity)
- Minute 108: Airport (86/100 Intensity)
- Minute 124: Circle Closes (93/100 Intensity)
Community Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions About 12 MonkeysFAQ About 12 Monkeys
Explore the time-bending mechanics, paradoxes, and storytelling genius behind 12 Monkeys.
What is 12 Monkeys about?
A convict is sent back in time to gather information about a virus that devastated humanity. Terry Gilliam's dark, dystopian masterpiece questions sanity and fate.
Who stars in 12 Monkeys?
Bruce Willis plays the time-traveling convict, with Brad Pitt earning an Oscar nomination for his unhinged performance as mental patient Jeffrey Goines.
Is time travel possible in 12 Monkeys?
The film suggests time is immutable—travelers can't change the past, only fulfill it, exploring predestination and the futility of altering fate.
What inspired the film?
Loosely based on Chris Marker's experimental short film 'La Jetée' (1962), reinterpreting its haunting time loop narrative.
What themes does it explore?
Madness vs. reality, the inescapable nature of destiny, memory, trauma, and humanity's self-destructive tendencies.
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Curated by Filmiway Editorial Team
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