12 Years a Slave (2013) is a film based on a true story that follows Solomon Northup, I man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. This was a very thought provoking film, and one I feel like everybody should watch at least once.

Firstly, I really liked the score for this film. I believe it added to the emotions even more and really fit the overall tone of the film. It also wasn't over-used and didn't feel obnoxious or overbearing.

The film was full of brilliant acting with great casting. The performances really were captivating and the dialogue was strong too. The great acting made the story even more impactful and horrifying to watch on screen. I really can't criticise any of the actors.

The cinematography was simplistic and minimalistic which I believe was a massive positive for this movie. There was a lot of long shots which were super effective and really packed a punch by showing a lot of emotion.

The movie is also very violent, which can be expected from a subject matter like this, and it got quite hard to watch at points. Alongside this, from a filmmaking standpoint the effects were very impressive. The film is full of brutal moments and it doesn't sugar coat anything.

It has a very solemn tone, and the pacing is slow, consistently and is easy to follow. But, it still is thoroughly engaging all throughout. It ends on an emotional and touching tone, which really gets the viewer thinking.

Lastly, this film was an accurate adaptation from the book, and from what I've read this movie is historically accurate (however I can't be 100% sure). I personally believe this is a good film to educate people with, but I don't think it's really my place to talk about this in detail. Overall, this movie is a very intimate portrait of Solomon Northup's life and the intense struggles he faced.