Twelve and Holding
IFC Films | Release Date: May 19, 2006 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews
Positive:
17
Mixed:
9
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
The New York TimesStephen Holden
This is the exceedingly rare film that understands how lonely, insecure preadolescent children can become so consumed by their feelings that they lose sight of ordinary boundaries and unconsciously act out their parents' darkest fantasies of passion and revenge. Read full review
88
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Aside from its frank consideration of preteen sexuality, the most daring thing about Cuesta's extraordinary film is its willingness to put honest, intelligent dialogue in the mouths of kids. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Twelve and Holding could have been a series of horror stories, but the filmmakers and their gifted young actors somehow negotiate the horrors and generate a deep sympathy. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Cuesta directs the lead actors with such feeling that their misery seems authentic. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarrit Ingman
This is one of those rare movies about children but not necessarily for them, and it treats its adolescent subjects with bravery and compassion. Read full review
75
New York PostKyle Smith
The film 12 and Holding brings you back to when you routinely said things like, "I'm going to kill you" or "We're soul mates" and meant it. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Director Michael Cuesta hits the right notes with his characters. They are believable 12-year olds: intelligent (but not too intelligent) yet naïve, and trying with mixed success to navigate the path of adolescence. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneJessica Reaves
The kids deliver uniformly solid, occasionally remarkable performances. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Cuesta prizes curiosity and perception over conflict resolution. He likes the way kids take their cues from adults and the ways they revolt against them. Even as the kids do the ugliest things, the film stays cool without ever being cold. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Illuminating and unsettling. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
Except for an ending that's so implausible it might have derailed a less solid work, Twelve and Holding is a realistic and sympathetic portrayal of what it's like to be young and confused Read full review
75
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
I'd argue that a very good movie could have been great if it had kept to subtler psychological tones. Read full review
70
VarietyDennis Harvey
Deals in sometimes queasy areas of underage sexuality and emotional extremes; again, deftness and confidence ultimately put across a screenplay (this time by Anthony S. Cipriano) overloaded with sensational incident. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
Lacks the powerful focus of the filmmaker's debut effort and often flounders under the weight of its melodrama and contrivances. But it also boasts many well-observed moments and features stellar performances by its youthful cast. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust
Smart, compassionate filmmaking that captures both the intricacies and the tragedy of contemporary adolescence. Read full review
70
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Follows the youngsters over the course of a tumultuous year, during which time Cuesta and screenwriter Anthony Cipriano succeed in making the audience care desperately whether they're okay and whether the adults in their lives do the right thing. The lingering question is why that should be so improbable. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
A movie with better parts than a whole. But where it's right, it's really right. Read full review
60
Village VoiceDennis Lim
To call Twelve and Holding cartoonish is to put it mildly. Marked by reckless tonal shifts, Anthony Cipriano's screenplay traffics in sensationalism and sentimentality. Read full review
60
Film ThreatMatthew Sorrento
With two of the three engines effective, Twelve and Holding unfortunately breaks down by trying to wrap up its problems too neatly. In this vision of early adolescence, the script throws in solutions when the preteens are still feeling out their issues. Read full review
58
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
Most of the time, however, we are watching pathology without benefit of insight. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
The young cast is terrific, giving the stories unearned weight. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Cuesta works well with underage actors, but there's no hiding the fact that these kids amount to little more than the sum of their suffering at the hands of cardboard parental incompetents Read full review
50
Dallas ObserverMelissa Levine
The trouble with 12 and Holding, which pits four young protagonists in intertwining battles for spiritual (and, well, literal) survival, is that it's just too much. Read full review
50
Seattle Post-IntelligencerBill White
Low-production values, including glaring inconsistencies in the makeup department, add to the bargain-basement atmosphere of this kidsploitation quickie. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
Begins audaciously but goes to extremes to assert conventional wisdom about grownup life, that what is called "normal" is about just holding on. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
The drama feels factory-cut and shrink-wrapped, with each of three kids' stories following predictably twisty paths to ironically hopeful conclusions. Read full review
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