12 Years a Slave spoilers: review podcast discusses slavery drama about Solomon Northup. (AUDIO)

Is 12 Years a Slave a Masterpiece? Three Slate Writers Discuss.

Is 12 Years a Slave a Masterpiece? Three Slate Writers Discuss.

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Slate's Culture Blog
Oct. 17 2013 2:57 PM

Spoiler Special: 12 Years a Slave

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Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender in 12 Years a Slave

Photo byFrancois Duhamel– ©2013 - Fox Searchlight Pictures

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies—and the occasional TV show—in full, spoiler-filled detail. Below, Slate film critic Dana Stevens talks with Aisha Harris and Forrest Wickman about 12 Years a Slave, the new Steve McQueen movie very faithfully adapted from the 1853 memoir by Solomon Northup. Does the drama deserve its abundant critical praise? Is McQueen able to avoid melodramatic conventions? How does the talented cast take on this monumental historical narrative?

Listen to them discuss these and other questions below. You can also check out past Spoiler Specials in our archive, and you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. Note: As the title indicates, each installment contains spoilers galore.

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Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic.

Aisha Harris is a Slate culture writer and host of the Slate podcast Represent.

Forrest Wickman is Slate’s culture editor.