13TH

Play trailer

2:16

13TH

2016

1h 40m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

105 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation's prisons are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.

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Critics Consensus

13th strikes at the heart of America's tangled racial history, offering observations as incendiary as they are calmly controlled.

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Thelma Adams

AARP Movies for Grownups

Nov 30, 2021

Ava DuVernay's 13TH is essential viewing on the history of racism in America - and how the warehousing of black men in contemporary corporate prisons is rooted in the slavery of the past.

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Bob Mondello

NPR

Sep 24, 2018

In her documentary, 13th, Ava DuVernay cites the wording of the 13th amendment, which outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude "except as a punishment for crime..." but DuVernay gives the argument enormous cinematic force.

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Ann Hornaday

Washington Post

Sep 24, 2018

DuVernay creates a cogent, compelling argument in 13th, which balances attractively filmed talking-head interviews with alternately heartbreaking and infuriating archival footage.

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Brett Michael Dykes

Uproxx

Dec 29, 2021

DuVernay boldly explores how prisons and detention centers are making a profit off of free prison labor, most of it done by black men which begs the question, is slavery really dead?

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Dorothy Woodend

AWFJ.org

Nov 30, 2021

Ferociously intelligent, rigorous and impassioned, DuVernay's film is a battle cry for democracy.

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Victor Pineyro

Seventh Art Studio

Mar 1, 2021

9/10

Silence is oppression, and by being silent we become tolerant. Impressive documentary, terrifying truth. Ava DuVernay channels understanding today through the knowledge of the past. [Full review in Spanish]

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Milt M

@Uncle1945 Jul 28, 2026

Our nation's prisons are disproportionately filled with African-Americans because African-Americans commit a disproportionate amount of crime. They shouldn't try to blame others. Instead, they should encourage others in their communities to live lives free of crime.

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Soleil F

@Soleil_1Indigo Jul 7, 2026

Must see is an understatement. This is a powerful documentary that you will take in and (if you are able to understand it and take in new information) and you will mark that date because you’re views on certain things and beliefs changed and you will never be the same. You evolved a bit.

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Leaburn O

@RT35452347 Dec 1, 2023

Makes a strong case for judicial reform in the US but an incredibly biased one. Usual emotive background music dictating how you're meant to feel. It's decent but there's more to this topic that needs to be debated.

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Gareth v

@geewah Jun 21, 2023

A great doco on institutional racism in America. The sort of doco that should start a coversation and hopefully change.

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Rashid Z

@RT00878676 Feb 18, 2023

An important documentary that needs to be seen by all!

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Jun 14, 2022

One of the Main problems facing America today putting blame on something that literally ended slavery and saying now it's the cause of people breaking laws and getting put in prisons

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13th: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation's prisons are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.

Director: Ava DuVernay
Producer: Spencer Averick, Howard Barish, Ava DuVernay
Screenwriter: Spencer Averick, Ava DuVernay
Production Co: Netflix
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2017
Runtime: 1h 40m

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