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13th

13th

Documentary · 2016

An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.

Movie details

13th

“From slave to criminal with one amendment.”

2016 Documentary 1h 40m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

8.2 / 10

38.5K votes

Rotten Tomatoes

97 %

Tomatometer

Metacritic

81 / 100

Metascore

TMDB

7.8 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over 13th?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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The Alabama Solution

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Documentary · 2025

Incarcerated men defy the odds to expose a cover-up in one of America’s deadliest prison systems.

Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy

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Documentary · 2021

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Time

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Nail Bomber: Manhunt

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Crime · 2021

This documentary examines the 1999 London bombings that targeted Black, Bangladeshi and gay communities, and the race to find the far-right perpetrator. He terrorized a city, seeking to ignite a race war but justice was served by those who wouldn't let his hate win.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Ava DuVernay

Written by

Ava DuVernay · Spencer Averick

Jelani Cobb

Jelani Cobb

Self

Angela Davis

Angela Davis

Self

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Self

Michelle Alexander

Michelle Alexander

Self

Cory Booker

Cory Booker

Self - U.S. Senator (D) New Jersey

Marie Gottschalk

Marie Gottschalk

Self

M

Michael Hough

Self

Court is in session

Put 13th on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.