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13th

13th

From slave to criminal with one amendment.

2016100 minTV-MAMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
Ava DuVernay
Starring
Jelani Cobb, Angela Davis, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Michelle Alexander

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

Where to watch

Where can I watch 13th?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists 13th streaming on Netflix.

Subscription

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about 13th?

13th earns 5 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Modern classic.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is 13th worth watching?

13th's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 166K ratings across 6 sources. 90% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

97th percentile among Documentary99th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)97th
Approval (how many liked it)98th

82 /100

97th percentile of all films

93rd percentile among Documentary98th percentile among 2010s

Critics 81 · Audience 82

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

90% liked it

98th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Documentary98th percentile among 2010s
90% rated it 7–1010% rated it 1–6

Critics 97% · Audience 90%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 29 wins / 47 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Documentary Feature
  • WonBAFTA Awards· Best Documentary

Reach

How many have seen it

95th percentile

166K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Documentary95th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 19% in 30 days

Box office

Worldwide gross$566

2nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A well-made, emotionally charged documentary about the connection between the 13th Amendment and mass incarceration in America.

Fans praised

  • powerful indictment of systemic racism and mass incarceration
  • effective editing with juxtaposition of past and present
  • excellent assembly of diverse talking heads and archival footage

Detractors panned

  • one-sided presentation omitting counterarguments and crime rate context
  • overwhelming editing and pacing pummels audience into submission
  • heavy-handed musical score manipulates emotions

What stands out

Emotional impactDivisive82

provokes horror, anger, and tears

Plot and storyDivisive72

cohesive historical narrative from 13th Amendment to present day

Cinematography55

talking heads with occasional archival footage and motion graphics

Pacing45

overwhelming information delivery and rapid editing

Sound and music40

heavy-handed score competes with interviews

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s even
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is 13th like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
TenseCold
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Bleak · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its subject with grave seriousness and urgency, using interviews and archival materials to build a damning historical argument without irony.
The rideThe film maintains a sustained, tense mood of exposure and critique, with no lighter reprieves, driven by a steady accumulation of evidence.
StructureThe film follows a conventional documentary structure, building its case chronologically from the 13th Amendment's ratification through the present, using interviews and archival footage.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingInfuriating · 4% of films: Leaves you angry at an injustice the film shows, never at the film.Haunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves the viewer with a deep understanding of systemic racism and mass incarceration, provoking outrage and a lingering sense of injustice.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThis is a non-narrative documentary that presents a historical and political argument rather than following a plotted story with a protagonist's journey.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% (this title) · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% (this title) · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Oppression · 4% of filmsJustice · 13% of filmsPrejudice · 3% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film traces how the U.S. prison system functions as a mechanism of racial oppression, linking mass incarceration to a legacy of systemic bias and unequal justice.
StanceThe film presents mass incarceration as a structural danger to American democracy, warning of its roots in racial control and its ongoing human cost.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalUrbanRealistic
Orchestral modernExperimentalSupportive music · original score · Jason Moran
SettingU.S. prisons, courtrooms, and policy offices across the nation, with archival footage spanning decades
MusicMoran's jazz-influenced score undercuts the documentary's urgency with a moody, contemplative layer.

Content guide

Is 13th okay for kids?

TV-MA

13th is rated TV-MA. As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (88/100), sexual content at moderate (41/100), language at intense (63/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (61/100) and frightening material at severe (88/100). Overall it is heavier than 89% of TV-MA films.

Ratings in 3 other countries
  • Germany16
  • Netherlands16
  • RO18
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 89% of all filmsHeavier than 89% of TV-MA films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA film
heavier than 82%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA film
heavier than 46%
Profanity
Intense
typical for a TV-MA film
heavier than 57%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
heavy for a TV-MA film
heavier than 81%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA film
heavier than 92%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: violence, frightening material, language, and drug and alcohol content. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does 13th have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in 13th?

Cast

Jelani Cobb
as Self - Professor of African-American Studies, University of Connecticut
Angela Davis
as Self - Professor Emerita, UC Santa Cruz
Henry Louis Gates Jr.
as Self - Professor of History, Harvard University
Michelle Alexander
as Self - Educator and Author, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Cory Booker
as Self - U.S. Senator (D) New Jersey
Michael Hough
as Self - Maryland State Senator (R), American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)
Bryan Stevenson
as Self - Attorney and Author
Van Jones
as Self - Founder, #CUT50
David Dinkins
as Self - 106th Mayor of New York City (D)
Melina Abdullah
as Self - Chair, Pan-African Studies, California State University, Los Angeles

Crew

More like this

What are movies like 13th?

Movies like 13th include Uncle Tom (2020), The House I Live In (2012) and The Central Park Five (2012). Of the 10 closest matches, half are political films, and half are films about oppression.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

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