Movies About Slavery On Netflix

Updated May 1, 2024

Thinking about Movies About Slavery On Netflix, there is no limit to the movies talking about this idea. Here are 22 of our favorites.

Django Unchained (2012)

★★★★

3.4 out of 4 stars

From Quentin Tarantino, starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington
Rated R

Django Unchained is a 2012 American revisionist Western film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Set in the Old West and Antebellum South, the film tells the story of Django, a freed slave who teams up with a bounty hunter named Dr. King Schultz to free his wife from an evil plantation owner. Along the way, Django uses his new-found freedom and skills to take vengeance against the people who enslaved him. The film stars Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson, and features music by Ennio Morricone. The film was a critical and box office success, earning an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay.

Gone with the Wind (1939)

★★★★

3.3 out of 4 stars

From Directors: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood, starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell, Barbara O'Neil
Rated Passed

Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American epic historical romance film adapted from the 1936 novel of the same name by Margaret Mitchell. The film follows the life of Scarlett O'Hara, the strong-willed daughter of a Georgia plantation owner. Throughout the film, Scarlett is forced to rely on her cunning and manipulative ways to survive in the midst of the Civil War and Reconstruction era of the United States. The film stars Vivien Leigh as Scarlett, with Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, and Olivia de Havilland in supporting roles. The film was directed by Victor Fleming, George Cukor, and Sam Wood and produced by David O. Selznick. It won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress for Leigh, and Best Supporting Actress for de Havilland.

13th (2016)

★★★★

3.3 out of 4 stars

From Ava DuVernay, starring Melina Abdullah, Michelle Alexander, Cory Booker, Dolores Canales
Rated TV-MA

13th is a 2016 documentary directed by Ava DuVernay that explores the historical context of race and criminal justice in the United States. The film is an in-depth look at how the 13th amendment to the US Constitution, which abolished slavery, has been used to create a system of mass incarceration and control of African-Americans – from Reconstruction-era Black Codes, to Jim Crow laws, to the War on Drugs, to the present-day incarceration of African-Americans at disproportionately high rates. Through interviews with prominent activists, scholars, and politicians, the film examines the power of race and racism in America’s criminal justice system, and provides a powerful perspective on the need for criminal justice reform.

12 Years a Slave (2013)

★★★★

3.2 out of 4 stars

From Steve McQueen, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt
Rated R

12 Years a Slave is a 2013 British-American historical drama film directed by Steve McQueen and written by John Ridley. Based on the 1853 memoir of the same name by Solomon Northup, the film tells the story of a free African-American man who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War United States. The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup, Michael Fassbender as a cruel slaveowner, Benedict Cumberbatch as a sympathetic plantation owner, Lupita Nyong'o as a slave who befriends Solomon, and Brad Pitt as a Canadian abolitionist. The film received critical acclaim and won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. It is a powerful and emotionally charged exploration of the physical and psychological brutality of slavery and its subsequent effects, as well as a powerful testament to the human capacity to survive, endure and ultimately find hope.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)

★★★★

3.1 out of 4 stars

From John Korty, starring Cicely Tyson, Eric Brown, Richard Dysart, Joel Fluellen
Rated TV-PG

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is a 1974 American made-for-television drama film based on the 1971 novel of the same name by Ernest J. Gaines. Directed by John Korty, the film stars Cicely Tyson as the title character, a woman whose 110 years span from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The story follows Miss Jane Pittman, a former slave now living in 1960s Louisiana. Through flashbacks, she tells the story of her life, which began in slavery and carried her through the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout her journey, she fights against injustice and inequality, and she is determined to live a life of dignity and purpose. Along the way, she befriends people from all walks of life and learns valuable lessons about life, freedom, and courage. By the end of the film, Miss Jane has become a powerful symbol of hope and courage for those around her.

Fantastic Planet (1973)

★★★★

3.1 out of 4 stars

From René Laloux, starring Barry Bostwick, Jennifer Drake, Eric Baugin, Jean Topart
Rated PG

Fantastic Planet is a 1973 film directed by René Laloux. It tells the story of a distant planet called Ygam, which is home to two species: the Oms, human-like creatures, and the Traags, a race of blue giants. The Traags enslave the Oms, treating them as animals and using them for labor and entertainment. The Oms find hope in a young man named Terr, who escapes the clutches of the Traags and leads his people in a search for freedom. Through his courage and determination, Terr is able to unite the two species and bring about a newfound peace. The film is noted for its surreal imagery and its thoughtful exploration of themes such as oppression, freedom, and humanity.

Intolerance (1916)

★★★★

3.1 out of 4 stars

From D.W. Griffith, starring Lillian Gish, Robert Harron, Mae Marsh, F.A. Turner
Rated Passed

Intolerance is a silent film directed by D.W. Griffith, released in 1916. It is an epic drama that follows four parallel stories, each set in a different time and place, from ancient Babylon to modern day USA. Each of the stories deals with religious intolerance and its consequences. The stories are woven together through recurring images of human suffering, from the persecution of the Jews by Babylon to the mistreatment of workers in the modern US. Overall, Intolerance is a powerful condemnation of hatred and bigotry, and a reminder of the dangers of unchecked intolerance.