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.
Back to trending 
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
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.8 / 10
Community rating
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?
For the defence
The Auteur Devotee
“You watch the director, not the movie.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe 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 Menendez Brothers
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Serving life in prison for murdering their parents, Lyle and Erik Menendez speak out in this documentary explaining the shocking crime and ensuing trials.
JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass
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Thirty years after the release of his film JFK (1991), filmmaker Oliver Stone reviews recently declassified evidence related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which took place in Dallas on November 22, 1963.
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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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A cheap, powerful drug emerges during a recession, igniting a moral panic fueled by racism. Explore the complex history of crack in the 1980s.
Seaspiracy
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Ted Bundy: Mind of a Monster
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Time
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The Killing of America
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A documentary of the decline of America, composed of archival material and exclusive footage, carnage, madness, and mayhem with an unapologetic sincerity on the factual depiction of violence in the industrialized nation of the United States. Featuring a juxtaposition of detailed accounts of terrible acts, brutal behavior, and interviews from experts and convicted killers alike.
Maternal Instinct
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Ava DuVernay
Written by
Spencer Averick · Ava DuVernay
Jelani Cobb
Self
Angela Davis
Self
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Self
Michelle Alexander
Self
Cory Booker
Self - U.S. Senator (D) New Jersey
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 prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Importance has entered the chat.”
The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.