Saagar Kote
Slavery is one of the most tragic realities of human history. It has led to conflicts, trauma, generational inequality, and more. Throughout the world, there have been many instances of societies justifying slavery in the name of economic gain and political stability. Slaves have often borne the burden of building civilization and infrastructure at the most basic level while also suffering the indignities of not being free souls. In America, slavery reportedly has a rough history dating back centuries.
With the Civil War being fought over the issue of slavery, America has come a long way in guaranteeing civil rights. Slavery has also been connected to racial, cultural, and linguistic identities in the past. Cinema and TV have dealt with slavery in all its complexities, shedding light on the psychological, physical, and financial aspects of it. In this list, we bring you movies and shows about slavery streaming on Netflix that explore its complexities intricately.
6. Alice (2022)
Directed by Krystin Ver Linden, ‘Alice’ centers on a slave named Alice (Keke Palmer), who finds herself controlled, abused, and harassed by the plantation owner Paul (Jonny Lee Miller) during the period of the antebellum South. When Alice bravely escapes the plantation, she surprisingly travels forward in time and lands in the 1970s. She meets a fellow African-American named Frank (Common), who befriends her and tells her about the history of Black liberation and the Civil Rights Movement. With both inspiration and vengeance in her heart, Alice decides to return to the past with Frank to confront Paul and seek justice. The crime thriller film is an intriguing combination of slavery, justice, time travel, and revenge. You can watch it here.
5. Always a Witch (2019-2020)
Netflix’s ‘Always a Witch’ or ‘Siempre Bruja’ is the tale of Carmen Eguiluz (Angely Gaviria), who is a slave and a witch in the 17th century. She crosses social norms when she develops romantic feelings for a white man named Cristóbal Aranoa (Lenard Vanderaa). Before she is killed for her crimes, she travels forward in time and lands in Cartagena in modern-day Colombia, with the help of a wizard. As she comes to terms with her new reality and makes new friends, her witchcraft still exists within her. Determined to win over Cristóbal, she intends to go back in time and achieve a dangerous mission.
Meanwhile, her supernatural gifts raise suspicions among those around her. Created by Ana María Parra, the Colombian drama show is a riveting story of time, love, slavery, and liberation through the element of witchcraft. Based on the novel ‘Yo, bruja’ by Isidora Chacón, the series is available to stream on Netflix.
4. Harriet (2019)
‘Harriet’ revolves around the trials and tribulations of an African-American woman named Minty (Cynthia Erivo), who is married to John Tubman (Zackary Momoh). Minty and some of her family members are deceived by a plantation owner who fails to keep his promise to free them from slavery. Minty escapes the plantation with unprecedented bravery and goes to a different part of the country. She assumes the name Harriet Tubman and gains her own influence.
While she gains freedom, she realizes that her family members and many others like her are still stuck in the chains of slavery. With the help of those close to her, she decides to go back to fight against the system of slavery and abolish it forever before it can harm more people. Directed by Kasi Lemmons, the biographical film is a haunting portrait of one of America’s greatest heroes and you can watch it unfold here.
3. Descendant (2022)
‘Descendant’ deals with the experiences of certain African-American individuals living in Africatown, Alabama. The Netflix documentary film chronicles their history as the descendants of the last Africans who were illegally transported to America on a ship named Clotilda, after the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade in 1860. The descendants wish to reclaim their history by shedding light on the causes, course, and consequences of the illegal transport in the past. We can see footage, interviews, and slices of life from the descendants, along with perspectives from others on the history of the Clotilda. Directed by Margaret Brown, the intense and relevant narrative also talks about the challenges of reconciliation, the convergence of past and present trauma, and the hopes for an uncertain future. You can watch it on Netflix.
2. Glory (1989)
In ‘Glory,’ Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) finds himself leading the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the Union Army’s first all-black regiments during the Civil War. In the regiment, he crosses paths with an escaped slave named Private Trip (Denzel Washington) and Sergeant Major John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman). With race, history, and the future on the line, Shaw must learn how to command his men while also dealing with prejudice from both the Union Army and the Confederate Army. As Shaw’s men wage dangerous battles and risk their lives for the glory of freedom, they also become symbols of courage in the war against slavery.
One of the most deadly challenges they face is to attack Fort Wagner, which may be the difference between control and freedom. The Edward Zwick directorial deals with slavery through the perspective of war and justice. Based on the books ‘Lay This Laurel’ by Lincoln Kirstein and ‘One Gallant Rush’ by Peter Burchard, the war drama is a harrowing account of real events. The movie can be found here.
1. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
Directed by Steve McQueen, ‘12 Years a Slave’ chronicles the journey of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who is a free African-American man living in New York during the 1840s. He is a gifted violinist who is deceived and sold as a slave to plantation owner Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender). In the plantation, he comes to terms with his new reality, even as he yearns for his family and freedom. With Edwin treating his slaves as property, Solomon’s survival becomes increasingly difficult.
With his music as his only real talent and hope in his soul, he wishes to achieve freedom at any cost. As he meets new people and encounters unexpected challenges, the journey towards liberation seems impossible to achieve. Based on Solomon Northup’s eponymous memoir, the narrative is a brutal and raw depiction of the worst aspects of slavery and also engagingly explores themes of dignity, individualism, and identity. You can watch the historical drama film on Netflix.
Read More: Best Witch Movies on Netflix
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