Looking for powerful stories that shed light on human rights struggles? These impactful films blend personal tales with universal battles for justice, leaving viewers deeply moved and more socially aware. To mark Human Rights Day on December 10th, we’ve curated a list of the best human rights movies that will stir your empathy and ignite meaningful conversations. Ready to explore cinematic masterpieces that inspire change? Dive in!
IMDb: 7.5
The film provides a perspective on what happened to the United States after 9/11 and how the Bush Administration used this tragic event to advance its unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Director: Michael Moore
Cast: Michael Moore, George W. Bush, Ben Affleck
IMDb: 7.1
Inspired by the true story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the film portrays her fight for equal rights, her nomination as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the challenges she overcame to achieve confirmation.
Director: Mimi Leder
Cast: Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux
IMDb: 8.1
Set in pre-Civil War America, the film tells the story of Solomon Northup, a free Black man from New York, who is kidnapped and sold into slavery.
Director: Steve McQueen
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Fassbender
IMDb: 7.6
A couple joins 130 million migrant workers on a journey home for the Chinese New Year, hoping to reunite with their children and fight for a better future. Their dreams clash with China's rapid ascent as a global superpower.
Director: Lixin Fan
Cast: Changhua Zhang, Yang Zhang, Suqin Chen
IMDb: 7.6
The film explores the story of a young man from a politically connected family in the Philippines, accused of double murder. It sheds light on the country's flawed judicial system and longstanding allegations of corruption.
Director: Michael Collins
Cast: Michael Collins, Eric Daniel Metzgar, Marty Syjuco
IMDb: 7.7
The film follows Malcolm, who, like many of his peers, turns to theft to survive. His time in prison transforms him into a completely different person.
Director: Spike Lee
Cast: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo
IMDb: 7.3
The film tells the story of Marvin, a creative writer, and Ivan, a psychiatrist, as they move from the Czech Republic to Sweden to grow their family during Marvin’s gender transition.
Director: Sona G. Lutherová
IMDb: 8.7
Set in the autumn of 1963, the film follows a Korean War veteran and criminal who pleads insanity and is sent to a mental institution, where he inspires frightened patients to stand up against a tyrannical nurse.
Director: Milos Forman
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Michael Berryman
IMDb: 7.1
The film tells the story of three friends from their childhood to young adulthood as they face the harsh reality of the world they live in.
Director: Mark Romanek
Cast: Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield
IMDb: 7.3
In 1839, a mutiny by Mende captives on a Spanish ship leads to a major controversy in the United States when the ship is captured near Long Island. The courts must decide whether the Mende are legally slaves or free individuals.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Hopkins