--- title: "13th: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/13th/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/13th" critics_score: 88 critics_reviews: 19 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # 13th (2016): what the critics said Critics' score 88 from 19 reviews: 19 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. Nineteen reviews, all of them favourable, and the agreement is close to complete. Most critics take Ava DuVernay’s documentary as a lucid, forceful argument: that the loophole in the 13th Amendment allowed slavery to reappear as mass incarceration, and that the policies of successive administrations kept it going. The praise clusters on the argument itself, on how much history the film folds into a single case without losing its thread, and on the assembly of interviews, archive footage and statistics into something several reviewers describe as relentless. Many also note how directly it speaks to the present. The reservations are few and small. The Guardian finds the ever-present music the one poorly judged element, and Vulture notes some overreaching and mannerisms while still calling the film essential. Nobody questions the thesis; the only variation is in how far the enthusiasm runs, from warm approval to outright acclaim, and even the coolest notices land well above the line. ## Slant Magazine Rating 4/4. 30 September 2016. The critic describes the film as a work of pummeling and clear-eyed intelligence that traces the disparity between legislative and de facto rights with enraged mettle. It singles out the effective balance of slick filmmaking with conversational human terms in delivering hard facts. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/13th/) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2016. Festival review. The review hails the documentary as the most relevant film of the year for its searing, focused argument that folds multiple eras of history into a single powerful case about the criminalization of African Americans. It highlights the film's timely relevance and coherent structure. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/13th-review-ava-duvernay-netflix-documentary-nyff-2016-1201732218/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 October 2016. Turan calls it a smart, powerful, disturbing and persuasively argued documentary that offers a brisk, cogently argued alternative to conventionally taught American history, systematically covering a century and a half of race relations with facts, statistics, talking heads and archival material. It makes its point with undeniable eloquence as well as persuasive force. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-13th-review-20161001-snap-story.html) ## Sight and Sound — Fanta Sylla Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 October 2016. Ava DuVernay's documentary exposes how the US prison system functions as a modern form of slavery through the loophole in the 13th Amendment. It is a provoking analysis that changes one's outlook on the American criminal justice system. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/13th-review-ava-duvernay-shines-light-americas-slavery-loophole) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 September 2016. Festival review. The critic praises the film's comprehensive historical examination of how African Americans have been subjugated through the justice system since the 13th Amendment, calling it eloquently articulated and a must-see. It singles out the poised urgency of the interviews and the tight focus on the central premise of the myth of black criminality. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/13th-review-933922/) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 September 2016. Festival review. The critic praises DuVernay’s analytical and passionate documentary for tracing mass incarceration of Black Americans to the 13th Amendment’s loophole and linking it through history to policies from Nixon, Reagan, and Clinton as well as economic interests. It reveals fabricated crimes in service of oppression and an ongoing crime against humanity. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/13th) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2016. Ava DuVernay’s dense, pulsating documentary on racial inequality and mass incarceration is compelling and timely. It is a powerful work of history and a lucid argument for change. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/13th) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 September 2016. Festival review. Gleiberman hails it as a crucial and stirring document of racism and injustice with piercing relevance in the age of Black Lives Matter, one that travels deep into history to reveal slavery’s legacy mutating into mass incarceration through the war on drugs and other policies. It employs nimble cinematic power to awaken the senses while sickening the moral center. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/13th-review-new-york-film-festival-ava-duvernay-1201874209/) ## Little White Lies — Joseph Pomp Rating 4/4/4. 3 October 2016. DuVernay equates the US prison system to modern day slavery in this harrowing, urgent documentary. It offers a specialised introduction to the prison-industrial complex while maintaining a contemporary viewpoint. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/13th/) ## Radio Times — Trevor Johnston Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). DuVernay offers a broader history of racial oppression through archive clips and interviews, surveying how mass incarceration impacted poor black communities. The film's argument is strong, articulately expressed, and backed up by disturbing images. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/film/fdfhsn/the-13th) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2016. The critic deems the film essential for making fresh mainstream connections about mass incarceration, economic contexts, and the evolution of slavery-like systems, while noting some overreaching and mannerisms. It singles out the vital impact and jaw-dropping contemporary parallels despite imperfections. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/review-ava-duvernays-essential-imperfect-13th.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 October 2016. Ava DuVernay’s lucid study of the links between slavery and the US penal system is packed with ideas and information. The ever-present music is the one poorly judged element of the film. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/oct/09/13th-review-bracing-fiercely-intelligent-prison-documentary-ava-duvernay) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 5/5. 1 October 2016. The critic calls 13th a sincere triumph and one of the best movies of the year for its meticulous deconstruction of the historic roots of mass incarceration in America as a bipartisan failure. They single out its strength in tracing the evolution of racial inequality through statistics, political dog whistles, and modern footage of protests. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/13th-is-one-of-the-best-movies-of-the-year/) ## Collider — Chris Cabin Rating A. 3 October 2016. The critic praises DuVernay's furious, focused documentary for its well-researched argument linking mass incarceration to the continuation of slavery, highlighting its visual artistry and important message. [Read the review](https://collider.com/13th-review-ava-duvernay/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2016. The critic calls the film a stunning and enlightening documentary that exposes how the 13th Amendment's loophole has perpetuated systemic injustice against Black Americans through mass incarceration. It highlights the masterful integration of expert interviews, historical footage, and statistics to make a powerful case that demands attention. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2016/10/13th-review-ava-duvernay-documentary-constitution-slavery-1201832980/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2016. Festival review. The review describes the film as an arresting and intelligently told documentary that builds a strong case for American incarceration as the modern substitute for slavery, indicting the pervasive nature of racism and oppression. It praises the way it sets up its thesis and examines the exploitation of the 13th Amendment's loophole. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/13th-searing-indictment-pervasive-racism-oppression-still-alive-america-review-20160929/) ## The Ringer — K. Austin Collins Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 October 2016. The piece contrasts DuVernay's 13th favorably with another film, calling it marvelous for its angry, analytical approach to the racism of the American prison industry with precision and honesty. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2016/10/06/uncategorized/what-does-an-important-film-look-like-a24aa6e85b49) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 September 2016. Festival review. The critic describes the film as a damning and precise exploration that connects the 13th Amendment's loophole to centuries of criminalization of Black men, from Reconstruction through modern policing and politics. It praises the use of mixed media, talking heads, and footage to create an undeniable, timely gut-punch that succeeds in making viewers feel the urgency. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/13th-review-ava-duvernay/) ## Eye for Film — Owen Van Spall Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 October 2016. The critic commends the documentary for assembling footage and facts into a relentless barrage that overwhelms the viewer and establishes terrifying implications about America's prison-industrial complex and ongoing racial inequality. It particularly highlights the chilling difficulty of dismantling the system due to entrenched corporate and economic interests. [Read the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-13th-2016-film-review-by-owen-van-spall) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/13th.md