Next time you find yourself looking for something to watch on a rainy day or scrolling on your streaming platform in the evening, we’ve got you covered.
These five films spanning the decades include a nod to human rights. Some touch on human trafficking and exploitation. Each incorporates social injustices over the years and sheds light on the challenges that survivors of human trafficking and other crimes are still up against today.
Check out this list to expand your knowledge on human trafficking. Plus, hear from team members at the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking about why these movies made the cut.
#1: The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Starring Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell, the Oscar-winning film The Grapes of Wrath is a powerful adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel about the struggles of a migrant farming family forced off their land. They leave the Oklahoma dust bowl for the promised land of California… only to realize it isn’t quite what they’d hoped.
Amidst the Great Depression, the family faces daunting challenges. The film depicts scenes of labor exploitation, wage theft, and coercion—aspects of what we recognize today as critical connections to human trafficking.
What LCHT team members are saying:
“The Grapes of Wrath is recognized as an all-time movie classic for good reason. I remember it as mandatory viewing in a high school English class, when few of my peers were paying attention. But something about Henry Fonda’s performance—especially Tom Joad’s quiet awakening into solidarity and activism—always stuck with me.
While the film predates modern human trafficking laws, it vividly portrays the conditions that make labor trafficking possible today: economic desperation, lack of legal protections, and unchecked control. The Joad family endures wage theft, coercion, and degrading work environments—echoing many of the same power imbalances we now recognize in trafficking situations.
The story remains timely as we continue to debate protections for low-wage and migrant workers, and how easily people can be exploited when access to rights and recourse is out of reach.” — Craig Nason, Development and Communications Director
Where to watch it: Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV
#2: On the Waterfront (1954)
Starring Marlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint, the Academy Award-winning On the Waterfront is a gripping story of an ex-boxer turned dockworker on the gang-ridden waterfront. Eventually, he takes a stand against his corrupt union boss and systemic labor abuse.
This classic drama portrays exploitation faced by workers through tactics like coercion and intimidation that are still used by traffickers today. It calls on us to consider both the value of workers, and how we might respond to injustice we see in systems we work in today.
Where to watch it: Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV
#3: Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Starring Paul Newman and George Kennedy (who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), Cool Hand Luke is a story of resistance against brutal prison labor practices. Paul Newman portrays the rebellious Luke, who is sentenced to two years on a Florida prison farm. But he doesn’t play by the rules, becoming a rebel hero to his fellow convicts and enduring cruel punishments for his defiance. This film has inspired countless other prison-dramas from Shawshank Redemption to Chicken Run.
Cool Hand Luke highlights forced labor, physical abuse, and standing up to systemic exploitation within the prison system in the United States… some of which is still present today.
Where to watch it: Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV
#4: 12 Years a Slave (2013)
Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong’o star in this Oscar-winning, harrowing depiction of Solomon Northup’s kidnapping, enslavement, and fight for freedom in the pre-Civil War United States. A free Black man from upstate New York, Solomon is abducted and sold into slavery in the South. He struggles to stay alive and retain his dignity. Twelve years later, a chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist changes the course of his life.
Based on a true story, 12 Years a Slave highlights the historical roots of human trafficking, forced labor, and labor exploitation. The film not only sheds light on the horrors of slavery, but also shows the lasting impact of systemic exploitation, dehumanization, and racial violence still present today.
What LCHT team members are saying:
“I first watched 12 Years a Slave early in college, while living in Alabama and having grown up near New Orleans, places shaped by the legacy the film portrays. It was haunting and deeply emotional, and the experience stayed with me.
Over the years, I’ve returned to this film with an anti-trafficking lens and have come to see how powerfully relevant it remains. It doesn’t just recount the horrors of slavery; it reveals the roots of modern trafficking in systems of racial violence, economic exploitation, and dehumanization.
For anyone doing human rights work, or simply trying to understand the deeper history behind today’s injustices, this film is essential viewing. It’s shaped how I approach this work, with a commitment to naming our hard history and challenging the systems that allow exploitation to persist.” — Lauren Holsombeck, Program Coordinator
Where to watch it: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, or Apple TV
#5: Building the American Dream (2019)
This documentary takes a hard look at the exploitation faced by migrant workers in the United States, particularly within the construction industry—where workers face some of the deadliest conditions. It follows three immigrant families who are seeking justice in an industry rife with exploitation.
Building the American Dream highlights the fight for safety and justice as migrant workers stand up against unsafe conditions, wage theft, and labor trafficking. It underscores the human cost of an exploitative industry that prioritizes profits over people. This film is a reminder of the ongoing struggle for workers’ rights and fair treatment that exists today.
What LCHT team members are saying:
“I recommend Building the American Dream because it puts a human face on labor exploitation and shows how immigrant workers are fighting for dignity, safety, and justice in a broken system. It stayed with me long after I watched it. It powerfully captures the courage of immigrant workers standing up against exploitation, and it’s one of the clearest windows into the human cost of our labor system that I’ve seen.” — Kara Napolitano, Education and Partnerships Director
Where to watch it: Book an educational screening or contact the filmmakers for more info on how to watch it.
BONUS FAMILY-FRIENDLY PICK: Wonka (2023)
Looking for something a bit lighter to watch with your kids? Wonka, starring Timothée Chalamet, is a family-friendly movie that touches on forced labor. The film tells Willy Wonka’s origin story, showing how people facing difficult circumstances can be lured into human trafficking.
A whimsical take on a beloved character, Wonka introduces concepts of exploitation and labor trafficking in a way that’s approachable for younger audiences. It serves as a conversation starter for families to discuss the importance of recognizing when people are being exploited.
What LCHT team members are saying:
“As a fan of the Gene Wilder film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, I knew I had to see the take on Wonka’s origin story starring Timoteé Chalamet that came out in 2023. I certainly did not expect any overlap with my professional life while watching this movie, but I was surprised to see Wonka trapped in a forced labor situation at the beginning of the film!
Willy Wonka heads to the city to make his chocolate debut. Being low on funds, he intends to sleep under a bridge until he can figure out a better option. He is approached by a ‘kind stranger’ that offers a place for him to stay at his business, a laundromat. Upon arrival, Wonka signs a contract to work off the cost of his stay, and not realizing the fraudulent nature of the fine print, finds himself trapped in labor trafficking.
It is a simple portrayal of how traffickers prey on the most vulnerable in our society, initially showing themselves to be kind and understanding, but later showing their true intentions. This film is a family-friendly way to understand debt bondage and labor trafficking!” — Katlyn Pryshlak, Hotline and Advocacy Manager
Where to watch it: HBO Max, Hulu, Apple TV, or Amazon Prime Video
Now, go forth and watch! These films offer insights into the roots and realities of sex and labor trafficking over the decades—crimes that still happen today. Watching the movies on this list is more than entertainment; it’s a way to deepen your understanding of human rights and foster empathy for survivors. The more we collectively know about human trafficking, the better able we are to stop and prevent it in our own communities.
If you watch any of the movies on this list, reach out to us and let us know what you thought!