Top 10 Detective Films About Slavery

Description: This landmark miniseries includes detective-like elements as Kunta Kinte and his descendants trace their lineage and fight for freedom.

Fact: The original miniseries was one of the highest-rated TV events in American history, and it was remade in

Description: The film involves a legal battle over the freedom of African slaves who mutiny, with elements of investigation into their origins and rights.

Fact: Steven Spielberg directed this film, and it was nominated for four Academy Awards.

Description: While not directly about slaves, the film includes scenes where Lincoln and his allies investigate and strategize to pass the Thirteenth Amendment, effectively ending slavery.

Fact: Daniel Day-Lewis won his third Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln.

Description: This miniseries, adapted from a novel, follows Aminata Diallo's journey from slavery to freedom, involving detective-like efforts to reunite with her family.

Fact: The series was filmed in South Africa, Nova Scotia, and Ontario, Canada, to accurately depict various settings of Aminata's life.

Description: While primarily a revenge western, Django's quest to free his wife from slavery involves detective work as he and Dr. King Schultz track down leads and confront adversaries.

Fact: Quentin Tarantino wrote the role of Django specifically for Jamie Foxx, and the film features a cameo by Franco Nero, who played Django in the original 1966 Italian film.

Description: Although not a traditional detective film, it involves elements of investigation as Solomon Northup, a free black man, seeks to reclaim his freedom after being kidnapped and sold into slavery.

Fact: The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Chiwetel Ejiofor was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Solomon Northup.

Description: This film tells the story of Nat Turner, who leads a slave rebellion, incorporating elements of investigation as he plans and executes his uprising.

Fact: The film was written, directed, and starred in by Nate Parker, who also played Nat Turner.

Description: This biopic of Harriet Tubman, who led hundreds of slaves to freedom, includes detective-like elements as she outwits slave catchers and navigates the dangerous terrain of the Underground Railroad.

Fact: Cynthia Erivo received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress for her role as Harriet Tubman.

Description: This film, based on Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, follows a young woman's desperate escape from a Georgia plantation, weaving in elements of detective work as she navigates the secret network known as the Underground Railroad.

Fact: The series was adapted into a film by Barry Jenkins, known for his work on "Moonlight." The film uses a literal interpretation of the Underground Railroad as an actual train system.

Description: This film focuses on the lives of key figures in the abolitionist movement, including Frederick Douglass, who often had to use detective-like strategies to evade capture and continue his work.

Fact: The film was produced by the same team behind "The Conspirator," which also dealt with historical themes.