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My Top Ten Fictional Films with Sociology Content

Last Updated on February 9, 2017 by

Films are a great way to teach sociological theories and concepts – and there’s lots of films out there which do just that.

In no particular order…. (And links to analysis to follow)

• Fight Club – The most obvious reading is of this as a classic critique of the false consciousness and alienation the working classes suffer under consumer capitalism, but no doubt there are other interpretations out there.
• A Bug’s Life –  Useful for illustrating basic Marxist concepts.
• Black Mirror: The National Anthem – Charlie Brooker’s short film – The Prime Minister has to have sex with a pig live on T.V. to save the life of the nation’s princess whose been kidnapped. This is the best film, hands down, to convey the meaning of ‘hyperreality’.
• Catfish – About a guy that meets a girl on Facebook, and on taking a trip across the States to meets her realises she’s not as good looking as her photos suggested. Most people who’ve gone on a date can relate to this, just maybe not to this extreme. (P.S. I’m calling it fiction, I simply don’t believe it wasn’t set up, just don’t tell the kids before you show it them.)
• Lord of War – A nice introduction to the module on Global Development – Set over a ten year period from the mid ‘80s to the mid ‘90s Nicholas Cage plays an arms dealer who comes into own selling ex-Soviet military hard-ware to African Dictators and rebels. Quite a nice introduction to the history of international conflict post Cold-War
• Hotel Rwanda – A bit slow, and a not so nice introduction to Global Development – set around the Rwandan Genocide – Especially useful if you are going to teach conflict as an aspect of development given the ongoing concerns in neighbouring DRC in 2012-13
• The Freedom Writers – Based on a true story a teacher encourages her marginalised, mostly ethnic minority students to get into literature by telling their stories in diaries. It may be based in ‘90’s America, but you find another film that’s about education and research methods and I’ll eat my diary.
• Visitor Q – O.K. It’s an 18, so I’m not recommending you show this to your teenage students in class – but let’s just say if you thought gay marriage was contentious or divorce-extended families somewhat unusual, by the standards of the family in this little gem, the rest of us are all pretty much singing from the same song sheet.
• Threads – Really not that much to do with anything I teach, but this is simply the most harrowing movie I’ve ever seen. The fact that it’s set in the in Sheffield in the 1980s is scary enough for starters, and it gets worse as it imagines what a real life nuclear holocaust would actually be like. Unlike most other films there is no happy ending, so if you have a burning hatred for a particular class or have just had a stressful year and want to end the term by putting the students on a downer – this is the video to choose.
• Kung fu Panda – Simply the best film ever made period. Richly layered with many levels of meaning, and deeply, deeply moving.

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12 influential and inspirational films for Sociology students

It has never been easier to consume media and in particular TV series and documentaries, in a time of binge-watching though I am often asked by students for advice on actual films to watch rather than just series, in particular films that are both inspirational and useful for Sociology. So, as the evenings close in, the clocks go back and the temperatures drop I decided to compile an essential watch list of 12 films from the last 20 years that are useful for a range of different topics.

Film: I, Daniel Blake

IMDB rating: 7.9/10

Where can I watch it: Amazon Prime

Useful for: Social class, underclass, inequality, poverty, work

Explanation: A very powerful film that looks at the difficulties of unemployment in the North East of England from the point of view of an older unemployed male and a young single mother of two. This film is really useful for explaining the cycle of deprivation and why living in poverty can be a fatalistic and hopeless existence.

Film: American History X

IMDB rating: 8.5/10

Where can I watch it: YouTube movies

Useful for: Ethnicity, racial inequality, poverty

Explanation: A film that many students will find uncomfortable to watch but is an incredibly powerful depiction of a former neo-Nazi white supremacist trying to turn his life around after serving a prison sentence for his actions. This is certainly a film that leaves a long-lasting impression.

Film: Love, Simon

IMDB rating: 7.7/10

Where can I watch it: Amazon Prime and YouTube Movies

Useful for: Sexuality, identity, gender equality

Explanation: Some students will say that a few of these film suggestions are ‘well old’ so here is one right up to date, an American high school boy struggles with the secret of his sexuality and forms an online relationship with another guy to open up about his feelings and experiences. This is a great feel good film to watch on a rainy day.

Film: City of God

IMDB rating: 8.6/10

Where can I watch it: Netflix

Useful for: Crime, Ethnicity, Social class, inequality

Explanation: A multi-awarding winning film which helps to understand the life of crime in an area of Rio with deep rooted poverty. This is another hard-hitting film which I have recommended to students in the past and the feedback has always been overwhelmingly positive. There is also a follow up entitled ’10 years later’.

Film: American Beauty

IMDB rating: 8.4/10

Where can I watch it: YouTube Movies

Useful for: Family, sexuality, gender identity

Explanation: I have often shown some of this film to students during the family topic in order to understand empty shell marriages that look ideal from the outside with the perfect home, car and lawn but are far from perfect behind the closed doors. The film also covers issues of divorce, teenage relationships and sexuality.

Film: Freedom writers

IMDB rating: 7.5/10

Useful for: Education, ethnicity, social class, labelling, methods

Explanation: A film that both students and teachers can relate to that looks at a young teacher attempting to inspire students from poor and ethnic minority backgrounds. This is really good to look at labelling in schools and also interesting from a methods point of view as the students keep a diary to record their feelings.

Film: The Green Mile

Useful for: Crime, deviance, ethnicity, labelling, stereotyping

Explanation: Well, if this one does not make them cry then nothing will! An incredibly powerful story of a black man accused of child murder and rape who possess a special gift. Because this film is almost twenty years old then many students may not have heard of it let alone seen it though every single person I know who has seen this film has been moved by it.

Film: The Wife

Where can I watch it: Cinema

Useful for: Gender, equality, power, identity, Feminism

Explanation: I have included this one as it is on at the cinema at the time of writing and is sure to pick up many awards, this is a really interesting look at the power imbalance between a husband and wife and how there is an expectancy for the husband’s role and status to take precedence over the wife whilst she adopts the emotional, expressive support role.

Film: This is England

Useful for: Ethnicity, Social class, identity, subcultures, crime

Explanation: A film that takes a look at how a young boy becomes initiated into a group of racist skinheads in England in the 1980s. Another difficult watch but if students like the film then they can also watch the follow-up mini-series 86, 88 and 90, the latest of which is on Netflix.

Film: Philomena

IMDB rating: 7.6/10

Useful for: Religion, gender, equality, feminism

Explanation: An Irish mother has her child taken away from her by the catholic church under horrific circumstances and a journalist picks up the story many years later to investigate the whereabouts of her child. Another fantastically powerful film.

Film: Wonder

IMDB rating: 8.0/10

Useful for: Disability, identity, equality

Explanation: Another recent film that looks at a young boy with facial disfigurations trying to live a normal life in an American school. It is a film that will get students to consider identity, disability and equality as well as tug on the heart strings. This was recommended to me by one of my students and I really enjoyed it too.

Film: Pride

IMDB rating: 7.8/10

Useful for: Sexuality, identity, social class, Marxism

Explanation: Another feel-good film which looks at how the striking miners and gay activists combined forces in the mid-eighties to successfully campaign and protest against the government. The film is also useful for students to understand New Right policies under Margaret Thatcher.

So, this of course only scratches the surface of films and I am sure you have other recommendations too but I wanted to include films that were all within the last 20 years and accessible (literally and figuratively) for Sociology students. Please also do check the age certification on each film before recommending depending on the key stage you are teaching.

By Matthew Wilkin

Matthew has been teaching Sociology for 16 years and has taught in the UK, Kenya and Spain. He currently teaches at Bellerbys College in Brighton. Matthew runs the www.podology.org.uk website and is continuing his mission to visit every country in the world.

He is also a contributing author to the new Themes & Perspectives books written specifically for the AQA A-level Sociology specification.

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Great Films for Sociology Classes

UPDATE: In January 2012, we caught up with Jessie Daniels for her latest picks in the best of the best documentaries, and got replies from several other professors representing different courses. Please check out the new lists! https://thesocietypages.org/specials/documentaries/

Here are more items suggested by the commentors:

Josh Page , a professor of sociology (particularly law, crime, and deviance) at the University of Minnesota, sends in his Top Five list for teaching undergrad courses on the criminal justice system, noting “The ‘reality’ TV stuff about prison life is pretty much uniformly bad.” Top Five Prison Documentaries for Crime and Punishment Courses 1. Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo (2009)  http://sweetheartsoftheprisonrodeo.com/ 2. The Dhamma Brothers (2008)  http://www.dhammabrothers.com/ 3. The Farm (1998)  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139193/ 4. Writ Writer (2008)  http://www.writwritermovie.com/ 5. Ghosts of Attica (2001)  http://icarusfilms.com/new2001/gho.html Favorite Re-entry Documentary Omar and Pete (prison reentry) (2005)  http://www.pbs.org/pov/omarandpete/

Another great friend of The Society Pages, Prof.  Andrew Lindner  of Concordia College, Moorhead, writes in with his own favorite documentaries with teaching. He said he’d have included “49 Up,” but since it had already been mentioned, these are his next Top Five, culled from the film series he puts on every semester at Concordia: But I do a film series every semester on campus, so here are a few not mentioned: 1. “ Manufactured Landscapes ” (2006), based on the work of photographer Edward Burtynsky, it has some unbelievable footage from Chinese factories. Great for teaching about globalization and capitalism. 2. “ Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills ” (1996) – a classic documentary on the (now recently freed) West Memphis Three. A powerful and disturbing illustration of stigma and social control. 3. “ The War Room ” (1993) – an insider’s look into Bill Clinton’s path to victory in the 1992 primaries. I use this in my “Political Sociology” course to talk about rhetoric, political strategy, and political professionals. 4. “ Flow: For Love of Water ” (2008) – a terrifying documentary on our dwindling water supply and how it is owned and managed by corporations for profit. Great for discussions of capitalism, privatization, or environmental sociology. 5. “ Secret of the Wild Child ” (1994) – an outstanding PBS/Nova documentary on feral children, particularly the famous Genie case mentioned in almost every sociology text. Challenges many students assumptions about socialization.

Nathan Palmer shares: This is such a great idea and I’d like to thank TSP and Jessie Daniels for doing this. Resources like this and  The Sociological Cinema  make finding great videos for our classes so much easier. Thanks for taking the lead on this and for allowing the rest of us to share. My Top Five Documentaries. Race The Power of an Illusion Pvert 3: The House We Live In (2003) My favorite film to show how historic and institutional racial discrimination is affecting us to this day. It does a great job connecting whiteness to citizenship and explaining red lining/block busting. I use it in my 101s and race & ethnicity classes. The Color of Fear (1994) An oldie, but a goodie. The film is a recording of 9 men of different racial ethnic backgrounds talking candidly about race. My only critique of the film is there are no women included and multiple racial groups are left out as well. Food Inc. (2008) More than anything I want my students in my environmental sociology class to understand how social inequality and environmental degradation are connected. The portion of this film dedicated to the mistreatment of farmers, factory workers, and the animals/land they use is priceless. The Battle for Whiteclay (2008) This independent film documents how 4 liquor stores in Whiteclay, NE (a town of 14 people) sell 12,500 cans of beer a day. The off-sale liquor stores take advantage of their proximity to the Pine Ridge Reservation, who banned alcohol sales and possession on their lands. Despite there being no legal place for the 12,500 cans to be consumed (Whiteclay only has off-sale establishments) there have been nearly no arrests while the liquor dealers make millions of dollars annually. The video is an excellent example of government corruption, exploitation, and selective law enforcement. Inside Job (2010) The 2008 credit crisis is a perfect example of how changes at the institutional level have a cascading affect all the way down to the individual. It also gets at how social problems are socially constructed. This film more than any other explains the complex crisis in a way that is approachable.

From Sarah Lageson: One site I have relied on for seeking out sociologically relevant videos is  Sociology at the Movies . I also think a neat project for students in food or labor-related courses is to view Edward R. Murrow’s  Harvest of Shame , then view a selection of contemporary documentaries that highlight how little has changed since 1961. Some really great documentaries include: American Harvest , The Harvest/La Cosecha , and  New Harvest, Old Shame .

Carolyn Liebler says: I often use movie clips in introduction to sociology when introducing a set of theories or concepts. Students use the movie clips to pull out examples of each theory/concept. They appreciate the chance to apply sociology to their regular lives. For example, I show a short clip from: 1)  Little Miss Sunshine  – for students to pick out examples of material culture, non-material culture, subculture, counterculture, face and face work, front stage, and back stage behavior. 2)  Wedding Crashers  – as a way to apply the following theories of deviance: rational choice, labeling theory, differential association theory, and obligatory action. 3) The beginning of  Ghostbusters  – to apply the three major tenets of ethical research methods 4)  Fiddler on the Roof  – to play “spot that social institution!” and talk about how social institutions are interrelated.

Dedicated friend-to-TSP Joe Soss sends in this list of his Top 5: 1.  At the River I Stand 2.  Merchants of Cool 3.  Occupation: Dreamland 4.  Stonewall Uprising 5.  Inside Job

And one from a student, Thom Friend: College student here, taking courses on media & gender. Some of my favorite documentaries we have viewed in the classroom: – Generation M: Misogyny in Media & Culture – The Mickey Mouse Monopoly – Iron Jawed Angels (Dramatization of the Women’s Suffrage Movement) – Tough Guise: Men and Masculinity in Media – Further Off the Straight & Narrow – Makers (PBS) Then some of my personal recommendations: – Zeitgeist: Moving Forward – Power and Terror: Noam Chomsky – Forks Over Knives

What makes students happier than watching movies during class time? — A new blog post provides some beneficial guidance in selecting films for specific sociological topics.

A recent update to the blog titled ‘ Thinking at the Interface ‘ provides a thorough and exemplary list of films to use in sociology classes. The list is organized around common themes of introductory sociology courses including the sociological imagination, research methods, race, ethnicity, and gender, just to name a few!

Link to the list… 

Comments 18

Jessie daniels — april 16, 2008.

Hey, thanks for the link ! ;-)

And, if I may expand on your lede, t's not just that students 'love watching movies during class time' (and they do), it's that students who have grown up with visual media as part of their environment and they need skills to be able to 'read' those visual texts just like they need skills to be able to read scholarly literature. For example in a response to a mid-semester survey from this semester, students in one of my classes wrote this: "I believe the visual texts (films) are great because we are a visual generation and we grew up on television, computers, etc. " And, another wrote: "They (films) are really helpful in terms of visualizing or understanding the text that we were supposed to read for this week."

~ Jessie Daniels, PhD CUNY-Hunter College

Jessie Daniels — June 14, 2009

Hi - Just trying to get the word out, the blog where the list of films resided is no more, and now I've stashed the list of films here:

http://sociologythroughdocumentaryfilm.pbworks.com/

This is a wiki - so if you have films you want to add, please create a login and add them!

amelia — June 15, 2009

Thanks so much for the update, Jessie!

Deviance movies | Marcellofounda — January 18, 2012

[...] Great Films for Sociology Classes » Citings and SightingsApr 15, 2008 … What makes students happier than watching movies during class time? — A new blog post provides some beneficial guidance in selecting films … [...]

Friday Roundup: May 10, 2013 » The Editors' Desk — May 10, 2013

[...] There is, and I believe we all know it as: show a danged movie. And here at TSP, we like to provide inspiration. At the bottom of today’s roundup, there’s a list of 56 documentaries and other films that have been recommended to us as excellent fodder for crim, soc, social movements, gender, media studies, and every other class you might be teaching or taking. To learn more, visit this interview with Jessie Daniels and its extensive comments with suggestions from other profs and students (many with links) or this older post with some more good choices. [...]

Danielle Docka-Filipek — April 21, 2014

Thank you for compiling these very useful lists! I thought I'd add my own, as I'm teaching with heavy use of film this semester in two of my courses. For sociology of gender: 1. Tomboy, 2. Straightlaced, 3. The Purity Myth, 4. Killing Us Softly 4, and 5. Tough Guise 2. For social problems: 1. We're Not Broke, 2. How to Survive a Plague, 3. Bad Blood, 4. The Water Front, and 5. Pink Ribbons, Inc. Using the films to pull examples from to illustrate lecture concepts has worked very well, and seems to provide students with excellent fodder for essay questions on exams. Having the opportunity to share is much appreciated.

Matt Gunther — October 28, 2014

Thanks, Danielle!

Pam Haley — August 3, 2018

How about "Loving", a film depicting racial discord (anti-miscegenation law) in USA circa 50's & 60's? I also like to show "Crips & Bloods: Made in America" that shows how gang formation is related to discrimination, segregation, and poverty.

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10 Must-Watch Movies for Sociology Students

• April 18, 2022

What do sociologists do? Rather than working with one person at a time to determine the state of his or her mental health, sociologists have a more daunting task: Figuring out the behaviors of people when they act in concert with others.

This profession takes a microscopic look at what happens to individuals when they are influenced by other people, cultures, organizations, and institutions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistic’s Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Using both quantitative and qualitative research tools plus investigative methods not unlike those employed by other social science professions, sociologists use classic and contemporary theories to understand individual and group behavioral patterns.

Can movies help sociologists understand more about group behavior? The answer is yes.

Some films are so intuitive, they have the power to change the way society acts, behaves, and responds to diverse social issues. These 10 movies are particularly important because they help moviegoers better understand the dynamics of why people behave as they do when they’re no longer acting alone.

Movies for Sociology Students

#1: an inconvenient truth (2006).

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore won a 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for this documentary and there is no denying the daunting message: Society must become more aware of the international impact of global warming before it’s too late. This cinematic early warning earned critical praise and continues to do so.

Pairing film footage showing a declining environment with statistics on weather pattern changes, Gore’s concerns about climate change and his haunting final message serve as a warning of what mankind must do to safeguard the future of our planet. It’s been 36 years and Gore’s warnings appear to have been ignored, say environmental sociologists.

Duration: 1h 36 min Rating: PG

#2: Bambi (1942)

While hunting remains popular with some segments of society, this film would be widely castigated today as inhumane by some — but for film scholars there’s a hidden story. The film was adapted from a 1928 book written by Felix Salten (pen name). Sociologists labeled the film an allegory about the fate of European Jews and the debate continues.

Duration: 1h 10 min Rating: PG

#3: Bowling for Columbine (2002)

Director Michael Moore’s third film is a tragedy-filled documentary that explores the thorny issue of the rise of gun violence in schools. Moore’s directorial masterpiece covers serious ground as it tells the tale of students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold who shot 15 people during the 1999 Columbine High School massacre that rocked the state of Colorado – and the U.S. — to its core.

Debuting to rave reviews, the social significance of this premier film showed first-hand what two disturbed teens were willing to do out of anger and hatred against society. Since its debut, gun violence in schools has not abated. Bowling for Columbine won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film’s official trailer captures its essence:

Duration: 1h 59 min Rating: R for some violent images and language

#4: Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Not everyone was comfortable sitting in theaters the year Brokeback Mountain opened around the nation. Starring Jack Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger, this tale of two married cowboys takes place between 1963 and 1983 when same-sex relationships were not as out in the open as they are today.

Discovering that they are sexually attracted to each other and acting on those feelings proved so raw and compelling a cinematic experience, the film earned multiple Golden Globe Awards. Brokeback Mountain polarized moviegoers, some of whom took issue with the love scenes. At the heart of this film is the inner conflict with which each man struggles in a society where most gay relationships remained in metaphorical closets.

Duration: 2h 14 min Rating: R for sexuality; nudity; language; some violence

#5: Blackfish (2013)

Taking the kids to aquatic theme parks throughout the nation raised few eyebrows until a killer whale named Tilikum was captured in 1983 and brought to Sea World as part of the theme park’s ongoing entertainment offerings. This cavalier attitude changed with the distribution of Gabriella Cowperthwaite’s documentary showcasing how stressful life in captivity was when these mammals were confined to cages.

Like Bambi, the film Blackfish impacted society in several ways – both economically for Sea World and emotionally for moviegoers who left theaters feeling guilty, angry and in some cases, committed to seeing an end to this cruelty. Blackfish was awarded a 2014 BRITDOC Impact Award for bringing about positive change. See why this film received so much acclaim:

Duration: 1h 23 min Rating: PG-13

#6: Philadelphia (1993)

This movie is so sociologically important, even the Smithsonian Institute published a retrospective on this film 25 years later to see how far attitudes have changed. The plot line describes the firing of lawyer Andrew Becket (Tom Hanks) after his firm learns he has AIDS.

Despite his discomfort around gay people, attorney Denzel Washington signs on as Tom Hanks’ attorney to bring suit against Becket’s law firm. Artfully directed by Jonathan Demme, the haunting soundtrack (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKdk97y2Wjg) is especially powerful. Roger Ebert called the movie “the first time Hollywood has risked a big-budget film on the subject,” bringing both AIDS and gay rights into the sunlight.

Duration: 2h 5 min Rating: PG-13

#7: Selma (2014)

No movie list recommending works for sociology students would be complete without Selma, a tribute to the legendary Selma to Montgomery (Alabama) voting protest march of 1965, when the world looked on in horror as dogs, police and bigots confronted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other protestors as they demonstrated against segregation.

Would the Civil Rights Movement have gained traction were this movie never produced? Yes, but the depiction of the bravery residents and Black leaders exhibited at this pivotal moment and in this specific place shows the depths to which changemakers were willing to risk their lives for their beliefs.

Duration: 2h 2 min Rating: PG-13

#8: Super Size Me (2004)

The nation’s appetite for fast food has impacted American society but it wasn’t until Morgan Spurlock’s documentary revealed the truth about the impact on one’s health from consuming an unhealthy diet that the public took notice. Spurlock committed to a “McDonald’s-only diet” as filmgoers watched his health and physical appearance disintegrate dramatically.

How profound did this documentary prove to be? Researchers say that feedback and further research following the film’s release were responsible for corporate McDonald’s decision to remove the option of getting food orders “super-sized,” and 18 years later, this option has not returned to the chain’s menu of options.

Duration: 1h 38 min Rating: PG-13

#9: The Birth of a Nation (1915)

Movies of sociological importance are not limited to the current century. This silent film broke movie theater attendance records when it depicted the assassination of Abraham Lincoln around the time of the Civil War and at a time in history when the Ku Klux Klan wielded immense power over communities in the south.

What’s unique about this film? It does not depict the Klan as being a hate organization committed to lynching Black people. Rather, it’s promoted as an organization conceived to protect American values. For students wresting with competing political messages today, this movie is a true eye-opener, even by today’s standards

Duration: 3h 10 min Rating: NR

#10: The Thin Blue Line (1988)

When Dallas police officer Robert Wood was murdered in 1976, he had been about the business of stopping a man who was driving a car that was suspected of being stolen. The driver drew a gun after he was stopped and killed Wood. The purpose of this riveting film was to explore whether the driver was guilty.

The Thin Blue Line chronicles flaws in the justice system that bring into question the need for a death penalty. Legal maneuvering led to the driver’s ultimate release from prison. Given today’s policing temperature, this 35-year-old movie shows that society continues to wrestle with some of the same issues today.

Duration: 1h 49 min Rating: NR

Resources used https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/sociologists.htm#tab-2 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/plotsummary?ref_=tt_stry_pl

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Sociological Film: A Medium to Promote Sociological Imagination

• Published: 06 July 2023
• Volume 54 , pages 466–484, ( 2023 )

Cite this article

• Habib A. Moghimi   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1103-2027 1  

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This paper examines the idea of sociological film that encourages sociological imagination, which refers to the capability to recognize the intersection of biography and history. The paper identifies six key dimensions of sociological film through a thematic analysis of different classic approaches to sociological imagination: sociological life, structure-actors relationship, critical perspective, academic awareness, fluidity of meaning, and promotion of sociological imagination. This paper provides concrete examples to demonstrate the distinctive features of sociological film and how it relates to, and differs from, other films that address social issues, including documentary films. The paper argues that sociological film is essential in fostering sociological imagination by offering a unique lens for analyzing and understanding social phenomena. Sociological film has the potential to inspire social change by increasing awareness about significant social issues and promoting critical thinking and reflection. The paper concludes by emphasizing the significance of collaboration between sociologists and filmmakers in advancing sociological imagination through the medium of sociological films. It highlights the importance of actively engaging with the public in visual research methods.

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This is like what Ehrenreich ( 2007 , p. 237) explains as the chain of questions that lead sociologists to different fields. I believe that by taking a Foucauldian approach, we can understand it as the process of problematization.

According to Bonnewitz ( 1998 ), the emergence of concepts and vocabularies is influenced by discourses that shape the intellectual and social environment. Common sense, which is an unscientific explanation of phenomena, is shaped by these discourses, particularly by the state, which is seen as the most important institution shaping social constructs and categories. These categories are taken for granted and often emerge insensibly in everyday language. Therefore, sociology must be sensitive to the creation and emergence of these concepts and vocabularies.

This is also recommended by Stacey ( 2019 ) and Ehrenreich ( 2007 )

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Moghimi, H.A. Sociological Film: A Medium to Promote Sociological Imagination. Am Soc 54 , 466–484 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12108-023-09586-z

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10 Great Social Commentary Movies That Reflect Contemporary Society

At its most fundamental essence, cinema is a representation of our lives. The grandiosity of an image on a movie screen can encourage us to laugh, move us to cry, or just stare in wonder as a foray of colors, shapes, and sounds culminate together to create…something new. When we watch a film, we choose to enter through a door of exploration, at the behest of its director, and we allow them to take us somewhere completely and totally unexplored.

When we relinquish such control, the men and women who create those films know it and they seize upon that opportunity. Opportunity to do what? Quentin Tarantino will tell you that it’s his job to entertain you through cathartic violence with a heavy dose of witty Chandler-esqe dialogue, pulp fiction, and a plethora of enough Spaghetti Western references to make even Sergio Leone laugh. Lars von Trier will bluntly assert that it’s his job merely to exploit you through the innate abuse of his characters, all for the betterment of a greater cinematic experience.

Documentarians like Morgan Spurlock (Super-Size Me), Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing), or even Michael Moore (Bowling for Columbine) will all tell you that cinema is about education, the experience of watching a film and learning something at the end of the day (usually they aim for some sort of appreciation towards a new perspective or learned opinion about a specific topic). At its most fundamental essence, cinema is a representation of our lives as well as our ability to learn and grow as human beings.

A social commentary is the manipulation of story all for the means of providing some sort of observation on issues within society itself. This is often carried out by the director, their hope to promote change by informing and educating the general masses about a specific problem that they deem important. In this sense, issues raised in social commentaries often appeal to the public’s sense of justice and hope for a conclusion that will bring about a shift in society to right the wrongs.

1. The Dirties (2013): dir. Matthew Johnson

The directorial debut of Matt Johnson (VICELAND’s Nirvana the Band Show), “The Dirties” is a beautiful ode to pop culture, wrapped intelligently around a meta-narrative of betrayal, heartbreak, and tragedy. The film centers around two high school outcasts Matt (Johnson himself) and Owen (Owen Williams) as they plan, shoot, and edit their project film titled “The Dirties” for their high school film course.

This film within the film revolves around Matt and Owen, two hard-boiled detectives (akin to that of a hybrid of Chinatown’s Jake Gittes, Humphrey Bogart, and Kill Bill’s Beatrice Kiddo) as they plan to hunt down the bullies that have done them wrong in the past.

Throughout the duration of the primary narrative, Matt and Owen are plagued by the torments of adolescence, bullies, and loneliness. The obvious losers, their immature antics alienate them from seemingly every high school click, but they don’t seem to mind because they have each other and movies. Owen, however, decides to make a turn and reject his outcast lifestyle, opting to learn the guitar and talk to the pretty girl, whereas Matt succumbs deeper and deeper into his film.

Convincing himself that it is “all a part of the movie” or “the project for school,” Matt takes alarmingly complex and threatening steps into securing his revenge against all those who have wronged him once and for all. He studies blueprints of his school, manages to secure a firearm, repeatedly tells those that wrong him that he is going to kill them, and at one point, when it is evident that Matt has almost completely lost his mind, he looks directly into the camera and plainly declares “I can’t believe that it is this easy.” The climax is shocking, haunting, and leaves the viewer begging for just one minute more.

To say that this film is a critique of gun rights in a world where there is seemingly a new mass shooting almost every week would be grossly underestimating the talent and layering of Matt Johnson’s story. It is a tragedy of misunderstanding those around us and the red flags after the fact.

Matt was a clearly troubled individual, not because he had been a lunatic or an evil individual, but because he had been pushed too far and simply had had enough. He was a kid who escaped through his film project, and used it as a means to detach himself from reality.

Yes, gun rights is an element of the story, and the debate can be had accordingly to what was portrayed in this film, but the real commentary is a reflection on how our actions are sometimes the catalyst for much greater (and sometimes horrific) events.

2. The Lobster (2016): dir. Yorgos Lanthimo

With each film Yorgos Lanthimo casts into the mainstream, the more intriguing he becomes. Both his critically acclaimed Dogtooth and Alps each had something to say about the roles of language, character manipulation, and the nature of truth within the present realm of society, but not as prolific as it was in “The Lobster”.

In this exploration of human interaction and interpersonal relationship, David (Collin Farrell) is a man who has lost his wife to another man. In retaliation, he allows himself to be taken to a clinic on the outskirts of a dystopian society. It is here that they explain to him that single people have 45 days to find a partner or they will be transformed into an animal. As the title suggests, David chooses to be turned into a lobster if he cannot find love. In the clinic, masturbation is prohibited, but sexual stimulation by the hotel maid is mandatory.

Additionally, patients attend dances and watch propaganda telling of the advantages of relationships. It is a cold, sterile environment where relationships are acutely dissected and put under a microscope. Through numerous cameos (most notably John C. Reilly and Skyfall’s Anthony Moriarty) paired along with Farrell’s character, the dichotomies of relationships and what truly constitute human connections are reevaluated.

For example, John (Moriarty) (a fellow patient) feigns a human connection with a young women out of sheer fear of being turned into an animal. He successfully manages to fool every one of his newfound love as genuine and is able to continue in his treatment. It is ironic that when David finally finds his love much later in the film, she is considered an outsider to this dystopian society and must even still conform to her ideals, even if it ultimately means sacrificing everything that he holds dear to him.

This film is a truly epic examination of one of the greatest mysteries of the human condition: our desire for love. In a world of domination at the hands of social media, extremely superficial beauty standards, and numerous pressures presented by life itself (work, money, and whatever else you can think of that worries you), Lanthimo creates an incredibly oblique, yet personal incursion into the human psyche.

The film seeks to explore what really ends up constituting the relationships in our lives, ultimately begging the question of what is creating them in the first place.

3. Do the Right Thing (1989): dir. Spike Lee

If there is one film on this list, however unfortunate, that seems to transcend time within the context of a post-Civil Rights United States, it is indeed Spike Lee’s 1989 “Do the Right Thing.” Its original inception birthed from the erosion of race relations within United States in the late 20th Century, this film seeks to address the topics of not only racism itself, but also perceptions on the injustices of prejudice.

In the context of the story, the relationships of Blacks, Whites, Italians, and Koreans (most are common citizens, but some are police authorities) on a block in a Brooklyn neighborhood are put to the penultimate test on one of the hottest days of the summer.

The story primarily centers around Mookie (Spike Lee), a mid-20 something average-Joe. He has a child, a girlfriend, and tries to keep his nose clean in the rough streets. In his free time, he works as a pizza delivery boy for Sal (Danny Aiello). Sal, the minority Italian in the neighborhood, runs a thriving pizza shop, which has been deeply integrated into the neighborhood (having been feeding the kids of neighborhood for years). His two sons help him run the shop, but hold prejudiced reservations about those they serve.

Around this central storyline of trials and tribulation, other colorful characters roam these streets, each more complex and interesting than the last. Most notably there is the menacing, radio touting Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn), loudmouth Buggin’ Out (Breaking Bad’s own Giancarlo Esposito), and the drunkard (yet enlightened) Da Mayor (Ossie Davis).

What is absolutely brilliant about Spike Lee’s direction and story is that it manages to intricately balance the interconnected storylines and perspectives of every single person the camera choses to follow, begging the question of who is right in each situation (and managing to keep that answer intentionally neutral).

This morally impartial position is kept and maintained throughout the film, stoking the fires of intellectual curiosity and perspective, even to the film’s tragic climax. That is what is so utterly perfect about this film, because even after the credits have begun to roll, you still think about it. There is a much deeper meaning veiled behind this conventional story of racism and heartbreak.

In contemporary American society, this film is more important now than it ever was. The fact that anyone who is at least moderately aware of the spiraling race relations within the United States can watch this almost 30 year old film and convincingly believe it could have been made been made in 2017. That is something to think about. In an era of the 2015 Baltimore Riots, the rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the gradual questioning of systemic prejudices in US policing institutions, “Do the Right Thing” still asks so many questions that have yet to be answered.

4. I’m Still Here (2010): dir. Casey Affleck

Joaquin Phoenix is most certainly a powerhouse presence on the big screen, but “I’m Still Here” solidifies him as one of the greats. In this 2010 film on media manipulation and the psychology of fame and character, Director Casey Affleck follows Phoenix as he attempts to carry out a plan to retire from acting and concentrate on a new career as a hip-hop musician. Ridiculous as this may sound, we all remember that time when we thought that the actor had finally lost it, and if you don’t remember when exactly that was, it was during the filming of this comedy-drama.

The film not only centers on pontification after pontification delivered by Phoenix on the idea of the superstar personality and the media, but also on instances where he samples his new music to massive crowds, attempts to hit the circuit, and surprises Letterman with a stupefied, bizarre, and tranquilized performance (sporting the trademark rugged beard and sunglasses).

On the surface level, the film portrays the mid-life crisis of a highly talented actor, emblazoned by years of reputation and success, starting to slowly lose his grip with everything else around him. Abstractly, as we know now, it was all a lie. A farce constructed by Phoenix and Affleck themselves to illustrate the power of celebrity and its subsequent manipulation at their hands. The film itself is a fascination examination of the role of popularity and controversy, in just how easy something false can shape something so major.

5. Four Lions (2010): dir. Chris Morris

Four Lions is more of a black comedy than it is that of a social commentary, but sometimes the act of laughter and the art of humor can often bring to light many issues which we never previously saw before. Four Lions delves into the subject of terrorism, more specifically radical Islamic terrorism. Yes, that phrase alone is a political quagmire in and of itself, but before anything gets too partisan, the film most definitely has something to say about it, and that is what is important here.

In this film, a bumbling group of young British Muslims become radicalized, aspiring to become suicide bombers and wage jihad. This posse is led by Omar (Riz Ahmed), and underneath his command is his cousin Waj (Kayvan Novak), Barry (Nigel Lindsay), and Faisal (Adeel Akhtar).

Throughout the film, senses of duty and inspiration are questioned and tested, if in the most absurdly comical means possible. They attempt to attach C4 to crows as a means to wage terror. They cook the sim-cards of their phones in order to maintain a low profile. They even so much as travel to Pakistan and train with Al-Qaeda affiliates and, in the process, manage to completely fail. In a pre-Boston Bombing context, the film decides that these characters will ultimately target a British fun-run marathon, where they must dress in ridiculous and silly costumes in order to better conceal the explosives under their disguises.

As the film nears its third act and the actual action of jihad must be carried out, the story, as is typical in most black comedies, takes a much more menacing and dark turn. We aren’t laughing at these idiotic fools anymore, but rather, we become afraid of them as their actions steadily become more real. We watch in horror as these men become more desperate to carry out their actions, some of them even regretting what they plan to carry out.

At the film’s conclusion, we are merely left sitting there to think “why did they act in this way?” At first, we laughed at them, but soon enough, we were crying with them. Four Lions is a perfect example of a film asking us to sympathize with those that we do not understand and, in a world plagued by fear and terror, an attempt at consideration for the other side (even if it is for our safety) is extremely relevant.

6 Replies to “10 Great Social Commentary Movies That Reflect Contemporary Society”

Network (1976), forty years ago, was prophetic.

Her (2013) would’ve been a perfect pick. Disappointed it’s not here. 🙁

What about Idiocracy ?

Requiem for a Dream

Trainspotting

I would have La Haine beating quite a few on this last. Damn, that film. . . .

[…] nation’s inner soul has been laid bare in the three Kenyan made movies premiering at the Nairobi Film Festival this week. In them, we […]

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How to Write a Sociological Movie Review

Isaiah david.

Movies can tell us a lot about society and culture. A movie may discuss social roles in a particular time and culture, history, views of sexual morality, cultural fears, and many other sociological facets. Through reviewing the movie from a sociological perspective, an author can gain insight into not just a particular director or writer's vision, but how contemporary society views itself and its world.

Explore this article

• Identify sociological themes in the movie
• Select observations
• Develop a sociological argument
• Write a conclusion
• Write an introduction
• Reread your essay
• Add a works-cited page

things needed

1 identify sociological themes in the movie.

Identify sociological themes in the movie. Ask yourself in what ways the movie reflects the events and social reality of its time and in what ways it distorts them. Ask if the movie reflects on universal human concerns and problems and, if so, how. Ask how well the movie fits into sociological ideas and research, or if it contradicts them. Decide what it has to say, if anything, on the relationship between the individual, his society, and the flow of history. Jot down some notes.

2 Select observations

Select observations that are surprising or startling. A sociological movie review that makes unexpected observations will be much more interesting than one that focuses on obvious things.

3 Develop a sociological argument

Develop a sociological argument. State what you believe the movie has to say sociologically, using evidence from the movie. Include events from the plot, descriptions of important scenes, and direct quotes from character dialogue to make your point. Don't summarize the whole movie; rather, focus on the parts of it that are most important to your argument.

4 Write a conclusion

Write a conclusion, restating your main point and showing how it relates to a broader sociological perspective. You may wish to reflect on the movie's continued relevance to current events, for example or, if it is no longer relevant to our culture, discuss what has changed.

5 Write an introduction

Write an introduction. The introduction should provide a hook to bring the reader in and address the main point of the essay. Start by asking a question, discussing an important event in history, sharing a quote from the movie, or using another technique to get the reader to think about what issue your essay is addressing. Then, narrow down your introduction in a few sentences until you present your thesis: the main point your essay is making.

6 Reread your essay

Reread your essay to make sure it has good grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and is well organized. Include a title, your name and the date you completed the review on a title page. If you are writing your review for a class, check it against the class rubric to make sure it fulfills all the requirements.

7 Add a works-cited page

Add a works-cited page. Write down relevant information including title, director, studio and year of production of the version of the movie you watched, and citations for any books or articles you consulted.

• 1 Robert J. Brym: How to Write a Sociological Movie Review

About the Author

Isaiah David is a freelance writer and musician living in Portland, Ore. He has over five years experience as a professional writer and has been published on various online outlets. He holds a degree in creative writing from the University of Michigan.

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Sociology in Movies

Discussing people and the way they live in a society.

• Movies or TV
• IMDb Rating
• In Theaters
• Release Year

1. Rear Window (1954)

PG | 112 min | Mystery, Thriller

A photographer in a wheelchair spies on his neighbors from his Greenwich Village courtyard apartment window, and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder, despite the skepticism of his fashion-model girlfriend.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: James Stewart , Grace Kelly , Wendell Corey , Thelma Ritter

Votes: 520,621 | Gross: $36.76M

2. Dogtooth (2009)

Not Rated | 97 min | Drama, Thriller

A controlling, manipulative father locks his three adult offsprings in a state of perpetual childhood by keeping them prisoner within the sprawling family compound.

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos | Stars: Christos Stergioglou , Michele Valley , Angeliki Papoulia , Christos Passalis

Votes: 109,705 | Gross: $0.11M

3. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

R | 102 min | Drama

The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep..

Director: Darren Aronofsky | Stars: Ellen Burstyn , Jared Leto , Jennifer Connelly , Marlon Wayans

Votes: 895,963 | Gross: $3.64M

4. 96 Minutes (2011)

R | 93 min | Drama, Thriller

The story of 4 lives slammed together in a shocking moment. Intercutting between a carjacking and the separate stories of the 4 kids in Atlanta, we watch as they hurtle toward a life-changing end.

Director: Aimee Lagos | Stars: Brittany Snow , Evan Ross , Sharon Conley , Justin Martin

Votes: 3,400

5. Reality Bites (1994)

PG-13 | 99 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

A documentary filmmaker and her fellow Generation X graduates face life after college, looking for work and love in Houston.

Director: Ben Stiller | Stars: Winona Ryder , Ethan Hawke , Janeane Garofalo , Steve Zahn

Votes: 53,497 | Gross: $20.98M

Young Adult

6. The Help (2011)

PG-13 | 146 min | Drama

An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.

Director: Tate Taylor | Stars: Viola Davis , Emma Stone , Octavia Spencer , Bryce Dallas Howard

Votes: 491,274 | Gross: $169.71M

7. Fat Girl (2001)

Not Rated | 86 min | Drama

Two sisters confront their sexual attitudes and experiences while on a family holiday.

Director: Catherine Breillat | Stars: Anaïs Reboux , Roxane Mesquida , Libero De Rienzo , Arsinée Khanjian

Votes: 12,773 | Gross: $0.72M

8. Beautiful Boy (2010)

R | 100 min | Drama

A married couple on the verge of separation are leveled by the news their 18-year-old son committed a mass shooting at his college, then took his own life.

Director: Shawn Ku | Stars: Michael Sheen , Maria Bello , Kyle Gallner , Logan South

Votes: 6,940 | Gross: $0.08M

Teen / Grown Ups

9. 360 (2011)

R | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

A modern and stylish kaleidoscope of interconnected love and relationships linking characters from different cities and countries in a vivid, suspenseful and deeply moving tale of romantic life in the 21st century.

Director: Fernando Meirelles | Stars: Rachel Weisz , Jude Law , Anthony Hopkins , Ben Foster

Votes: 17,442 | Gross: $0.10M

10. Enemy (2013)

R | 91 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller

A man seeks out his exact look-alike after spotting him in a movie.

Director: Denis Villeneuve | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal , Mélanie Laurent , Sarah Gadon , Isabella Rossellini

Votes: 214,020 | Gross: $1.01M

11. Hick (2011)

R | 99 min | Comedy, Drama

A Nebraska teen gets more than she bargained for when she sets out for the bright lights of Las Vegas.

Director: Derick Martini | Stars: Chloë Grace Moretz , Blake Lively , Rory Culkin , Eddie Redmayne

Votes: 20,802

Social Classes

12. Joe (I) (2013)

R | 117 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

An ex-con, who is the unlikeliest of role models, meets a 15-year-old boy and is faced with the choice of redemption or ruin.

Director: David Gordon Green | Stars: Nicolas Cage , Tye Sheridan , Gary Poulter , Ronnie Gene Blevins

Votes: 51,112 | Gross: $0.37M

13. August: Osage County (2013)

R | 121 min | Comedy, Drama

A look at the lives of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose paths have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Oklahoma house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them.

Director: John Wells | Stars: Meryl Streep , Dermot Mulroney , Julia Roberts , Juliette Lewis

Votes: 95,172 | Gross: $37.74M

14. Elephant (2003)

R | 81 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent.

Director: Gus Van Sant | Stars: Elias McConnell , Alex Frost , Eric Deulen , John Robinson

Votes: 96,997 | Gross: $1.23M

15. Dirty Pretty Things (2002)

R | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

Irregular migrants Okwe and Senay work at a posh London hotel and live in constant fear of deportation. One night Okwe stumbles across evidence of a bizarre murder, setting off a series of events that could lead to disaster or freedom.

Director: Stephen Frears | Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor , Audrey Tautou , Sophie Okonedo , Kriss Dosanjh

Votes: 44,034 | Gross: $8.11M

Grown Ups (crimes)

16. The Lucky Ones (2008)

R | 115 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama

Three different soldiers - a woman and two men - return from war and facing the peaceful life's problems of each other.

Director: Neil Burger | Stars: Rachel McAdams , Tim Robbins , Michael Peña , Molly Hagan

Votes: 14,525 | Gross: $0.18M

17. Detachment (2011)

Not Rated | 98 min | Drama

A substitute teacher who drifts from classroom to classroom finds a connection to the students and teachers during his latest assignment.

Director: Tony Kaye | Stars: Adrien Brody , Christina Hendricks , Marcia Gay Harden , Lucy Liu

Votes: 98,568 | Gross: $0.07M

18. Date and Switch (2014)

R | 91 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

Two guys who make a pact to lose their virginity before prom find their friendship tested when one of them comes out of the closet.

Director: Chris Nelson | Stars: Nicholas Braun , Hunter Cope , Dakota Johnson , Gary Cole

Votes: 8,456

19. Trainspotting (1996)

R | 93 min | Drama

Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out despite the allure of drugs and the influence of friends.

Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: Ewan McGregor , Ewen Bremner , Jonny Lee Miller , Kevin McKidd

Votes: 723,749 | Gross: $16.50M

20. Thank You for Smoking (2005)

R | 92 min | Comedy, Drama

Satirical comedy follows the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his 12-year old son.

Director: Jason Reitman | Stars: Aaron Eckhart , Cameron Bright , Maria Bello , Joan Lunden

Votes: 228,630 | Gross: $24.79M

Social Medias

21. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

PG-13 | 96 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

Two friends on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter, unaware that his ex-wife, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, is about to re-enter the picture.

Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Rebecca Hall , Scarlett Johansson , Javier Bardem , Christopher Evan Welch

Votes: 268,385 | Gross: $23.22M

22. Midnight Cowboy (1969)

R | 113 min | Drama

A naive hustler travels from Texas to New York City to seek personal fortune, finding a new friend in the process.

Director: John Schlesinger | Stars: Dustin Hoffman , Jon Voight , Sylvia Miles , John McGiver

Votes: 120,225 | Gross: $44.79M

23. Kill Your Darlings (2013)

R | 104 min | Biography, Drama, Romance

A murder in 1944 draws together the great poets of the beat generation: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and William Burroughs.

Director: John Krokidas | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe , Dane DeHaan , Michael C. Hall , Ben Foster

Votes: 41,136 | Gross: $1.03M

24. On the Road (2012)

R | 124 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance

Young writer Sal Paradise has his life shaken by the arrival of free-spirited Dean Moriarty and his girl, Marylou. As they travel across the country, they encounter a mix of people who each impact their journey indelibly.

Director: Walter Salles | Stars: Sam Riley , Garrett Hedlund , Kristen Stewart , Amy Adams

Votes: 43,242 | Gross: $0.72M

25. Love Me (IV) (2013)

PG-13 | 97 min | Thriller

Sixteen-year-old Melissa Kennedy's been missing for almost 3 months now and the Town of Ridgedale is coming unhinged. The projectionist at the old revival movie house, Sylvia Potter (16) ... See full summary  »

Director: Rick Bota | Stars: Lindsey Shaw , Jamie Johnston , Jean-Luc Bilodeau , Kaitlyn Leeb

26. Blue Jasmine (2013)

PG-13 | 98 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

A New York socialite, deeply troubled and in denial, arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister. She looks like a million dollars but isn't bringing money, peace or love.

Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Cate Blanchett , Alec Baldwin , Peter Sarsgaard , Sally Hawkins

Votes: 212,236 | Gross: $33.41M

27. The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012)

Not Rated | 111 min | Drama, Music, Romance

Elise and Didier fall in love at first sight, in spite of their differences. He talks, she listens. He's a romantic atheist, she's a religious realist. When their daughter becomes seriously ill, their love is put on trial.

Director: Felix van Groeningen | Stars: Veerle Baetens , Johan Heldenbergh , Nell Cattrysse , Geert Van Rampelberg

Votes: 43,244 | Gross: $0.18M

28. Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013)

NC-17 | 180 min | Drama, Romance

Adèle's life is changed when she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair, who will allow her to discover desire and to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. In front of others, Adèle grows, seeks herself, loses herself, and ultimately finds herself through love and loss.

Director: Abdellatif Kechiche | Stars: Léa Seydoux , Adèle Exarchopoulos , Salim Kechiouche , Aurélien Recoing

Votes: 162,655 | Gross: $2.20M

29. Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

R | 117 min | Biography, Drama

In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is diagnosed with the disease.

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée | Stars: Matthew McConaughey , Jennifer Garner , Jared Leto , Steve Zahn

Votes: 517,974 | Gross: $27.30M

30. The Art of Getting By (2011)

PG-13 | 83 min | Drama, Romance

George, a lonely and fatalistic teen who has made it all the way to his senior year without ever having done a real day of work, is befriended by Sally, a popular but complicated girl who recognizes in him a kindred spirit.

Director: Gavin Wiesen | Stars: Freddie Highmore , Emma Roberts , Michael Angarano , Sasha Spielberg

Votes: 60,752 | Gross: $1.43M

31. Geography Club (2013)

PG-13 | 84 min | Comedy, Drama

At Goodkind High School, a group of students with varying sexual orientations form an after-school club as a discreet way to share their feelings and experiences.

Director: Gary Entin | Stars: Cameron Deane Stewart , Justin Deeley , Meaghan Martin , Wesley Eure

Votes: 6,246

32. The Breakfast Club (1985)

R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama

Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a great deal more in common than they thought.

Director: John Hughes | Stars: Emilio Estevez , Judd Nelson , Molly Ringwald , Ally Sheedy

Votes: 434,992 | Gross: $45.88M

33. Mary and Max (2009)

Not Rated | 92 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama

In 1976 Melbourne, a lonely 8-year-old girl strikes up a correspondence with an unlikely pen pal: a severely obese 44-year-old New Yorker with Asperger's syndrome.

Director: Adam Elliot | Stars: Toni Collette , Philip Seymour Hoffman , Eric Bana , Barry Humphries

Votes: 186,400

34. Dare (2009)

R | 92 min | Drama, Romance

A drama centered around three high school seniors - an aspiring actress, her misfit best friend, and a loner - who become engaged in an intimate and complicated relationship.

Director: Adam Salky | Stars: Emmy Rossum , Zach Gilford , Ashley Springer , Cady Huffman

Votes: 4,468

35. Some Girl(S) (2013)

Not Rated | 90 min | Comedy, Drama

On the eve of his wedding, a successful writer travels across the country to meet up with ex-lovers in an attempt to make amends for past relationship transgressions.

Director: Daisy von Scherler Mayer | Stars: Adam Brody , Kristen Bell , Zoe Kazan , Mía Maestro

Votes: 3,797

36. After Sex (2007)

TV-MA | 77 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

Vignettes about eight different couples at varying points in their relationships, each having conversations immediately after having sex.

Director: Eric Amadio | Stars: Marc Blucas , Jose Pablo Cantillo , Emmanuelle Chriqui , James DeBello

Votes: 8,570

37. Mona Lisa Smile (2003)

PG-13 | 117 min | Drama

A free-thinking art professor teaches conservative 1950s Wellesley girls to question their traditional social roles.

Director: Mike Newell | Stars: Julia Roberts , Kirsten Dunst , Julia Stiles , Maggie Gyllenhaal

Votes: 90,652 | Gross: $63.86M

38. The Killing Fields (1984)

R | 141 min | Biography, Drama, History

A journalist is trapped in Cambodia during tyrant Pol Pot 's bloody 'Year Zero' cleansing campaign, which claimed the lives of two million 'undesirable' civilians.

Director: Roland Joffé | Stars: Sam Waterston , Haing S. Ngor , John Malkovich , Julian Sands

Votes: 58,932 | Gross: $34.70M

39. Metropolis (1927)

Not Rated | 153 min | Drama, Sci-Fi

In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.

Director: Fritz Lang | Stars: Brigitte Helm , Alfred Abel , Gustav Fröhlich , Rudolf Klein-Rogge

Votes: 184,964 | Gross: $1.24M

40. Fish Tank (2009)

Not Rated | 123 min | Drama

Everything changes for 15-year-old Mia when her mum brings home a new boyfriend.

Director: Andrea Arnold | Stars: Katie Jarvis , Michael Fassbender , Kierston Wareing , Rebecca Griffiths

Votes: 64,943 | Gross: $0.37M

41. Girl, Interrupted (1999)

R | 127 min | Biography, Drama

A directionless teenager, Susanna, is rushed to Claymoore, a mental institution, after a supposed suicide attempt. There, she befriends a group of troubled women who deeply influence her life.

Director: James Mangold | Stars: Winona Ryder , Angelina Jolie , Clea DuVall , Brittany Murphy

Votes: 210,424 | Gross: $28.87M

42. Tomboy (2011)

Not Rated | 82 min | Drama

A family moves into a new neighborhood, and a 10-year-old named Laure deliberately presents as a boy named Mikhael to the neighborhood children.

Director: Céline Sciamma | Stars: Zoé Héran , Malonn Lévana , Jeanne Disson , Sophie Cattani

Votes: 22,213 | Gross: $0.13M

43. XXY (2007)

Not Rated | 86 min | Drama, Romance

The story of an intersex fifteen-year-old. She lives with her parents, who have to cope with the challenges of her medical condition.

Director: Lucía Puenzo | Stars: Ricardo Darín , Valeria Bertuccelli , Germán Palacios , Carolina Pelleritti

Votes: 14,898 | Gross: $0.05M

44. American History X (1998)

R | 119 min | Crime, Drama

Living a life marked by violence, neo-Nazi Derek finally goes to prison after killing two black youths. Upon his release, Derek vows to change; he hopes to prevent his brother, Danny, who idolizes Derek, from following in his footsteps.

Director: Tony Kaye | Stars: Edward Norton , Edward Furlong , Beverly D'Angelo , Jennifer Lien

Votes: 1,183,025 | Gross: $6.72M

45. Into the Wild (2007)

R | 148 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama

After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.

Director: Sean Penn | Stars: Emile Hirsch , Vince Vaughn , Catherine Keener , Marcia Gay Harden

Votes: 656,496 | Gross: $18.35M

46. Taxi Driver (1976)

R | 114 min | Crime, Drama

A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.

Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro , Jodie Foster , Cybill Shepherd , Albert Brooks

Votes: 916,966 | Gross: $28.26M

47. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

PG-13 | 111 min | Drama

A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.

Director: Nicholas Ray | Stars: James Dean , Natalie Wood , Sal Mineo , Jim Backus

Votes: 97,670

48. Schindler's List (1993)

R | 195 min | Biography, Drama, History

In German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.

Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Liam Neeson , Ralph Fiennes , Ben Kingsley , Caroline Goodall

Votes: 1,445,084 | Gross: $96.90M

49. Shame (2011)

NC-17 | 101 min | Drama

A sex addict's carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister arrives for an indefinite stay.

Director: Steve McQueen | Stars: Michael Fassbender , Carey Mulligan , James Badge Dale , Lucy Walters

Votes: 205,824 | Gross: $4.00M

50. The Bling Ring (2013)

R | 90 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

Inspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities' whereabouts in order to rob their homes.

Director: Sofia Coppola | Stars: Katie Chang , Israel Broussard , Emma Watson , Claire Julien

Votes: 92,026 | Gross: $5.84M

51. The Kids Are All Right (2010)

R | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

Two children conceived by artificial insemination bring their biological father into their non-traditional family life.

Director: Lisa Cholodenko | Stars: Annette Bening , Julianne Moore , Mark Ruffalo , Mia Wasikowska

Votes: 134,327 | Gross: $20.81M

52. Hunger (2008)

Not Rated | 96 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

Irish republican Bobby Sands leads the inmates of a Northern Irish prison in a hunger strike.

Director: Steve McQueen | Stars: Michael Fassbender , Liam Cunningham , Stuart Graham , Laine Megaw

Votes: 73,446 | Gross: $0.15M

53. Magnolia (1999)

R | 188 min | Drama

An epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Tom Cruise , Jason Robards , Julianne Moore , Philip Seymour Hoffman

Votes: 327,690 | Gross: $22.46M

54. Disconnect (I) (2012)

R | 115 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

A drama centered on a group of people searching for human connections in today's wired world.

Director: Henry Alex Rubin | Stars: Jason Bateman , Jonah Bobo , Haley Ramm , Hope Davis

Votes: 78,059 | Gross: $7.44M

55. Life Is Beautiful (1997)

PG-13 | 116 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

When an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.

Director: Roberto Benigni | Stars: Roberto Benigni , Nicoletta Braschi , Giorgio Cantarini , Giustino Durano

Votes: 740,863 | Gross: $57.60M

56. Gia (1998 TV Movie)

R | 120 min | Biography, Drama, Romance

The story of the life of Gia Carangi , a top fashion model from the late 1970s, from her meteoric rise to the forefront of the modeling industry, to her untimely death.

Director: Michael Cristofer | Stars: Angelina Jolie , Faye Dunaway , Elizabeth Mitchell , Mercedes Ruehl

Votes: 50,118

57. Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)

R | 99 min | Drama, Thriller

Philosophy in Film

A Philosophical Approach to Cinema

10 Marxist Films for Philosophy Students

Marxism has a long history in film, dating back to the earliest days of the Soviet Montage era in the 1920s. However, Marxism covers a broad range of political ideologies and movements. For the sake of expediency, we will focus on Marxist film theory and the principles of Marxist aesthetics when composing this list. But first, let’s address an important question: what are Marxist films ?

What is a Marxist Film?

In essence, a Marxist film is simply a film in which Marxist ideas are represented as a vital part of the narrative or visual style. To better understand Marxist films, we must look at the tenets of Marxism. Again, Marxism spans a wide range of philosophies, but Marxist film theory and Marxist aesthetics provide a more focused vision of Marxism in film.

Marxism originated from the writings and teachings of two German philosophers, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. As a brief overview, Marx and Engels sought to evaluate society and history through an economic lens. In his seminal work, The Communist Manifesto (1848), Marx defined two distinct classes within society: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. 

Marxist Theory

Marxist political theory views history as a constant struggle between these two classes. The bourgeoisie is the capitalist class that owns the wealth and the means of production. Alternatively, the proletariat is the working class that provides the labor in a capitalist system.

In the ideal Marxist society, the proletariat owns the means of production. Capitalism, which has its roots in the feudal systems of the past, must fall and be replaced with production owned by the producers (workers). Thus, Marx and his contemporaries argue in favor of a Communist political revolution to overthrow the bourgeoisie.

The tenets above only scratch the service of Marxist theory, but they should provide enough of an overview to understand the place of Marxism in film.

Marxist Film Theory and Aesthetics

Marxist film theory is best represented in the works of Sergei Eisenstein and other Soviet filmmakers of the silent film era. Based upon the concept of the dialectic, these filmmakers sought to form a structuralist film theory and method for production. This dialectic consists of two opposing points of view which, when put together, work to form a synthesis (a result that is greater than the sum of its parts). Out of this theory, the Soviet Montage movement was born. Editing became the foundation of structuralist film theory, allowing filmmakers to juxtapose two images, resulting in a synthesis of opposing ideas.

However, Soviet filmmakers were not satisfied with promoting Marxist theory through editing alone. They saw their work as the antithesis to the Classical Hollywood style of narrative that formed in the United States and other western countries in the 1920s and 30s. 

In Classical Hollywood Cinema, the story progresses through the actions of a singular protagonist. This focus on the individual stood in stark contrast to the ideals of Marxism. Thus, Soviet filmmakers sought to tell stories in which the collective whole (the proletariat) moved the narrative forward. 

This formed the basis of Marxist aesthetics, or the theory that art should represent and promote Marxist theory. Marxist films do not aim to distort reality or the oppression of the working class. Rather, they work to actively show reality, while also promoting ways to improve society. Marx expounded upon the concept of dialectical materialism in his later work, Das Kapital (1867-1883). 

Defining Marxist Films

So, now that we have a broad definition of Marxism, it still begs the question: what is a Marxist film? To create a concise list, including only those films that can unequivocally be considered Marxist, the criteria are as follows:

• A Marxist film must work as an antithesis to Classical Hollywood Cinema in either visual or narrative style.
• Marxist films must promote the collective over the individual.
• Marxist cinema must present the struggle between classes and work to heighten class consciousness.

This list of Marxist films will work in chronological order. The respective number of each film does not represent the quality or the degree to which the film qualifies as “Marxist.” With this list, I hope to provide viewers with Marxist films from a wide range of countries, directors, and eras. In any case, let’s take a look at 10 Marxist films for philosophy students:

10. Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1926)

Though we could fill this list with Soviet Montage films ( October , Man With a Movie Camera , etc.), Battleship Potemkin is one of the most influential examples of Marxist Cinema from this movement. Set in 1905, the film tells the story of sailors on board the Battleship Potemkin who rise up against the Tsar and his government. The group sets sail for Odessa, where they display one of their dead comrades, convincing the locals to join in their rebellion. In the film’s most famous sequence, Tsarist foot soldiers march down the Odessa Steps, killing civilians as they go. Though Battleship Potemkin shows the brutality of the Tsarist regime, it also shows the capacity for people to rise up in solidarity.

9. Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927)

Metropolis is one of the most famous films of German Expressionism, a movement in which inner feelings and emotions were given precedence over realistic depictions. In Metropolis , Fritz Lang creates a futuristic dystopia in which the underground laborers work tirelessly to keep the industrial city of Metropolis running smoothly. When a machine explodes, killing many workers, a plan is hatched to free the workers and close the gap between the proletariat below and the rich industrialists above. Metropolis is also an early example of Postmodernism in cinema .

8. Rome, Open City (Roberto Rossellini, 1946)

Critics celebrate Rome, Open City as one of the greatest works of the Italian Neorealist movement. Though the story centers on one character, Giorgio, it follows his efforts to collaborate with other Communists and Resistance fighters during Nazi occupation. Like all Italian Neorealist films, Rome, Open City aims to provide a realistic portrayal of working-class people. It also shows the brutality and cruelty of Fascist regimes.

7. La Terra Trema (Luchino Visconti. 1948)

Another classic of Italian Neorealism, La Terra Trema (“The Earth Trembles”), tells the story of a family of fishermen in Sicily. Having been exploited by the local wholesalers for years, the family decides to go into business for themselves. However, tragedy strikes when a storm destroys their boat and their hope for independence. The remainder of the film chronicles their spiral into despair, as they struggle to make ends meet in the face of insurmountable economic forces.

6. Salt of the Earth (Herbert J. Biberman, 1954)

Herbert Biberman’s Salt of the Earth was originally blacklisted by the Hollywood establishment for its promotion of Communist politics. Echoing the style of Italian Neorealism, the film portrays Mexican-American miners striking against the Delaware Zinc Company in New Mexico. The union faces opposition from both the company and the local police. Salt of the Earth is not only one of the few early American films to promotes Marxist concepts, but also one of the first to incorporate feminist film theory.

5. The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo, 1966)

The Battle of Algiers is shot in a pseudo-documentary style, with many non-actors reenacting events from the Algerian War. It tells the story of a group of rebels who rebel against the French government in North Africa. While Pontecorvo remains neutral in his portrayal of both the Algerian rebels and French authorities, The Battle of Algiers highlights the struggle of oppressed groups and accurately depicts guerilla warfare.  

4. Weekend (Jean Luc Godard, 1967)

Jean Luc Godard incorporated Marxist film theory in many films spanning several decades, but Weekend exemplifies Marxism in film in both its narrative and visual style. In the film, a borgeous couple, Roland and Corinne, travel to Corinne’s parents’ house to secure her inheritance. They encounter many strange characters and situations along the way. When they are unable to get the funds from Corinne’s mother, they resort to murder, only to be confronted by a cannabalistic group of revolutionaries. 

3. Fight Club (David Fincher, 1999)

In Fight Club , a white-collar worker decides to form a fight club with his new friend, Tyler Durden. The club quickly grows as Tyler turns the club into an anti-capitalist organization known as Project Mayhem. Subsequently, death and violence ensue as the protagonist struggles to control the organization. The film is often read as a critique of modern capitalism and corporate culture through its narrative and uniquely subversive visual style.

2. House of Pleasures (Bertrand Bonello, 2015) 

House of Pleasures (also known as “House of Tolerance” and “L’Apollonide: Souvenirs de la maison close”) chronicles the final days of a Parisian brothel at the turn of the century. The women of the brothel have no other options in life and must continue working to pay off their debts. Meanwhile, the madame struggles to keep the brothel afloat as the landlord increases the rent. The film does not put particular attention on any one character. Instead, it tells the collective story of women forced to give in to the whims of their bourgeois clients.

1. Parasite (Bong Joon-Ho, 2019)

Parasite tells the story of a lower-class family as they slowly infiltrate a bourgeois household. First, the son works for the wealthy family as an English tutor for their daughter. Then, he recommends his own family members to fill different roles within the household. However, as the story progresses, the lower-class family struggles to hide their secret or their contempt for their employers. To add to their troubles, the lower-class family must contend with a housekeeper who doesn’t want to leave her post.

Honorable Mentions:

Marxist horror films.

Zombies and Capitalism – Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968)

The Horror of Capitalism – The Platform (Galder Gztelu-Urrutia, 2019)

Godard Marxism

Marxist Criticism – Tout va bien (Jean Luc Godard, 1972)

Marxist Film Theory – Film Socialisme (Jean-Luc Godard, 2010)

Marxism in Hollywood

Marxism in America – The Front (Woody Allen, 1976)

Corporate Culture – Sorry to Bother You (Boots Riley, 2018)

So there you have it! These are the 10 Marxist films for philosophy students . Naturally, this is not a comprehensive list, so if you think that there are other films that should be included, feel free to leave a comment!

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• Review: Most Beautiful Island (2017) ★★★½
• Review: As The Earth Turns (1938) ★★★½

Matthew Jones

Matthew Jones is a freelance writer who has written for dozens of local and international businesses, in addition to his publications on film and philosophy. To see more of his writing, check out his Medium page or personal website . If you like Philosophy in Film, be sure to contribute on Patreon !

7 thoughts on “ 10 Marxist Films for Philosophy Students ”

Very nice films…

Les actes de Marusias et la classe ouvrière va au paradis avec pour acteur principal Gian Maria Volonte et on pourrait inclure d’autres films avec lui pourrait être considéré. Il y a 1900 de Bertolucci. Le cinéma italien a fortement contribué dans la production influencé par le marxisme.

Hi Matthew,

very much enjoying these features where you outline a critical framework of analysis and list a few film examples that fit the critique. Nice work!

Very good selection. I would like to add another film by name “”Like the Rest if Us””, a yugoslavian film made un 1990/1991.. Well I don’t remember the director’s name.. the Marxist outlook is obliquely hinted through meaningful camera viewpoints and POVs…

No Fassbinder?

The Niklashausen Journey.

Two More: The North Star, Battle of Nervetna

My favorite Marxist film is Sorry To Bother You.

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