The Best Civil Rights Movies On Streaming

This JustWatch streaming guide is dedicated to movies about one of the most important movements in American history. Discover the best civil rights movies available on streaming alongside those that have flown under the radar and are hidden gems of the genre. Regardless of which streaming platforms are available to you—Netflix, Max, Paramount+, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, or any other—JustWatch shows you all the options.

Use the JustWatch filters to help narrow your search and find exactly what you’re looking for. Use the release year filter to see civil rights movies across the decades, or use the age rating filter to keep your search family-friendly. You can also filter by price, runtime, and IMDb rating.

Discover the best civil rights movies on streaming

Movies that dramatize the civil rights movement show the courage and bravery of the fight for justice. Whether they are about historical events in mainstream politics or heartfelt dramas about personal stories, these movies retell one of the most challenging but vital moments in America’s history. The best movies in this category include Malcolm X, Selma, 12 Years a Slave, Fruitvale Station, Mississippi Burning, Do the Right Thing, Fences, Get on the Bus, The Color Purple, A Raisin in the Sun, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and Harriet. Other important movies in this genre include Till, The Butler, The Long Walk Home, and BlacKkKlansman.

Civil rights movies you might have missed

It can be easy to overlook key figures in the civil rights movement who do not often get recognized for their contributions. Judas and the Black Messiah tells the story of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, while Rustin explores the history of the queer organizer and activist Bayard Rustin. One Night In Miami tells the story of a fictional meeting between Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown, while Hidden Figures highlights the contributions of Black women to the NASA space program.