Seven Must-See Movies of October

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The 13th (October 7th)

The United States boasts one of the highest incarceration rates, with over half those in prisons being African American. Ava DuVernay’s 13th looks at the various reasons for why this is.

After igniting the spark with her blistering drama Selma, director Ava DuVernay has become one of the hottest directors out there right now, so popular Marvel briefly courted her to direct Black Panther. In such a brief time Duvernay’s created the utterly exquisite television drama Queen Sugar and is directing an adaptation of Madeline L’Engel’s A Wrinkle in Time. Her documentary 13th literally came out of nowhere, with many hearing about its existence upon the announcement it would be screening at the New York Film Festival. Response to the film has been nothing short of insane, with several top critics calling it the best documentary ever made; a contingent is even calling for its nomination for Best Picture. DuVernay’s been vocal about the doc being made in response to America’s growing issues regarding race and police brutality, and with the election right around the corner there’s never been a better time for a documentary exploring this very topic. If momentum on it stays strong, there’s no reason this won’t be a walk for its Best Documentary chances.

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