Social action films advocate for justice and raise global awareness — here is some powerful cinema to watch on streaming and in theaters.

Within the realm of cinema, some films have transcended beyond just entertainment and have acted as powerful catalysts for social change. Social action films have served as a medium for presenting audiences with compelling stories while additionally shedding light on contemporary issues. Behind the central issues, these films advocate for justice and humanize marginalized voices, common themes to generate broader global relevance. 

Such a blend of advocacy and storytelling has served as a powerful tool to raise awareness. With a type of transformative power, these films have illuminated social injustices and empowered audiences to rewrite their scripts.

1. “Praying for Armageddon” (Tonje Hessen Schei)

In this chilling documentary, Schei follows the influence of the fundamentalist Christian lobby on U.S. politics. The political thriller explores the consequences of the fusion of Evangelical Christianity with American politics—a weakened democracy—that could ultimately destroy our civilization. Driven by faith, the movement does not just want the world to end but is working to start such a spiral. (Festival streaming this year and upcoming)

2. “Bobi Wine: The People’s President” (Moses Bwayo)

In this powerful account of Ugandan leadership, Bwayo delivers a remarkable documentary about Bobi Wine. Wine, opposition leader and musical star, used his music to fight an authoritarian regime by Yoweri Museveni. Much of the film charts Wine’s unlikely rise from pop star to politician as he seeks to restore democracy and oust Uganda’s brutal and corrupt dictatorship. (Stream it on Disney+ and Hulu)

3. “Navalny” (Daniel Roher)

In this fly-on-the-wall documentary, Roher homes in on the anti-authoritarian Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny. Making its debut at the virtual Sundance Film Festival, the film has introduced the Western world to a voice of the opposition in a country governed by fear with intense geopolitical stakes. Much like Roher, viewers are quite literally watching history unfold as Navalny uncovers the truth about an attempt on his life, with a finale yet to be written. (Stream it on Amazon Prime Video)

4. “Call Me Dancer” (Leslie Shampaine)

In her heart-touching and hopeful documentary, Shampaine tells the story of a disadvantaged Indian teenager who struggles against his parents’ insistence to follow a traditional path. When he meets an Israeli ballet master, he is determined to make it as a professional dancer despite the odds stacked against him. Debuting at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the film has won awards here and at other festivals, inspiring audiences with its joyride of mentorship, perseverance and passion. (In theaters)

5. “The Persian Version” (Maryam Keshavarz)

In her energetic semi-autobiographical feature, Kesharvarz follows Leila, a young Iranian-American woman as she navigates her family and personal life. As a vibrant portrayal of culture clashes and generation gaps, Keshavarz illustrates an affecting story about what womanhood demands versus imagines through the immigrant experience with the American dream. Just as Leila tries to strike a balance in embracing her opposing cultures, the film equally strikes a balance between heart and humor. (Stream it on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube)

6. “The Mission” (Amanda McBaine)

On North Sentinel Island, the Sentinelese encounter a foreigner who tries to bring Christianity to them, an illegal venture that results in his death. With a compassionate and nuanced approach to retelling a tragedy, McBaine explores this contextual difference between murder and self-defense. The film presents a sorrowful but introspective look at colonialism and cultural superiorities long deserving of scrutiny. (Stream it on Hulu)

7. “Oppenheimer” (Christopher Nolan)

In his unique and nuanced portrait of Robert Oppenheimer, Nolan explores themes of unchecked bureaucracy and science run amok. The film highlights the genius of its central figure while examining the detrimental effects of the atomic bomb he built at the Los Alamos National Laboratory during WWII, a creation that we were not ready for, or rather one we should not have been trusted with. (Stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Youtube)

8. “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” (Anna Hints)

Hints’s film follows a group of women who share their secrets and intimate experiences in the darkness of a smoke sauna. As a feminist film that reveals the infinite faces of womanhood, the women wash off any shame that was trapped within them and regain their strength. The sauna and the film feel like a work of reflective art, where stories of relatable pains and joys as women are weaved together. (Available for select streaming and on Vudu)

9. “The Menu” (Mark Mylod)

In this social commentary, Mylod satirizes elitism in the world of fine dining restaurants. Focusing on class anxiety and capitalistic greed, the film examines the ethics behind “eating the rich” and the hypocrisy of “ethical consumption.” Serving a tailored dish on a rigid perspective of the wealthy, the film portrays society’s tendency to pay a high price for what it wants, no matter how corrupt. (Stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Hulu)

10. “Origin” (Ava DuVernay)

Inspired by the 2020 book “Caste,” DuVernay presents an argument about the history and hierarchies of power in the United States. In order to understand these elements, people must look past race and see that caste sets the presumed supremacy of one group against the presumed inferiority of others. As an approach to simultaneously educate and entertain an audience, DuVernay examines the book’s age-old themes and gives an ambitious new way to process them. (Opening Jan. 19 in theaters)

Mira is a student at Brown University studying international and public affairs. Passionate about travel and language learning, she is eager to visit each continent to better understand the world and the people across it. In her free time she perfects her French, hoping to someday live in France working as a freelance journalist or in international affairs.