6 Best Border and Refugee Crisis Movies

By Vlad Zakh · February 22, 2026

These films turn headlines about borders into very personal stories. Flee is an animated documentary about an Afghan refugee’s childhood escape to Denmark, Human Flow measures the global scale of displacement, and Sin Nombre follows a gang member and a migrant girl riding freight trains north. Sicario, El Norte and In This World add fiction and docudrama to the mix.

Flee (2021)

TMDB ★ 7.8

An Afghan refugee recounts his harrowing childhood escape to Denmark in an animated documentary.

Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen · 1h 29m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Human Flow (2017)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A documentary follows the global scale and human toll of the modern refugee crisis.

Directed by Ai Weiwei · 2h 20m

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Sicario (2015)

TMDB ★ 7.6

An FBI agent is pulled into a black-ops task force targeting a Mexican drug cartel.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve · 2h 02m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Sin Nombre (2009)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A gang member and a migrant girl form an uneasy alliance while riding freight trains toward the US border.

Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga · 1h 36m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

In This World (2002)

TMDB ★ 7.1

Two Afghan refugees make a perilous illegal journey from Pakistan to London.

Directed by Michael Winterbottom · 1h 28m

Where to watch

Rent: BFI Player

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

El Norte (1983)

TMDB ★ 7.5

Two Guatemalan siblings flee political violence and make a dangerous journey to the United States.

Directed by Gregory Nava · 2h 21m

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Border and Refugee Crisis Movies

Flee (2021)

Human Flow (2017)

Sicario (2015)

Sin Nombre (2009)

In This World (2002)

El Norte (1983)

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