Title: Tricked
First Run Features
Director: Jane Wells and John-Keith Wasson
Running time: 75 min, Unrated
Special Features: 4 Bonus Scenes – The Swedish Model: Criminalizing Demand; Abolition & Prohibition: A Consensual Sex Worker Speaks Out; Tackling Sex Trafficking at Super Bowl XLV; Prostitution Enforcement; Resources; Biographies
Available February 3rd

20.9 million people are forced into the sex slave trade every year; it’s a 30 billion dollar industry. Mostly girls as young as 11 are beaten into submission and forced into prostitution; held captive against their will.  This documentary follows vice agents on busts, former sex slaves and prostitutes, the victims parents, pimps and their closest hoes.

I thought that human trafficking was more like Taken, but it’s more like Pimps Up Hoes Down with some low-rent, wannabe Bishop Don “Magic” Juans. The arrogance these pimps display, forcing their hoes to line up and keep their heads bowed. It’s very reminiscent of Civil War slavery illustrations. The the fact that black men are condoning this is surprising. Per the “Pimp Cup Lady” this is the only kind of work these guys can get. They can’t do anything else. They don’t aspire to learn any trades, just sell women. “Women are a commodity,” as one pimp says.

Former forced prostitute Danielle Douglas gives the camera crew a tour around where she was beaten into prostitution by her pimp, where she was forced to live and be beaten by her pimp until she pissed herself, and where she was forced to work. She got out of it eventually, got married, had 2 kids, works as an advocate for victims like her and does roller derby for fun.  By her getting out will give other girls hope of surviving and moving on once they do manage to get out.

The special features has one very surprising factoid which is the day where human trafficking is the highest surrounds the Superbowl.  An organization bands together, puts help hotline stickers on hotel soaps and distributes them in hotels that unknowingly host these criminals.

The Good: Did anyone else notice the focus on the pimp’s credit card bundle? I hope someone ripped that a-hole off.  The film and the extras are eye opening and informative.  The horror stories are incredibly graphic – like the pimps forcing a girl to douche with bleach to get rid of a pregnancy, beating her until she miscarried and having to get a total hysterectomy at age 17 because of the infection. This is stuff you don’t want to know about, but can’t help but keep watching.

The Bad: I thought they could have used more footage of the pimps and hoes, but I’m guessing too much disgusting stupidity would make viewers tune out.

Movies like Risky Business and Pretty Woman make prostitution look somewhat sexy and glamorous, but the reality is this documentary. Young girls forced to perform sex acts against their will and forced to call their parents to say they’re having a good time in Vegas (et al) while they’re fearing for their next beating; it’s heartbreaking.  Meanwhile these men who think there’s nothing wrong with hiring prostitutes don’t realize that it’s highly likely they’re committing rape…wow this got dark.

Acting: n/a
Story: B
Technical: B
Total Rating: B
Reviewed by: JM Willis