Outside views · North America
8 Best Movies Set in or About Haiti
Compare how outside filmmakers have used Haiti as a sustained setting or subject.
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Compare the route at a glance
Runtime, mood, and entry level help narrow the list without replacing the editorial ranking.
| Film | Runtime | Genre | Mood | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| My Internship in Canada | Not verified | |||
| Lydia Bailey | Not verified | |||
| Ego Trip | Not verified | |||
| The Comedians | Not verified | |||
| The Serpent and the Rainbow | Not verified | |||
| Heading South | Not verified | |||
| White Zombie | Not verified | |||
| Soldiers and Women | Not verified |
8 Movies Set in or About Haiti
Foreign-led films whose sustained setting or subject remains centered on Haiti.
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1. My Internship in Canada
An independent member of parliament from a remote Quebec riding suddenly holds the deciding vote on whether Canada will go to war, and a naive young intern from Haiti helps him navigate the ensuing political circus. A sharp Canadian political satire.
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2. Lydia Bailey
In 1802, a young Boston lawyer travels to war-torn Haiti to settle an estate and finds himself swept up in the island's revolution against French rule as he searches for a woman named Lydia Bailey. A historical adventure-romance.
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3. Ego Trip
A fading Quebec talk-show host, desperate to revive his ratings and his family life, concocts a stunt involving Haiti that quickly spins out of his control. A French-Canadian comedy.
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4. The Comedians
American and British visitors staying at a faded hotel are drawn into the fear and intrigue of Haiti under the brutal Duvalier regime and its dreaded secret police. A tense political drama adapted from Graham Greene's novel.
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5. The Serpent and the Rainbow
A scientist travels to Haiti to track down a mysterious powder rumored to turn people into zombies, and is drawn into a terrifying world of voodoo, political violence, and the boundary between life and death. Wes Craven's atmospheric horror, loosely based on a true account.
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6. Heading South
In late-1970s Haiti, three middle-aged Western women vacation at a beach resort where they pay for the company and affection of local young men, oblivious to the poverty and political menace just beyond the sand. Laurent Cantet's incisive drama.
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7. White Zombie
On a Haitian plantation, a lovestruck landowner enlists a sinister voodoo master to turn the woman he covets into a mindless zombie, with monstrous consequences. An eerie early horror film starring Bela Lugosi.
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8. Soldiers and Women
A philandering U.S. Marine captain stationed in Haiti carries on affairs with the wives of two fellow officers, until jealousy erupts into deadly consequences. An early sound-era melodrama.
Hear the country first
5 Best Movies from Haiti to Watch First
Start with films made from within Haiti, then follow the country's own creative voice through the complete ranking.
- Haitian Corner 1987
- Ayiti Mon Amour 2016
- Freda 2021
Selected by the FilmsAroundThe.World editorial desk
Selections require an outside creative lead and a story or subject substantially centered on Haiti. Decision labels are concise editorial aids, and content notes are non-exhaustive. Read the methodology.
Editorial review: 2026-07-13
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