Tricked: The Documentary

You know what I find amazing about this movie? Is how it's rated on this site as "comedy/drama" and how I've read several callous and horrible reviews claiming that these girls are willing participants. This is a LIE- and whoever writes such a review about the sexual life of a minor (usually) as someone who is willing and part of a trafficking situation usually related to a man who is telling them he loves her and she is doing it because she likes it. I'm appalled at how many people won't believe this is really happening. For shame to all of you. This is an excellent and necessary film. Save our girls and young women! Don't believe these idiots who say this movie is bad! It's not- it's a great piece.

I think in general this documentary was decent. It could have done a better job of addressing assumptions people make.

As a survivor I really feel the need to address some of the crap being said in these reviews..... 1. "Why didn't they just ask for help they had opportunities " traffickers use so many tactics to discourage victims like threats against loved ones, physical violence,manipulation, ect.... traffickers groom their victims. There is also a lot of shame and embarrassment that victims feel because of what society says. Let's not forget the fear of bot being believed. As far as the police... you never know which ones will help and which ones won't. Some of them (especially in D.C.) help the traffickers. One time when I was arrested the cop kept telling me about how he wanted to bend me over and spank me. When I actually asked for help the officer wrote it up as a welfare check and said "when you go back to work for him if you see me on the track act like you don't know me" and this was a female officer that said this. So yes asking for help isn't always helpful 😑😑😑😒

2. "Most of them are doing this willingly" Nobody wakes up and says hey I think I am going to sell my body today. A majority of these victims have experienced some kind of trauma that helped to push them in this direction. Traffickers prey on people that they think they can control and groom. Victims aren't always kidnapped. I met my first trafficker when I was 15 and he pretended to be my boyfriend for months before he even admitted to being a "pimp".

I would keep going, but honestly the more I am thinking about some of the responses the more it pisses me off because it's these crap assumptions that make it more difficult for victims to get help.

I saw this at a screening in Denver last night. It's basically an exposé of the teen prostitution phenomenon that exists across the country, as told by cops, pimps, journalists, johns, legislators and (most compellingly) former prostitutes. I felt it offered a very intense glimpse into a dark corner of our society that many of us know little about. It's interesting that, for all us Americans talk about the bad stuff that goes down in other countries, there are apparently things here in the states (e.g. The Players' Ball - look it up) that occur more or less openly and are pretty damn egregious.

The two things I wanted more from this film were: some more direct verbal interaction between people who support "the game" and those whose job it is to destroy it; and more consideration of how the "pimp and ho" culture interpenetrates with mainstream culture.

All in all, though, I was quite impressed. Daniel Steele, the main cop featured in the film, is a freakin' jedi.

This film depicts prostitution with a set of preconceptions.

The preconceptions are: 1. Prostitution is necessarily exploitative; (it can be voluntary) 2. That prostitution is only a world of pimps and slaves; where pimps somehow enslave unwilling women. (These women, by the way, to the outside observer: ostensibly are free at many times to leave, contact police or otherwise get help) These women it is said in the documentary hand over ALL of their money to their pimps - thus making them slaves - (Again, HUH?!). This argument to me does not make sense in any shape or form. 3. That pimps are somehow the problem with prostitution, (johns a close second) and as if arresting all the pimps, and perhaps then all the johns would solve the problem and stop the exploitation - without looking at any wider implications of laws in other countries. The makers might discover that legalisation may have a role in stopping this 4. That the police are doing a good job - this couldn't be further from the truth. The pathetic stings of vice police in this movie of johns is utterly ridiculous, and a waste of police resources.

I urge anyone considering watching this movie read widely about worldwide prostitution regulation and make up their own mind. To all the USA readers of this review - ESPECIALLY YOU.

I gave this 2/10 because I enjoyed the moralistic spectacle of the policemen crying their hearts out.

A numbingly simple and one-sided myopic glance at a much larger and complex social issue. Played out old pimp stereotypes, sob story from family, cops that don't care, and posturing. When I sit through a doc I want to learn something and if fail that at least be entertained, neither of which this movie was able to do. I struggled to give it a 4 instead of a 3 but had to go with 4 because it does have camera quality and audio was good. So minus points for A/V I feel happy with a solid 2 rating.

So this thing is making me write a longer review then needed sooo. Things they could of done to make this a much more relevant film.....

Show how modern technology is playing a deeper and much greater role in prostitution.

Show the laws/loopholes/associations/ that are helping prostitution instead of a vague reference to them and touting out some major news headline like a dog with a bone. (the Vegas Redlight thing)

Show how the sexulization of children in our main stream media play a role in making them softer targets for pimps.

Show cases where prostitution is legal and actually benefits the women to offer a more rounded view and offer some possible solutions.

The list goes on for miles...