Set in the 1860s, the film follows (Smith), who escapes a Louisiana plantation after a near-fatal whipping. He must navigate the treacherous, alligator-infested swamps to reach Baton Rouge and join the Union Army .

: This was Smith's first major project following the controversial 2022 Oscars "slap". While he was banned from attending Academy events for 10 years, he remained eligible for nominations.

: The movie's climax centers on the creation of the famous 1863 photograph, "The Scourged Back," which became a viral symbol of the brutality of slavery and fueled the abolitionist movement.