movie review on jojo rabbit

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, jojo rabbit.

Now streaming on:

There’s something impressive about someone like Taika Waititi taking all of that Marvel money that’s just sitting in a room in his house and making a movie that he otherwise never would have been able to get financed. A coming-of-age comedy about Nazis isn’t exactly on the wish lists of most studios in 2019. And there are times when “Jojo Rabbit” feels almost like an answer to the question: “Hey, Taika, what are you gonna do with all that 'Ragnarok' cash?” 

Having said that, ambition only gets you so far, and the originality of this self-proclaimed "anti-hate satire" subsides after a few minutes. "Jojo Rabbit" doesn’t quite come together the way its opening promises and, most shockingly, lacks the punch it needs to really work. It’s far from the disaster it could have been given the tonal tightrope it walks, but it’s also closer to a misfire than we all hoped it would be. Believe it or not, the “Hitler Comedy” plays it too safe.

“What if Wes Anderson made a Nazi comedy?” is a reasonable way to pitch “Jojo Rabbit” to someone interested in seeing it. Waititi’s goofy comic sensibility adapts the novel Caging Skies by Christine Leunens into a coming-of-age story that just happens to be set in the fading days of World War II Germany. There is where we meet Jojo ( Roman Griffin Davis ), a sweet German boy headed off to Nazi camp, where young men learn to throw grenades and young women learn the importance of having Aryan babies (an instructor played by Rebel Wilson brags about having 18 so far). He’s eager to join the Nazi party, tossing out “Heil Hitlers” with confidence when he’s not talking to his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler himself, played with goofy energy by Waititi in a character not in the entirely-serious book. The writer/director portrays one of the most villainous people in history as a bumbling moron, always offering cigarettes to his 10-year-old buddy and suggesting very bad ideas.

Luckily, just around when the ‘Goofy Hitler’ schtick is getting tired, it recedes into the background for the most important plot of “Jojo Rabbit” when Jojo finds a Jew hiding in his attic, played by the wonderful Thomasin McKenzie (“ Leave No Trace ”). We know that it is Jojo’s mother ( Scarlett Johansson ), who is also working for the resistance, who has hidden the girl, but Jojo’s incredibly confused. After all, this Jew doesn’t look or act like a monster. He begins talking to her, trying to learn the truth about Jews so he can write a book, and forms a relationship that changes him. The parallel between the imaginary friend who is actually a monster and the girl he’s been told is a monster but is actually a friend is a nice one to unpack, and Waititi is careful not to push the arc's melodrama too much. McKenzie is delightful and Johansson is sweet and tender—they both add much needed warmth to the film.

"Jojo Rabbit" derails when its premise wears off and you start to wonder what it all means. A kid talks to Hitler and realizes Jews can dance—and there’s some tragedy along the way. That's it? I kept waiting for “Jojo Rabbit” to become more than a wink-wink, nudge-nudge joke, and when it does try to get emotional in the final act, including a tone-deaf ending for a Nazi character played by Sam Rockwell , Waititi can’t navigate some very tricky tonal waters. Without giving anything away, the final scenes of “Jojo Rabbit” are too easy for a film that needs to be dangerous and daring. A film that starts as audacious becomes relatively generic as it goes along, and even its one shocking turn ends up feeling manipulative. If the premise is risky, the execution is depressingly not so. 

When one steps back from “Jojo Rabbit” and looks at the individual pieces, there’s a lot to admire. Once again, the director of " Boy " and " Hunt for the Wilderpeople " proves to have a gift with child actors, drawing a great performance from Davis and a nearly-movie-stealing Archie Yates as his pudgy buddy at Nazi camp. And a score by Michael Giacchino and cinematography by Mihai Malaimare Jr. (“ The Master ”) work together to accomplish that Anderson-esque atmosphere that Waititi was seeking. It’s clear that success has allowed Waititi to hire all the right people to execute his vision. And yet I left “Jojo Rabbit” thinking that the exact purpose of that vision remained blurry. 

This review was filed from the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8th. 

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

Now playing

LaRoy, Texas

Robert daniels.

Art College 1994

Simon abrams.

Asphalt City

Glenn kenny.

The Greatest Hits

Matt zoller seitz.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Film credits.

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, some disturbing images, violence, and language.

108 minutes

Roman Griffin Davis as Johannes "Jojo" Betzler

Thomasin McKenzie as Elsa Korr

Taika Waititi as Adolf Hitler

Scarlett Johansson as Rosie Betzler

Sam Rockwell as Captain Klenzendorf

Rebel Wilson as Fraulein Rahm

Alfie Allen as Sub-Officer Finkel

• Taika Waititi

Writer (novel)

• Christine Leunens

Cinematographer

• Mihai Malaimare Jr.
• Michael Giacchino

Latest blog posts

Facets to Honor Academy Museum President Jacqueline Stewart at the 2024 Screen Gems Benefit

How The Phantom Menace Predicted Hollywood’s Prequel Future

No Easy Answers: On the Power of The Teachers' Lounge

No Therapy: The Primordial Commitment of The Northman

Advertisement

Supported by

‘Jojo Rabbit’ Review: The Third Reich Wasn’t All Fun and Games

Taika Waititi’s new film mixes farce, fantasy and drama in a Nazi-era coming-of-age story.

• Share full article

By A.O. Scott

According to a child psychologist cited in a recent article in The Atlantic , “little boys’ imaginary friends are frequently characters who are more competent than they are, such as superheroes or beings with powers.” That more or less describes the case of 10-year-old Johannes (Roman Griffin Davis), who has dreamed up a powerful pal to boost his confidence at anxious moments, always ready with a fist pump or a shout of “you got this!” Perfectly normal, and even kind of adorable, even though Johannes’s imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler.

The make-believe Hitler is somehow both the most outlandish and the most realistic thing about “Jojo Rabbit,” Taika Waititi’s new film. Based on the novel “Caging Skies” by Christine Leunens — and featuring Waititi himself as Johannes’s goofball fantasy-Führer — the movie filters the banality and evil of the Third Reich through the consciousness of a smart, sensitive, basically ordinary German child . Veering from farce to sentimentality, infused throughout with the anarchic pop humanism Waititi has brought to projects as various as “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and “Thor: Ragnarok,” it risks going wrong in a dozen different ways and manages to avoid at least half of them.

Johannes, raised in a small town in Germany on a diet of propaganda and official Nazi youth culture , has turned Hitler into an emotional support figure, a confidant whose silliness is partly the mirror of the boy’s own insecurities. There are the serial humiliations of Hitler Youth day camp to contend with. Runty and timid, with halfhearted dreams of growing into an Aryan warrior , Johannes is bullied and teased. His nickname, Jojo Rabbit, isn’t meant affectionately. The buffoons who run the camp, an unhinged Valkyrie (Rebel Wilson) and a washed-out storm trooper (Sam Rockwell), are hardly ideal role models, and not only for the obvious ideological reasons. They are less terrifying than the ghoulish local Gestapo man, played by Stephen Merchant.

Luckily, Johannes has a kindhearted mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson), who is immune to the seductions of National Socialism. (He also has a nonimaginary friend, Yorki, played by a scene-stealing young comic dynamo named Archie Yates.) The extent of Rosie’s opposition reveals itself slowly to Johannes and the viewer, whose point of view remains anchored in the bright colors and magical thinking of the child’s perspective. Still, we know more about what’s happening than he does, not only because we’re aware of the history he is living in, but also because we’re familiar with the contours of his type of coming-of-age story.

At stake are Jojo’s innocence and his decency, and how one is purchased at the cost of the other. He needs to outgrow his selfishness and acquire the resources of empathy. Rosie can teach him a little, but his real education comes through his relationship with Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), a Jewish teenage girl with artistic inclinations whom Rosie has hidden in a crawl space in their house. In Elsa’s presence Jojo is by turns resentful, afraid, infatuated and possessive. The tumult of his feelings, beautifully realized by the 11-year-old Davis, gives the film sweetness and charm as well as a sense of ethical urgency.

Sweetness and charm may not be the notes you want or expect in a movie about genocide and fascism, and there are times when the mood turns sticky and soft, straying a bit too close to the cloying kitsch of Roberto Benigni’s “Life Is Beautiful.” Waititi is trying for a tricky blend of tones, and “Jojo Rabbit” is sharpest when it dares to be funny. Laughter is inherently violent as well as potentially soothing, and the most farcical aspects of Jojo’s world are also the most terrifying. Without resorting to graphic imagery or replicating the sadism of its villains, the movie paints a credible, if unabashedly cartoonish, picture of the workings of an evil system.

The particulars of the evil can seem curiously abstract, and the portrayal of goodness can feel a bit false, and forced. The outlandishness of anti-Semitism is emphasized — the idea that Jews have horns, for instance — to the exclusion of its less superstitious manifestations. And Elsa’s Jewishness has no real content. She exists mainly as a teaching moment for Johannes. Her plight is a chance for him to prove his bravery.

This isn’t offensive, exactly — the spirit of the movie is too warm and the filmmaking intelligence too invigorating to provoke a strong objection — but it is a little disappointing. The humor is so audacious and the psychological insight at times so startling that it’s hard not to be dismayed when an easy and familiar dose of comfort is supplied at the end. This “Rabbit” is maybe just a little too cute, and a little too friendly.

Jojo Rabbit

Rated PG-13. Nazis. Running time: 1 hour 48 minutes.

A.O. Scott is the co-chief film critic. He joined The Times in 2000 and has written for the Book Review and The New York Times Magazine. He is also the author of “Better Living Through Criticism.” More about A.O. Scott

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell speak about how “Anyone but You” beat the rom-com odds. Here are their takeaways after the film , debuting on Netflix, went from box office miss to runaway hit.

The vampire ballerina in the new movie “Abigail” has a long pop culture lineage . She and her sisters are obsessed, tormented and likely to cause harm.

In a joint interview, the actors Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough discuss “Under the Bridge,” their new true-crime series  based on a teenager’s brutal killing in British Columbia.

The movie “Civil War” has tapped into a dark set of national angst . In polls and in interviews, a segment of voters say they fear the country’s divides may lead to actual, not just rhetorical, battles.

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter  to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Challengers Link to Challengers
• I Saw the TV Glow Link to I Saw the TV Glow
• Música Link to Música

New TV Tonight

• Shardlake: Season 1
• Hacks: Season 3
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz: Season 1
• The Veil: Season 1
• A Man in Full: Season 1
• Acapulco: Season 3
• Welcome to Wrexham: Season 3
• John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA: Season 1
• Star Wars: Tales of the Empire: Season 1
• My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman: Season 4.2

Most Popular TV on RT

• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• Shōgun: Season 1
• The Sympathizer: Season 1
• Them: Season 2
• Ripley: Season 1
• Knuckles: Season 1
• 3 Body Problem: Season 1
• Sugar: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1 Link to Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

100 Essential Criterion Collection Films

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Weekend Box Office Results: Challengers Takes the Crown

The Most Anticipated Movies of 2024

• Trending on RT
• The Fall Guy
• Challengers
• Best Movies of All Time
• Play Movie Trivia

Jojo Rabbit Reviews

Taika Waititi's Nazi comedy Jojo Rabbit is delightfully absurd and surprisingly poetic, and unlike anything you've ever seen before.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Oct 30, 2023

Delightfully one of the year’s best films.

Full Review | Original Score: A+ | Mar 8, 2023

Much of the comedy is too broad to truly satirise the subject matter... unable to nail the emotional beats when it finally confronts the true reality and horror of the situation.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 11, 2022

The film’s ability to make you laugh, cry, or be utterly appalled is one of its many strengths.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 22, 2022

This is a great way to deliver such a powerful message… under the guise of comedy.

Full Review | Aug 8, 2022

This was the movie that made me laugh and cry the most in 2019. It created this absolutely perfect mixture between satire and drama. Every joke hits all the good spots. Waititi's best work? Probably. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Jul 7, 2022

War is absurd. Art has been making this point for centuries now, but few pieces of art have fully embraced that absurdity as much as Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | May 13, 2022

Waititi's message of anti-hate proves resounding and good-natured, leaving the audience firmly dismissive toward the film's target: the hatred inherent to Nazi ideology.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Feb 23, 2022

Its trying to question what youre taught, its trying to empathise with being villainised into something less than human, and its trying to give you the ability to laugh in the face of hate so that you have the strength to fight it. It does that.

Full Review | Feb 21, 2022

Episode 52: Jojo Rabbit / The Lighthouse / Parasite

Full Review | Original Score: 80/100 | Dec 1, 2021

Taika Waititi's hot streak continues with whit and whimsy...

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 14, 2021

Much of Jojo Rabbit's comedy works in the moment.

Full Review | Mar 3, 2021

Weak satire almost saved by a surfeit of heart.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 16, 2021

Jojo Rabbit isn't simply an anti-hate movie as the ads say. More importantly, it's a pro-love movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 31, 2021

Is Waititi's film provocative? Yes. Silly? Undeniably. But it is also surprisingly tender and moving.

Full Review | Dec 21, 2020

Humorous, touching, and devastating in equal measure.

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | Dec 7, 2020

It's worth seeing, however-particularly for Sam Rockwell, who adds to his gallery of great supporting performances with a turn as a disillusioned Axis army captain that nearly steals the film whole...

Full Review | Nov 3, 2020

Jojo Rabbit knows when it has to get emotional, and that is way better than its comedy. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Oct 16, 2020

Both heart-rending and hilarious with a dash of horror elements, Jojo Rabbit is easily one of the year's best films.

Full Review | Sep 23, 2020

Jojo Rabbit combines Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson in the worst, cop-out ways.

Full Review | Sep 17, 2020

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Explaining the News to Our Kids

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Jojo rabbit, common sense media reviewers.

Uneven but amusing WWII satire has violence, hate speech.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Themes of courage, empathy are clear in sympatheti

Characters are complicated, with nuance. Rosie is

Though the overall tone is light and satiric, that

A young boy strikes up a friendship with a slightl

Infrequent swearing includes "s--t," "hell," "ass,

One character frequently drinks from a flask, seem

Parents need to know that Jojo Rabbit is a satiric comedy from director Taika Waititi about a young boy in Nazi Germany who discovers that his beloved mother is hiding a teenaged Jewish girl. Though many parts of the movie are light and funny, others are deadly serious, with mature subject matter and violence…

Positive Messages

Themes of courage, empathy are clear in sympathetic look at those who are endangered and/or exterminated by Nazi regime. Racism is made to look ridiculous, as is mindless jingoism. Meanwhile, true acts of heroism are given proper, if satiric, weight, and viewers understand the danger of such moves. That said, some viewers may object to lighthearted scenes set among such pain and suffering, may feel concerned that movie doesn't give that pain proper weight.

Positive Role Models

Characters are complicated, with nuance. Rosie is nothing short of heroic, though viewers don't get to know her inner life as well as Jojo's. Elsa is brave too, suffering loss of her family, country, freedom yet still looking forward to a day when things are different. Jojo is complex, changes over course of movie from proudly racist Nazi to more sympathetic character who better understands suffering of those around him, performs heroic acts despite great personal danger. Terrible things are said about Jewish people, but it's clear that the movie's sympathies lie with them. Fascists are depicted as somewhere between evil and stupid. A young character with a larger body type is described several times as "fat."

Violence & Scariness

Though the overall tone is light and satiric, that mood is disrupted by scenes of significant violence -- and characters are constantly in danger: chaotic gun battles with dead bodies and bloody wounds, soldiers in bloody bandages with missing limbs, and hanging bodies of people who were executed by Nazis. A sympathetic character is suddenly killed; another is held as a prisoner of war, and it's implied that he might have been shot (viewers hear soldiers yelling at him and then gunfire). Children are orphaned; one Jewish girl talks about seeing her parents get put on a train to a place "where you don't come back." Young children are armed, sent into battle. A boy is told to snap a rabbit's neck; he refuses, but another boy does it, laughing, and throws the limp body into the forest.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A young boy strikes up a friendship with a slightly older girl and gets a crush on her; he tells her he loves her, and she says the same to him, but it's unclear whether the love is romantic or friendly on both parts. She also offers to give him his first kiss; he refuses, saying it would be out of pity. Characters talk about love, comparing it to butterflies in the stomach. A character says her uncle had an "inappropriate relationship" with his niece; she blames it on "Jews." A boy says that he's heard that Russian people "eat babies and have sex with dogs."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Infrequent swearing includes "s--t," "hell," "ass," "damn," "goddamn," "t-tty," and one "f--k off." There's also a lot of hate speech about Jewish people (they have horns, they sleep upside down like bats, they love money, etc.), and a woman is called a "disgusting Jew-y cow." Even some "good" characters have bad things to say about Jewish people, particularly earlier in the film, but it's clear that the movie's sympathies aren't with racists and fascists.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

One character frequently drinks from a flask, seems sloppy and slurry; another drinks wine at night and then seems elated. A character tells a young person that when she's older she'll drink "champagne when you're happy, and champagne when you're sad." Jojo's imaginary pal frequently offers him cigarettes; Hitler and others smoke cigarettes in many scenes.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Jojo Rabbit is a satiric comedy from director Taika Waititi about a young boy in Nazi Germany who discovers that his beloved mother is hiding a teenaged Jewish girl. Though many parts of the movie are light and funny, others are deadly serious, with mature subject matter and violence that's disturbing, even if it's not especially gory. There are maimed soldiers, dead bodies, children carrying (and using) machine guns, and the hanging bodies of people executed by Nazis. One sympathetic character is killed suddenly and tragically, altering the tone of the movie. Children are orphaned and in frequent danger. An animal is killed on-screen (a boy twists a rabbit's neck around, then throws the limp body into the woods). Cursing isn't frequent but includes "s--t," "hell," "damn," and one "f--k off." There's also lots of upsetting hate speech about Jewish people and other enemies of the Nazi regime, but the movie's sympathies are clearly with the downtrodden. A boy's imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler, who's depicted as largely supportive and kind, if also a hateful fascist. Characters drink and get variously sloppy or elated, and many smoke cigarettes. The movie offers a nuanced take on a subject that's very difficult to mine humor from: Some people may be offended by its very concept, but it's more thoughtful and funnier than families might expect. Still, it's one that you'll want to talk about afterward. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (61)
• Kids say (119)

Based on 61 parent reviews

The Best Satire Ever

Fantastic film, what's the story.

When lonely 10-year-old German boy Jojo ( Roman Griffin Davis ) messes up his first assignment at a weekend Hitler Youth camp, his fellow campers give him a cruel nickname: JOJO RABBIT. Things are difficult at home, too, particularly when he discovers that his mother, Rosie ( Scarlett Johansson ), has been hiding a Jewish girl, Elsa ( Thomasin McKenzie ), from the Gestapo. No wonder Jojo retreats from reality in conversations with his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler ( Taika Waititi ). As Jojo confronts the gap between his nationalistic ideals and gritty reality, something's got to give. Will it be Jojo?

Is It Any Good?

Most viewers will agree that Nazis aren't funny, but Waititi's comic voice is so ridiculously lovable that, against all odds, this singular movie somehow is -- at least fitfully. At other moments, Jojo Rabbit whipsaws so quickly between light satire and the heaviest tragedy that the uneven tone is bewildering. But before you get there, there's a long, sweet stretch in which viewers get to know the hapless Jojo, who's sympathetically played by the excellent Davis. It's easy to see why a fatherless, lonely, picked-on kid is delighted to put on a uniform and be part of a club that's all the rage among the boys in his town. And it's equally easy to understand why his imaginary friend takes the form of the almighty (to Jojo) Hitler. Even better, Jojo's imagined Hitler doesn't rant and bluster like the real man; instead, he shores up Jojo's confidence with assurances that he's good enough, smart enough, and, gosh darn it, people like him. Except, in real life, mostly they don't, and Jojo is left alone at home to make a dangerous discovery.

At that point, the movie basically splits into two parts: At home, Jojo's stern prejudices around the Fatherland's sworn nemeses begin to splinter as he gets to know one particular hated enemy. Everywhere else, he keeps up the front of a loyal Hitler Youth corps member. There's plenty of comic gold in the latter: Sam Rockwell 's profane Captain Klenzendorf has a Captain Jack Sparrow vibe that's a kick, Rebel Wilson is reliably hilarious as a fervently pious woman in uniform, and viewers quickly learn to sit up and pay attention anytime Jojo's pricelessly endearing sole friend, Yorki (Archie Yates), appears on-screen. But then a devastating event brings all the funny to a screeching halt, and we're left with Jojo, picking up the pieces at the end and wondering, despite the relatively cheerful closing scene, what on Earth did we just watch? Perhaps this, too, was part of Waititi's grand plan, to loosen viewers up with humor before delivering a walloping gut punch of seriousness. But if it sends viewers out of the theater with wrinkled-up "Huh?" faces, it will hardly be a surprise. At moments, this movie is good, even great. But it's hard to know what Waititi was going for, or even how to feel about what you've just seen. Jojo Rabbit is a good time, until it isn't.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the time period in which Jojo Rabbit is set. Do Jojo's feelings toward Jewish people and other "enemies" of the Third Reich seem authentic for a boy growing up in that time and place? Are the things he says and feels offensive to you? Does that detract from the humor? Why or why not?

What other stories, TV shows, or movies have you read, heard, or watched about World War II? How many of these stories were told from the point of view of German people who adhered to the Nazi party? Why do you think that point of view is relatively rare, at least for those consuming media in America? Is it difficult to sympathize with? Why? Would it be harder to sympathize if Jojo were an adult?

How do Jojo, Rosie, and Elsa demonstrate courage and empathy ? Why are these important character strengths ? Do any other characters in this movie show these qualities? What about Captain Klenzendorf? In what ways is this complicated character courageous and empathetic? In what ways is he reprehensible?

Movie Details

• In theaters : October 18, 2019
• On DVD or streaming : February 18, 2020
• Cast : Taika Waititi , Sam Rockwell , Scarlett Johansson , Rebel Wilson , Roman Griffin Davis
• Director : Taika Waititi
• Inclusion Information : Indigenous directors, Polynesian/Pacific Islander directors, Indigenous actors, Polynesian/Pacific Islander actors, Female actors
• Studio : Fox Searchlight
• Genre : Comedy
• Topics : History
• Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Empathy
• Run time : 108 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : mature thematic content, some disturbing images, violence, and language
• Awards : Academy Award , BAFTA
• Last updated : March 31, 2022

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Life Is Beautiful

The Book Thief

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Moonrise Kingdom

What We Do in the Shadows

World war ii books for kids, best history documentaries, related topics.

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

‘Jojo Rabbit’ Review: A Hit-or-Miss Hitler Comedy With a Heart

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

It’s springtime for Hitler and life is beautiful. At least it is for Johannes “Jojo” Betzler, a 10-year-old German boy who’s been thoroughly indoctrinated by Hitler Youth. That is, until he discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl at home and, boom, his world turns upside down.

That’s essentially what happens in “Caging Skies,” a 2008 novel by Christine Leunens that bears some resemblance in plot — but hardly any in tone — to Jojo Rabbit, the polarizing but potently funny film that New Zealand writer-director Taika Waititi has made of it. If you know this one-of-a-kind filmmaker’s work (see: Thor: Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, the vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows ), you know that humor is his preferred form of expression.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry — sometimes at the same time. But love or hate Jojo Rabbit, it’s damn near impossible to shake. Injecting monkeyshines into Nazi horrors sure didn’t hurt Mel Brooks’ The Producers or, for that matter, Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. And Roberto Benigni’s Life Is Beautiful won an Oscar despite using the Holocaust to press emotional buttons. At the Toronto Film Festival, where Jojo Rabbit premiered last month, the critical hand-wringing about the film’s uneasy mix of slapstick and sentiment did nothing to stop the movie from winning the coveted People’s Choice Award, often an Oscar harbinger (like last year’s Green Book ). Our suggestion: Stick with Waititi. Give or take a few structural stumbles, he’s worth following anywhere.

Waititi immediately distinguishes itself from the self-serious source material, establishing a farcical opening to the sounds of the Beatles singing a German cover of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” while documentary footage rolls of National Socialists sieg-heiling. Jojo, played by Roman Griffin Davis in one of the best performances ever by a child actor, doesn’t merely subscribe to Hitler Youth; he thinks of the fuhrer as his friend, a surrogate daddy and imaginary buddy with whom he can share his feelings. And with Waititi, a Polynesian Jew who’s cast himself as Hitler, the leader of the Third Reich is mocked early and often.

Editor’s picks

The 250 greatest guitarists of all time, the 500 greatest albums of all time, the 50 worst decisions in movie history, every awful thing trump has promised to do in a second term.

At a Nazi boot camp for kids, Jojo is trained by the one-eyed Captain Klenzendorf ( Sam Rockwell ) and his minions, broadly played by Rebel Wilson and Alfie Allen. Though he finds a pudgy best friend in Yorki (a terrific Archie Yates), Jojo is forever an outcast. Humiliated when a nearby exploding grenade scars his face and legs, the kid is laughed out of junior military training for failing to prove his manhood by strangling a rabbit, hence the nickname. Audiences have been laughing at Nazis since Charlie Chaplin played the fictional Adenoid Hynkel of Tomania in 1940’s The Great Dictator. But a persistent argument against Jojo Rabbit is that it offers nothing new in its soft-edged condemnation of tyrants. With anti-Semitism on the rise along with other hate crimes, the film’s timely and subversive message surely bears repeating.

With his father at war (during the waning weeks of World War II), responsibility for Jojo falls solely to his mother, Rosie, beautifully played by Scarlett Johansson in a performance of uncommon complexity and feeling. Rosie is clearly appalled by her son’s Nazi rhetoric. In one telling scene, she walks him past a line of Jews hanging from the gallows. The boy’s response — a babyish “yuck” — is a lesson in how denial is taught to more than just children. But Rosie doesn’t dare speak for fearing of being carted off by the Gestapo, in the sinister person of Stephen Merchant. A secret member of the resistance, Rosie is using her home to hide a teenage Jewish girl, Elsa Korr (Thomasin McKenzie, the breakout star of Leave No Trace) . When Jojo discovers the young woman behind a fake wall in his late sister’s bedroom, he treats her at first like a monster with horns, the kind he draws in the book he’s prepared to please the fuhrer. Called “Yoo-Hoo, Jew,” the book is a juvenile parody of the worst of mankind. Hitler, of course, is delighted. But as Jojo gets to know, and even crush on Elsa, his conscience kicks in, sparking the imaginary dictator to tantrums and the lad to a new life of the mind.

Though the resolution of this crisis is predictable, the humanist in Waititi brings intimacy and indelible passion to each step in the boy’s journey to empathy. The film, which grows less comic and more delicate as it moves toward its foregone conclusion, may fall short of greatness, but it never sinks to the maudlin. With expert help from cinematographer Mihai Malaimare ( The Master ) and composer Michael Giacchino ( The Incredibles ), the auteur walks a tightrope with uncommon skill.

Elsa tells Jojo that what she misses most is the freedom to dance, a reminder of a time before unspeakable horror stopped the music.

It’s a modest goal. But it’s in the small moments that Jojo Rabbit achieves its greatest impact. Waititi’s faith in the notion that a child will lead us out of ignorance may be naïve. It’s also deeply affecting. Besides, isn’t truth always the first casualty of indoctrination, whether you live in the era of fake news or not? The first words of the Leunens novel come to mind: “The great danger of lying is not that lies are untruths, and thus unreal, but that they become real in other people’s minds.”

'The Contestant' Features a Naked Man Losing His Mind on National TV. It's a Documentary

• MOVIE REVIEW
• By David Fear

How Hannah Einbinder 'Hacks' It in the Comedy World

• By Kase Wickman

Ryan Gosling and Mikey Day Reprise Beavis and Butt-Head at 'The Fall Guy' Premiere

• Heh Heh Heh
• By Emily Zemler

Daniel Radcliffe Responds to J.K. Rowling's Anti-Trans Rhetoric: 'It Makes Me Really Sad'

Barbra streisand swears she was trying to compliment melissa mccarthy by asking 'did you take ozempic'.

• By Jon Blistein

Most Popular

Ethan hawke lost the oscar for 'training day' and denzel washington whispered in his ear that losing was better: 'you don't want an award to improve your status', nicole kidman's daughters make their red carpet debut at afi life achievement award gala, louvre considers moving mona lisa to underground chamber to end 'public disappointment', sources gave an update on hugh jackman's 'love life' after fans raised concerns about his well-being, you might also like, apple tv offers mls season pass for 30% off for the rest of the season, nordstrom unveils latest designer pop-up at nyc store, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, margaret qualley, ed harris, and a24 join ‘huntington’, diamond sports rsns go dark on comcast as talks break down.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

Verify it's you

Please log in.

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• Movie Reviews

Taika Waititi pulls off the near-impossible in Hitler fantasia Jojo Rabbit

So far, the genre of Holocaust comedy has been largely, no doubt blessedly, sparse: Charlie Chaplin goose-stepping across The Great Dictator ; Mel Brooks' twinkle-toed Nazis in The Producers ; Roberto Benigni's overcooked Oscar schmaltz Life is Beautiful .

Taika Watiti takes a big, wild swing with Jojo Rabbit — an audacious piece of Third Reich whimsy that almost definitely shouldn't work as well as it does, considering it's about a boy whose imaginary best friend is Hitler (played by Watiti himself, happily mugging in a paintbrush mustache and khaki pantaloons).

Ten-year-old Jojo (disarming newcomer Roman Griffin Davis ) fervently wishes to become the best little fascist he can be; a dutiful murderer of Jews and faithful defender of the Motherland. But at a youth camp helmed by a swaggering one-eyed officer named Captain Klenzendorf ( Sam Rockwell ) and his blithely psychotic underlings (which include Rebel Wilson and Game of Throne s' Alfie Allen ), he quickly finds himself at the bottom of the class, unable to kill even a lowly chicken.

When an unfortunate explosives incident lands him in the hospital, his mother, Rosie (a droll Scarlett Johannson ), insists he pulls back on his homicidal duties and stay home more. It's during a break from one of those reassuring pep talks with his good buddy Adolph that he discovers the secret she's been keeping in the attic: a young Jewish stowaway ( Leave No Trace 's great Thomasin McKenzie ) who tells him her name is Elsa, and promises him that giving her up will mean mutually assured destruction for her and his already-diminished family. With so few other social options to turn to, Jojo begins to spend more time with his captive — the better to learn the answer to burning questions like "Where does the queen Jew lay the eggs," and perhaps dismantle a few other ideas.

Through a certain lens, some viewers will undoubtedly see what Watiti is doing here as a kind of smug, misguided Wes Anderson-ization of a subject that has no statute of limitations for satire. (Though Veep creator Armando Iannucci did something similar last year with The Death of Stalin , to largely positive reviews). But the New Zealand-born director, who managed to turn 2017's Thor: Ragnarok into one of the most winningly absurd entries in the superhero canon, finds such strange, sweet humor in his storytelling that the movie somehow maintains its ballast, even when the tone inevitably (and it feels, necessarily) shifts.

If Jojo 's ending wobbles a little and goes on too long, the final scene is a beauty; a sort of joyful affirmation that isn't so much sentimental as it is universal. Hail Taika for trying, and pulling it off. A–

Related content:

• Scarlett Johansson on how being a parent was 'invaluably helpful' for her role in Jojo Rabbit
• Check out stunning photos of the stars at EW's Toronto Film Festival portrait studio

Related Articles

• Koffee Kult
• Amazon Music
• Movie Series
• Bonus Content
• InSession Film Awards
• Year-End Top 10 Lists
• Women InSession
• Chasing the Gold
• Extra Film Archive
• Latest Releases
• Classic Reviews
• Video Reviews
• Oscars Predictions
• Awards Analysis
• Retrospectives
• Monthly Previews

Director: Taika Waititi Writers: Christine Leunens (novel), Taika Waititi (screenplay) Stars: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi, Sam Rockwell

Synopsis: A young boy in Hitler’s army finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.

Taika Waitit is currently my favorite director and his 2016 movie Hunt for the Wilderpeople is one of my favorite movies of all time. When I first heard about Jojo Rabbit, I was beyond excited. Unfortunately, I don’t live in an “indie film” friendly area and had to wait two weeks longer than many of my movie reviewing colleagues to see it. Luckily, I was able to avoid any major spoilers, and Jojo Rabbit was well worth the wait.

Jojo Rabbit is the story of a 10-year-old boy actively participating in the Hitler Youth, whose imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler. Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) is innocent and is eager to be accepted by his peers. He wholeheartedly believes the propaganda of Nazi Germany. His single-mother (Scarlett Johansson) tries to teach him to be a good person and not immediately believe everything he is being told in her own subtle way. One day while his mother is out, Jojo discovers Elsa, a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) living in his walls. He is torn between his blind loyalty to his country’s regime and wanting to learn more about her.

I loved this film. It’s the perfect blend of a “coming of age” movie, a drama, and a comedy. It’s officially the only movie about Nazis I want to watch more than once. I enjoy stories that take a familiar angle and twist it. We’ve seen hundreds of WWII films from the American soldier or Jewish family perspective. What isn’t done often, is a German child’s perspective. Children are innocent; they don’t hate. They do as they are told and often mimic what they see from the adults in their lives. I loved Jojo’s innocence – all he wants is to fit in with the other kids. When his views on what he’s been told is “correct” are challenged, he handles the issues in an interesting way. Propaganda tells him Jews are bad – they sleep upside down like bats and can read his mind. When Jojo meets Elsa, he becomes confused and questions what he’s been taught. He works through this conflict by arguing with himself and his weird imaginary friend, Hitler (Taika Waititi). The conversations between Jojo and imaginary Hitler are some of my favorite scenes. Waititi’s portrayal of the infamous dictator is a hilarious parody with a child-like immaturity. Their conversations are what you would expect an internal struggle of a 10-year-old to sound like. The film is a much-needed satire of hate and bigotry and its message is as relevant in today’s world as it would have been during WWII. Taika Waititi was able to direct an amazing film showing how ridiculous and absurd it is to hate people for being different, make us laugh at the idea that this behavior is/was considered normal, all while prancing around, dressed as one of the worst people in history. If that doesn’t earn him an Oscar nomination, I don’t know what will.

Jojo Rabbit is extraordinary in many ways. The cast is phenomenal, every role in the film was well executed. Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen, and Stephen Merchant all have supporting roles as Nazis with odd personalities and they all work well on screen. I don’t think I’ve seen another film recently that has that many outrageous characters that coexist harmoniously in one film. (Maybe the 1985 movie Clue?) This was Roman Griffin Davis’ first professional acting job and he carries the movie well. He holds his own while sharing the screen with award winning actors. The movie is beautifully shot, even if something is ridiculous (like Hitler leaping through gracefully through the air) is happening on screen, it still looks amazing. I would love to see Jojo Rabbit get some Oscar nominations, hopefully wins. I can see at least nominations in Best Adaptive Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Director, and possibly Best Supporting Actress (Thomasin McKenzie).

I have almost no criticism for this film. My only complaint is the lack of information about two characters who don’t actually appear in the film. Not much is said about Jojo’s sister and father and I wanted to know more about them. I’m sure if I read the book this film is based on ( Caging Skies by Christine Leunens), I would learn more. The only other thing I could find wrong with this movie was that there was one instance where the incorrect version of the American flag was used. The first American flag shown in the film was a 50-star flag which wasn’t adopted until 1960, the second time we see the flag it is the historically accurate 48-star version. Other than those small things, I couldn’t think of any negative criticisms.

Jojo Rabbit has earned a place at the top of my “Best Movies of 2019” list. It’s a wonderful story, told from a new angle I think would appeal to many audiences. It brilliantly shows us how ridiculous it is to hate one another through the eyes of a child brainwashed by one of the worst regimes in recent history. Comedy is a great tool to cover uncomfortable subjects and Taika Waititi excels here. I’m interested to see how it does come awards season and encourage everyone to see it if you have the chance.

Overall Grade: A+

Similar Articles

Movie review: ‘consecration’ is a disappointing parable that can’t be taken seriously, movie review: ‘abigail’ is a bloody, but delayed crowdpleaser.

MOST POPULAR

Interview: carlos tejera and jordan sarf of ‘manicure’, criterion releases: may 2024, women insession: romeo and juliet ’68 vs ’96.

Bob Mondello

JoJo Rabbit follows a young German boy (Roman Griffin Davis, left) growing up in the Third Reich with his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi, right). Kimberley French/Twentieth Century Fox hide caption

JoJo Rabbit follows a young German boy (Roman Griffin Davis, left) growing up in the Third Reich with his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi, right).

Taika Waititi may be best known for directing the Marvel blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok , but what got him that job was smaller movies like Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople — films best described as "quirky."

That epithet fits his latest film, Jojo Rabbit , about a little boy in Nazi Germany who has an imaginary friend named Adolf Hitler.

How quirky is it? Consider: When the film begins, a drumroll kicks off the familiar 20th Century Fox opening fanfare, and you'll think — for about one second — that all's normal. But as the Fox searchlights sweep the sky, the drums and horns turn into what sounds like a German drinking song, sung by children.

Shortly after, we see images of Nazi soldiers saluting the Führer as the Beatles sing "Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand."

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Toronto international film festival 2019 preview: the films we're most excited about.

Director Taika Waititi's 'Wilderpeople' Is Good For A Laugh — And Then A Cry

We're in 1944 Berlin, where 10-year-old Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) is having a rough first day of Nazi Summer Camp, and being consoled by an imaginary friend whose toothbrush moustache and swastika'd uniform clearly identify him — though this is a much cheerier, chummier Adolf Hitler than the one you'd recognize from newsreels.

As played by writer-director Taika Waititi, this imaginary Führer is a nice guy — which makes sense, as he's a figment of the imagination of a nice 10-year-old.

As setups go, Jojo Rabbit 's treatment of history's most reviled mass murderer qualifies as ... unusual ... though hardly unprecedented: Charlie Chaplin played a Hitler-like Adenoid Hynkel in The Great Dictator , when the real Hitler was still around. Mel Brooks mocked him after World War II in The Producers , Quentin Tarantino created a revenge fantasy in Inglorious Basterds . So Waititi's not treading new ground here, just offering a new take.

His comic idea is much like Chaplin's: to deconstruct fascist thinking. He makes little Jojo a propaganda-fed child so innocent that he's never learned to tie his shoes, then helps him to puzzle out the dense network of lies that surrounds him.

Assisting with both the shoelaces and the life-lessons is his mom, played by Scarlett Johansson. Also on hand is Sam Rockwell as Jojo's camp counselor, who's aware that the Nazi jig is up, but plans to dance it away.

And there's a Jewish girl hiding in the attic, played by Thomasin McKensie, who not-so-gently challenges the notions he's built his young life on. "You're not a Nazi, Jojo," she says, "you're a 10-year-old kid who likes dressing up in a funny uniform and wants to be part of a club."

Jojo Rabbit is gently comic for a while, and then surprisingly affecting at the end, so perhaps it's not fair to wish that Waititi had opted to deal more directly with the horrors of the Third Reich. We are, after all, living in a time when fascism is again a growing threat.

Not what he was going for, though — he's content to sidestep the atrocities, concentrate on the indoctrination of children, and let his young hero — and by proxy, the audience — learn life lessons that get tied up, like a child's shoelace, with a neat little bow.

• Newsletters

Site search

• Israel-Hamas war
• Home Planet
• 2024 election
• Supreme Court
• TikTok’s fate
• All explainers
• Future Perfect

Filed under:

• Jojo Rabbit, a coming-of-age story about a boy and his best friend Hitler, is both hilarious and grim

Taika Waititi’s “anti-hate satire,” set in Nazi Germany, knows that hate is no laughing matter.

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Twitter
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: Jojo Rabbit, a coming-of-age story about a boy and his best friend Hitler, is both hilarious and grim

Trailers for Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit strenuously clarify — as cheekily as anyone can — that the film is an “anti-hate satire,” presumably because some marketer at Fox Searchlight savvily intuited that images of a boy in a Hitler Youth outfit romping through the forest with Adolf Hitler wouldn’t go over very well, especially on the internet.

In truth, with some audiences, they still may not. But the “satire” moniker is apt: Jojo Rabbit does cartoonishly skewer the frenzy that enabled Hitler’s rise to power (and propagation of atrocities), filtered through the eyes of a bullied 10-year-old kid.

The film is a little too sprightly to land any heavy punches — it’s more of a comedy with satirical elements than a true satirical tale. Based on Christine Leunens’s 2008 novel Caging Skies (but with some big changes, courtesy of Waititi) , it’s really a coming-of-age story, about a kid who’s gotten lost in a world where loyalty has displaced love and where bravado has displaced true bravery.

It’s a bold move to marry a coming-of-age story, which Jojo sets at the end of the Third Reich, to Waititi’s signature goofball aesthetic and frenetic self-awareness . And the film is more successful in some moments than others. But by the end, it’s obvious what Jojo Rabbit is really about: How hate preys on the weak and the young, and how history keeps repeating itself.

Jojo Rabbit tells the story of the end of World War II, from a 10-year-old boy’s perspective

Waititi’s skill in directing children — on display in movies like 2010’s Boy and 2016’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople , which both relied on a child’s performance — is no secret. Jojo Rabbit ’s story also revolves around a child, played in this case by newcomer Roman Griffin Davis, who seems like a seasoned pro in his performance as Johannes “Jojo” Betzler. The role requires both expert comic timing and the skill to convey real pathos, plus the ability to seem less like a self-assured child star and more like a bumbling preteen on the brink of adolescence. And Davis makes Jojo Rabbit work.

Jojo lives with his mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) in a rambling house near their German town’s center. Jojo’s absent father, he believes, is in Italy fighting for the Fatherland. (The rumors about his father are less kind.) Jojo is a touch scrawny and a little timid, and with the world around him in thrall to Adolf Hitler, he has latched onto the Führer as not just a figure to idolize but as an imaginary, pep-talking friend (played by Waititi). Jojo’s only other friends are his mother and fellow Hitler Youth Yorki (the also fantastic Archie Yates), so Hitler plays a big role in his life.

Jojo and Yorki head off to Hitler Youth camp, run by the vaguely dissolute Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell) and his lackeys, Finkel (Alfie Allen) and Fräulein Rahm (Rebel Wilson). Klenzendorf announces to the assembled children — a horde of mostly boys, with several rows of girls relegated to the back — that the boys will be learning how to fight with guns and knives and hand grenades, while the girls will be learning to tend to the wounded and “how to get pregnant” (to which Fräulein Rahm enthusiastically rejoins that she has borne 18 children for her country).

Also, they’ll be learning a lot about Jews, like how to spot them and why they’re evil and scary and subhuman, while the Aryan race (like towheaded Jojo) is superior in all ways. Jojo still has a conscience, however, and after he fails to wring the neck of a rabbit in front of a crowd of taunting youths, he earns the shameful nickname of Jojo Rabbit ’s title.

But a rabbit, imaginary Hitler reminds Jojo, is both brave and can outsmart whoever chases him. And the upshot of that pep talk is that, in an attempted show of bravery, Jojo winds up exploding a grenade on himself and is sent home from camp.

At home he mourns that he’ll never be part of (real) Hitler’s guard now, what with the scars on his face and his slightly hampered physical ability. But he thinks he may have found another way to serve the Führer when he discovers a Jewish girl named Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) living in the walls of his house, hidden there by his mother. Both repulsed by and drawn to Elsa, he starts spending more time with her. And as the war rages on outside, he starts, almost imperceptibly, to grow up.

Jojo Rabbit is in keeping with Waititi’s highly self-aware exploration of hate and its victims

From Boy to Thor: Ragnarok , Waititi’s zany body of work is also an exploration of the double-edged sword of prejudice and hate, which hurts both the one it’s aimed at and the one who wields it. (Consider What We Do in the Shadows , for instance, in which a group of very reasonable vampires hilariously try to navigate life in an Wellington that’s overweeningly hostile.)

Reasonable territory for Waititi, a New Zealand native who’s the son of a Māori father and a Russian Jewish mother and thus not unfamiliar with prejudice . (That he casts himself, moustached and a little paunchy, as the Aryan-loving Hitler is a pronounced thumb in the Nazi eye; that real Hitler barely appears in the film makes the point especially pronounced.) Jojo Rabbit aims to present the people enthralled by Hitler as highly, almost pitiably ridiculous. They are lemmings, personified ignorance masquerading as wise fanboys who will be weaponized by a cowardly, hateful man who thrives on the widespread adoration of the people. (An early sequence features cut-together archival footage of hordes of frenzied Germans adoringly heiling Hitler as a German version of the Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” plays. The implications are not subtle.)

Sometimes the humor risks overshadowing what the movie is really about, probably because Jojo’s exposure to the horrors of the Third Reich is limited both by his age and his ability to grasp what’s happening around him, and the movie sticks to his perspective, which at times can feel a bit tonally weird, atrocities seeming lighter than they are. But hate can be both worthy of ridicule and deadly serious, and for the most part Jojo Rabbit manages to thread that needle. People are dying, resources are scarce, and while Jews are exterminated far from Jojo’s home, Germans are hung right in the streets for the crime of working for the Resistance or hiding their Jewish neighbors away from Nazis.

Jojo Rabbit relies on its audience already knowing what kind of atrocities are going on just outside of view. Elsa is older than Jojo by a few years, and she knows why she’s hiding in the wall: Because if she doesn’t, she’ll be exterminated by the Nazis. When Rosie tells Elsa, with compassion, that Elsa’s lived many lives already, Elsa bitterly says that she hasn’t lived at all. Yet Elsa plays into Jojo’s youthful ignorance about Jews for her own amusement, telling him wild and fabricated tales for the enjoyment of watching his credulity in action. It’s a spot of humor in her bleak life, and in the unbearable bleakness of a war that’s trying to exterminate you.

And in the end, it’s vital to remember that this is a story told through Jojo’s eyes, and for adults to ponder. It’s told from the perspective of a boy who doesn’t quite understand what war really is, who Hitler is, what it means to hate a group of people for looking and acting a little different from you. And we sort of get it, in Jojo’s case; he’s too young to know any better. Children, looking for heroes to emulate, follow the adults around them. They idolize those who make them feel good about themselves.

That adults are so easily taken in by the hateful who prey on their fears is a much graver matter. And in the world into which Jojo Rabbit is released, with rising tides of hate and ignorance, where demagogues have groupies and neo-Nazis are easy to find on the internet, preying on the weak, what Jojo Rabbit has to say is both hysterically funny and grim as hell.

Read the Vox staff’s thoughts on all nine of the 2020 Best Picture nominees :

1917 | Ford v. Ferrari | The Irishman | Jojo Rabbit | Joker | Little Women | Marriage Story | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Parasite

Will you support Vox today?

We believe that everyone deserves to understand the world that they live in. That kind of knowledge helps create better citizens, neighbors, friends, parents, and stewards of this planet. Producing deeply researched, explanatory journalism takes resources. You can support this mission by making a financial gift to Vox today. Will you join us?

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via

In This Stream

Tiff 2019: toronto international film festival news and movie reviews.

• Knives Out is a delightful Agatha Christie-style whodunnit made for 2019 America
• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is not a Mister Rogers biopic. It’s weirder, and better.

Next Up In Culture

Sign up for the newsletter today, explained.

Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day.

Thanks for signing up!

Check your inbox for a welcome email.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

Take a mental break with the newest Vox crossword

 Vox Welcomes Naureen Khan as Senior Editor, Culture and Features

How today’s antiwar protests stack up against major student movements in history

Philosophers are studying Reddit’s “Am I the Asshole?”

High interest rates probably aren’t going away anytime soon

Want to know how to reduce gun crime? Look at Detroit.

Jojo Rabbit Review

03 Jan 2020

Jojo Rabbit

Inside Out ’s Riley had Bing Bong. Fight Club ’s Jack had Tyler Durden. Now, in Jojo Rabbit , we get another cinematic imaginary friend for the ages: Adolf Hitler. In Taika Waititi ’s latest, Hitler Youth boy Jojo’s confidant is none other than a goofed-up, gurning version of the Nazi leader played by Waititi himself. 
If the fact that Waititi is a Polynesian Jew doesn’t tip you off to the fact that he’s aiming for anything but a respectful portrayal of the mass-murdering dictator, you only have to look at the social media post the writer-director-actor shared after the first week of shooting, complete with the hashtag “#FuckYouShitler”.

Creating a World War II-set comedy-drama that counts on wringing laughs from one of history’s greatest monsters is a big swing, even for Waititi — a filmmaker whose deadpan New Zealand wit and idiosyncratic sensibilities have given us everything from a lo-fi indie romcom ( Eagle Vs. Shark ) to a vampire mockumentary ( What We Do In The Shadows ) and a fizzing Flash Gordon-inspired Marvel space opera ( Thor: Ragnarok ). If Jojo Rabbit is yet another departure — his first war movie and his only period piece — it’s also a return to the coming-of-age territory he explored in Boy and Hunt For The Wilderpeople .

Like those films’ protagonists, the titular Jojo (Davis) is a confused kid in search of any kind of father figure. Where Boy and Ricky Baker found theirs in a deadbeat dad and Uncle Hec respectively, Jojo finds his in an imagined Führer — part inspirational guru, part childish playmate. It’s another scene-stealing performance from Waititi, knowingly self-mocking, sometimes surprisingly sweet (this, after all, is a child’s self-projected need for companionship and reassurance), but growing increasingly nasty as Jojo’s understanding of the world starts to shift.

Jojo Rabbit's tone often feels at war with itself.

That’s all due to the discovery of his mother’s ( Johansson ) big secret — Elsa ( McKenzie ), a Jewish teenage girl living in the walls of their house, hiding out until the war ends. When Jojo discovers her — in a sequence smartly framed like a horror scene as he creeps through the dark crawlspaces of the family home — the hateful ideology he’s unquestioningly absorbed his whole life is thrown into question. Played with resolve and fierce humanity by McKenzie, Elsa is no victim — she’s a real force, both disdainful and mocking of Jojo’s assumed prejudices, interrogating him to highlight the insidious ridiculousness of Nazi rhetoric around the Jewish people. Their scenes together are the film’s undoubted highlight, crackling with tension, wit and anger. Through Waititi’s lens, Jojo isn’t actually scared of her because she’s a Jew — it’s because she’s a teenage girl, and he’s 
a ten-year-old boy.

If only the rest of the film were so assured. Where Boy and Hunt For The Wilderpeople cultivated such delicate tonal palettes — moments of gloriously silly humour sitting alongside grief and insecurity for carefully calibrated bittersweetness — Jojo Rabbit ’s tone often feels at war with itself. While Waititi’s own outsized performance largely hits the spot, when several other characters — particularly Rebel Wilson and Sam Rockwell ’s daffy Nazis — attempt to play on that wild, aloof, Taika-specific comic register, they struggle. The pervasive broad slapstick, distractingly inconsistent comedy accents and uncomfortable whimsy nearly unbalances the film.

But the heavier Jojo Rabbit becomes in the second half, the more its earlier faults are balanced out. As Jojo’s perspective shifts from childhood innocence to brutally forced maturity, the colour of his world literally drains. Alongside a gut-churningly tense Gestapo raid and one deeply upsetting moment of utter heartbreak, the need for laughter — for any kind of levity or humanity in the face of total callousness — becomes far more necessary.

At the heart of it all is Jojo himself. Roman Griffin Davis connects and convinces as a scared kid growing up in a world that he comes to realise is cruel and broken — a naive boy who might claim to “love killing”, but in reality can’t tie his own shoelaces. It’s his vulnerability that stays with you, his growing realisation that he cannot take goodness for granted. And with racist ideologies resurfacing once again in the present day, Jojo Rabbit is a reminder that we shouldn’t either.

Related Articles

Movies | 27 09 2023

Movies | 24 11 2022

Movies | 12 10 2021

Movies | 13 08 2021

Movies | 02 12 2020

Movies | 03 12 2020

Movies | 11 11 2020

Movies | 10 05 2020

Skip to Main Content of WWII

Film review: jojo rabbit.

Is Jojo Rabbit  worth seeing? Absolutely.

At first glance, the film Jojo Rabbit , by director Taika Waititi, may seem like a whimsical look at life inside the crumbling Third Reich during the closing months of World War II. It partially is, but don’t let that fool you. The film tackles serious subject matter. In my opinion, nothing I’ve read or seen before does a better job of illustrating Hitler’s charismatic grip on Germany.

Without giving too much of the film’s plot away, the world we see through the eyes of ten-year-old Hitler Youth member, Jojo Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis), is warped by a lifetime of Nazi propaganda. In the opening scene, Waititi intersperses live action with archival footage of Nazi rallies, juxtaposed with the German version of the Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand." The two sync up seamlessly, and the footage looks eerily similar to actual “Beatlemania” footage from the 1960s.

.... And then it kind of hits you: the screaming, weeping, and frenzied youth seen in the footage aren’t watching a performance by the Fab Four, they’re watching Hitler.

From the very beginning, it becomes clear that the malleable minds of Jojo, and the children of Germany, stand little chance against the state propaganda machine. They have almost no hope of becoming anything other than little Nazis. Membership in the Hitler Youth, the paramilitary organization that replaced the Boy Scout movement in Germany in 1935, was a requirement for boys aged ten and up. Rosie (Scarlett Johansson), Jojo’s mother, walks a tightrope between protecting and holding on to her little boy, while defying the Nazi state by hiding Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), a Jewish girl in their attic. The local head of the Hitler Youth office, Captain “K” (Sam Rockwell), a wounded army officer and subversive enemy of the state himself—who clearly sees the handwriting on the wall for Germany—has Jojo’s best interest at heart as well.

Throughout the film, Jojo wrestles with the Nazi ideology that has been forced upon him. These scenes are cleverly facilitated by conversations with Jojo’s imaginary friend, a cartoonish version of Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). The costumes and set design are on point, and the performances by the cast are absolutely stellar. In my opinion, Jojo Rabbit does a brilliant job of conveying the consequences of the ideological poisoning of Germany’s youth culture during the thirties and forties by the Nazi Regime, and reminds us that the most tragic victims of the war, regardless of nationality, were the children. I highly recommend seeing it.

Larry Decuers

Larry Decuers is a former Curator at The National WWII Museum and veteran of the US Army's 101st Airborne Division.

Explore Further

Lee Miller in Combat

One of America’s only female war correspondents reported on the aftermath of D-Day, the Battle of Saint-Malo, and the liberation of Paris.

The Second Great Fire of London: 'A Dreadful Masterpiece'

In this column, journalist Ernie Pyle describes the bombing of London in late December 1940 as “the most hateful, most beautiful single scene” he had ever witnessed as the city was “stabbed with fire” by the German Luftwaffe .

What Happened to Lieutenant Curtis R. Biddick?

V for Victory: A Sign of Resistance

Created by a Belgian politician and broadcaster fleeing Nazi persecution, the V for Victory symbol became one of the most enduring signs of the war. 

The 'Bloody 100th' Bomb Group

The Eighth Air Force’s hard luck unit was filled with colorful personalities who made the unit one of the most storied of World War II.

The Air Medal: An Effort to Bolster Morale

Authorized during the one of most difficult periods during the air war, the Air Medal was an effort to rally the US Army Air Forces crews.

The Cairo and Tehran Conferences

In a series of high-stakes strategic conferences in late 1943, the Allies made several key decisions that shaped wartime strategy, while reflecting the changing balance of power between the Allied nations and foreshadowing the postwar emergence of the bipolar world.

Operation Clipper: The Fight for Geilenkirchen

Operation Clipper, an offensive to reduce the Geilenkirchen salient in Germany, highlighted the value of specialized tanks in a combined US-British operation.

• Become a Critical Movie Critic
• Movie Review Archives

Movie Review: Jojo Rabbit (2019)

• Frank Ochieng
• Movie Reviews
• --> December 14, 2019

The World War II satire Jojo Rabbit is a daring mockery with war-themed carnage as a surreal backdrop that combines misplaced idolization with an unconventional coming-of-age tale for a young boy. Indeed, filmmaker Taika Waititi (“ Thor: Ragnarok ”) is wading in rough waters with a strange take of unusual growing pains — particularly when his featured tyke fancies a friendly bonding experience with his imaginary “pal” Adolph Hitler. Bold, offbeat and borderline blasphemous in its sardonic wit, Jojo Rabbit is at times uneven in its edgy humor, but still manages to pull off its fair share of mixing the absurdity with observational amusement.

Waititi tiptoes on the fine line between helming touchy material that may be considered a risky yet challenging ruse or worse . . . serving up an insensitive concoction leaning toward being outright offensive. The motivation in ridiculing Hitler has been the source of satirization previously so there is nothing revolutionary in this sense that his film does. However, wavering within the lanes of silliness and sentimentality, Jojo Rabbit does not bring the same kind of charm and pathos that made something like the Oscar-winning “Life Is Beautiful” such an inspirational gem in its embodiment of triumph and tragedy.

Impressionable ten-year old Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) is being raised in what amounts to be a tough time — the tail end of WWII in Germany. Obviously disillusioned by the difficult times of his upbringing, Jojo develops an escapist path to combat his indescribable loneliness and despair. The solution: Jojo whips up an imaginary friend to keep him entertained and active. Unfortunately, Jojo’s choice of a pretend buddy is none other than the notorious Hitler. Did I emphasize how lonely and delusional this youngster is?

The coping mechanism for fascism as digested by Jojo is establishing the menacing Der Fuhrer as a breezy playmate. This is a hefty pill to swallow but Waititi (assuming the on-screen role as the misguided minor’s happy-go-lucky companion) is savvy enough to trust the audience with the absurdist witticisms that are attached to the off-kilter premise. Granted that Waitiki’s nutty version of the infamous German dictator does not have the same lofty legs of lunacy as witnessed by Mel Brooks’ impishly warped “Springtime for Hitler” nor does it compare to Charlie Chaplin’s Hitler knockoff, Adenoid Hynkel, from “The Great Dictator.” Nevertheless, Jojo Rabbit devilishly sinks its teeth into the shifty hilarity of hate propaganda that already rubs up against the cynicism of childhood alienation.

For the young Johannes (nicknamed “Jojo”) his immediate reality is tainted by the insidious influences and ideology of the barbaric Third Reich. Clearly, Jojo seeks a sense of purpose as he yearns to be part of something big and meaningful that can counterpunch his youthful inadequacies. His other solution: Joining a Nazi youth camp. Why not? After all, Nazi manhood is something to be valued and respected as the emotionally neglected Jojo strives for popularity and acceptance. More so, Jojo is open to male role models — he is a product of an adoring single mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson, “ Marriage Story ”) — and fascist, uniformed soldiers are the epitome of strength and pride (at least as seen through the impressionable eyes of a boy spoon-fed such a tyrannical doctrine every day).

Things change for the young man, however — while at camp, the all-too-sensitive Jojo fails to break the neck of an innocent rabbit when ordered to by Captain Klenzendorf (Oscar winner Sam Rockwell, “ Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ”). This humane act earns him the cruel nickname Jojo Rabbit by the monstrous Klenzendorf and he is mocked by the whole camp.

Then, while at home, Jojo discovers that his mother has been secretly sheltering a young Jewish girl named Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie, “ Leave No Trace ”) — a former schoolmate of his late sister. Because of Elsa’s Jewish background the conflicted Jojo has to confront all the embedded hatred that has been drilled into his head. Remember, Elsa is the inferior enemy that is deemed worthless by “the master race.” How can he in his right mind like someone that is supposed to be off limits to him? This does not stop Jojo from gradually getting close to Elsa. Besides, why even worry about pleasing those that humiliated him and labeled him weak and undisciplined?

In a nutshell, Jojo Rabbit is both wicked and whimsical in its quirkiness that sticks its tongue out at the festering corrosion of destructive intolerance. Both Davis and McKenzie are superb as the pair of youngsters served up as the sacrificial lambs of innocence within the brutality of Hitler’s Germany, while Johansson is steadfast as the motherly spirit that serves as the lone symbolic thread of decency. Rockwell delivers another strong performance, providing the firepower of head-scratching fanaticism as a Nazi fueled by his beastly banality. Supporting roles from the likes of Rebel Wilson (“ The Hustle ”), Archie Yates, and Stephen Merchant (“ Fighting With My Family ”) round out this subversive comedy by adding some well placed levity.

There is no denying Waititi’s irreverent hand behind the punch of Jojo Rabbit . His on-screen simpleton Hitler portrayal and off-screen dynamics (directing, writing and producing) deliver a motivating romp that is deepened in its salient commentary about depravity at its absolute worst. In the hands of anyone else, it’s hard to imagine the film being as good.

Tagged: boy , friend , Hitler , nationalism , Nazi , satire , WWII

Frank Ochieng has been an online movie reviewer for various movie outlets throughout the years before coming on board at CMC. Previously, Frank had been a film critic for The Boston Banner (now The Bay State Banner) urban newspaper and had appeared on Boston's WBZ NewsRadio 1030 AM for an 11-year run as a recurring media commentator/panelist on the "Movie/TV Night" overnight broadcasts. He is a member of the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) and the Internet Film Critics Society (IFCS). Frank is a graduate of Suffolk University in the historic section of Boston's Beacon Hill.

Movie Review: Hooking Up (2020) Movie Review: I Still Believe (2020) Movie Review: Spenser Confidential (2020) Movie Review: Cane River (1982) Movie Review: The Assistant (2020) Movie Review: American Woman (2019) Movie Review: Charlie’s Angels (2019)

Privacy Policy | About Us

 |  Log in

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

• DVD & Streaming

Jojo Rabbit

• Comedy , Drama , War

Content Caution

In Theaters

• October 18, 2019
• Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo; Thomasin McKenzie as Elsa; Scarlett Johansson as Rosie; Taika Waititi as Adolf; Sam Rockwell as Captain Klenzendorf; Rebel Wilson as Fraulein Rahm; Alfie Allen as Finkel; Stephen Merchant as Deertz; Archie Yates as Yorki

Home Release Date

• February 18, 2020
• Taika Waititi

Distributor

• Fox Searchlight

Movie Review

Childhood is a time of strong, focused passions. We find something to love—cars or Minecraft , Tolkien or BTS—and love it nearly to the point of obsession.

Jojo? He loves Adolph Hitler.

This wasn’t, perhaps, all that unusual in Nazi Germany. Lots of kids were gaga over the German chancellor at the time—in a furor for the Führer, you might say. The Beatles-like reception he received from youth offers ample proof of that. But Jojo takes it a step farther. He would like nothing more than to be Adolf’s BFF. So much so that the fascist dictator has become something like the boy’s inner alter ego: an imaginary friend with a penchant for narrow mustaches, military outfits and frenetic little pep talks.

When Jojo frets about people making fun of him, for instance, Adolph reminds the boy that people made fun of him, too. He still recalls the mockery: “Oh, look at that psycho,” they’d say. He’s going to kill us all!”

Oh, and then there’s the rabid anti-Semitism, of course. But again, most of Germany was enveloped with that. Jojo’s convinced that Jews aren’t people at all, but demons —complete with horns and possibly scales.

But Jojo’s drive to become Hitler’s most trusted confidante takes a turn south when he suffers a mishap with a live grenade during Nazi youth camp. Now, at the tender age of 10, he’s saddled with a half-crippled leg and a network of scars on his face.

Rosie, Jojo’s resourceful mother, isn’t about to let her son sit around and feel sorry for himself. So she introduces the boy to the local Nazi party and has him doing odd jobs around town—delivering mail, gluing up posters, that sort of thing. And while Jojo would much rather be doing something more spectacular for the Nazi cause, it does keep him busy.

But not busy enough, perhaps.

One day, Jojo returns home and thinks that he’s alone in the house—until he hears a weird noise upstairs. He walks up the stairs to explore, into his dead sister’s room and … hey, what’s that weird seam along the wall?

He feels along the seam, pulls out his official Nazi Youth knife out and begins to work at it. He pulls part of the wall out … and finds a secret cupboard behind it. There’s a bed. Books. Drawings. And—a girl.

She’s older than Jojo—maybe 17. And while Jojo doesn’t know who she is, he’s got a pretty good inkling what she is: a Jew. Her mother’s been hiding her for some reason. Wouldn’t the local Nazis love to know about this!

But if Jojo tells, it’s not just this little Jewish girl who’d be in big trouble. His mom might be, too. And maybe even Jojo himself.

And maybe Jojo’s just a little curious, in spite of himself. I mean, here’s a real Jew—right there! What might he learn? Like where, exactly, are her horns?

Positive Elements

When Jojo and his mom, Rosie, walk by a half-dozen Jews strung up in the city square by their necks, Jojo tries to turn away. But Rosie makes him look. And when Jojo asks his mother what they did, she answers, “Whatever they could.”

And Rosie’s doing whatever she can. She tells Jojo that she loves her country: “It’s the war I hate.” She hates the Führer’s hatred, too—though she can’t tell her little Nazi son that. So Rosie secretly works against the Nazi regime, most notably by keeping a Jewish girl hidden in her house. She knows that discovery means certain death, but she hides the girl anyway. (It’s suggested that Jojo’s unseen father is also working against the Nazis.)

But she does more than feed and house the girl (who eventually calls herself “Elsa”): She feeds Elsa’s spirit, too. To survive is the key—and Hitler can’t win as long as one Jewish person remains alive. “They didn’t get you yesterday or today,” she says. “Tomorrow must be the same,” she says.

Meanwhile, Rosie does her best to care for her surprisingly sensitive son—loving him as best she can, despite his fascination with Nazism. She knows that the biggest threat to her and Elsa’s safety is Jojo, but she still loves the boy with all her heart and believes that, underneath the uniforms and Nazi salutes, her loving, gracious child still lives.

She’s right, of course. Jojo Rabbit takes the form of a battle for Jojo’s soul—the imaginary Adolph on one side, Elsa and Rosie on the other. And as this internal battle wages in the middle of this very real war, we find that the Germany ruled by the Nazis is not nearly as monotheistic as those on the outside might imagine. We shan’t spoil anything here, but sometimes help comes from some surprising quarters.

Spiritual Elements

Judaism stands at the center of this story, obviously. Nazis manufacture a litany of myths, prejudices and stereotypes regarding the Jews that, at first, Jojo swallows completely without a thought. While some of those lies sadly echo the anti-Semitism we still live with today, others are completely outlandish. One of Jojo’s teachers, for instance, suggests that Jews were the product of a demon-fish union. And at one point, Jojo asks Elsa, quite seriously, where the Jewish queen goes to lay her eggs. One woman says that a Jew forced a man in her life to start drinking and gambling and having “inappropriate relations” with her sister. Other references to Jewish supernatural “powers” are made throughout the film.

Elsa feeds some of these stereotypes for a while (out of scorn for Jojo and in an effort to keep him terrified of her). She even creates new myths, including the suggestion that Jews can read each other’s minds. (She also tells Jojo that Jews don’t get horns ’til they turn 21.) But gradually, Jojo begins to see Elsa as more complex than he initially imagined. They banter over which group has a more prestigious litany of influencers, Germans or Jews, and Elsa closes her argument by naming both Moses and Jesus.

Rosie seems to be Christian. We hear references to the faith and see visual signs of the religion around town, from crosses hanging on walls to the statues of saints standing starkly in a war-torn street. We also hear references to ghosts.

Sexual Content

In addition to being taught that a fish had something to do with the breeding of the Jewish people, Jojo believes that Jews cut off the tips of boys’ penises so that rabbis can use them as earplugs. At Nazi Youth Camp, while the boys are off learning how to shoot guns and throw grenades, the girls are to be taught how to care for wounds and, according to the leaders, to bear children for the Fatherland. “I’ve had 18 kids for Germany,” the female leader proudly says, pointing to her full-figured self.

Jojo contemplates love—scorning it at first. But his mother insists that it’s a good thing—the strongest thing imaginable. And that one day, he’ll feel it for himself. Elsa already has felt it: She talks about a boy named Nathan, with whom she hopes to reunite in Paris someday. Jojo writes a letter to Elsa pretending to be Nathan—telling her that he (Nathan) is breaking up with her and is now “tongue kissing” with someone else.

Elsa takes a bath in Rosie’s house while Jojo sits outside a half-open door. (He faces away from the door, though, and the only thing the viewer sees is one of Elsa’s bare arms.) Rosie tells Elsa that she needs to live and find a life full of adventure, including finding a couple of lovers in Morocco.

Two Nazis appear to be engaged in a secret same-sex relationship (or, at least, one fraught with sexual tension). Though we never see them actually engaged in any overtly sexual activity, one acts rather effeminate, while the other dons makeup toward the end of the film. As part of a last-ditch propaganda effort, Nazis tell their people that both Russians and Brits eat babies and have sex with dogs.

[ Spoiler Warning ] As might be expected, Jojo eventually develops a crush on Elsa. Believing himself ugly because of his scars, he suggests that Jews might have an affinity for ugly things, and shyly asks if Elsa follows suit. When Jojo pouts that he’ll never be kissed, Elsa offers to do the deed. Jojo rejects her offer, in part because it’d be just a pity kiss and it wouldn’t count.

Violent Content

The rabbit in Jojo Rabbit comes quite early—when he and a friend named Yorki are at Nazi youth camp. Noticing Jojo’s aversion to violence, a couple of older boys (in positions of quasi-leadership) give Jojo a rabbit to kill. Instead, he puts the rabbit down and encourages it to run away—but one of the older boys picks it up before it can get away, snaps its neck and throws it into the forest.

During the same camp, Jojo grabs a live grenade from someone and flings it—right into a tree, which it sends it bouncing back at Jojo’s feet. The grenade explodes and sends Jojo to the hospital. (We view the scene from Jojo’s point of view, and see him raise a bloody arm before he loses consciousness.) Evidence of his injuries lingers throughout the rest of the movie.

People die from gunfire and explosions. Dead bodies lie about the streets in the aftermath of a bloody attack. During the Nazi youth camp, a massive scrum features loads of kids wrestling and beating each other, apparently to teach the kids hand-to-hand combat. One child holds a stone overhead while another hollers, “Finish him!” The rock is thrown down out of sight of the camera.

Corpses hang in the town square, and we get a close-up of one’s gray foot. SS officers allude to someone they left “hanging” in their offices.

Elsa keeps stealing the knives that Jojo carries—so frequently that Rosie’s mystified that she can’t seem to find a knife anywhere in the house to use for dinner. Elsa also threatens to cut off Jojo’s “Nazi head.” Fully dressed Nazi youth jump into a pool and thrash about before someone thinks about rescuing them. Someone slaps someone else across the face. Someone’s stabbed in the shoulder with a knife.

After Adolph Hitler kills himself in real life, Jojo’s Adolph returns with a bloody wound to his temple.

Crude or Profane Language

One f-word and about six s-words. We also hear “a–,” “d–n” and “h—” a few times. God’s name is misused about 10 times, thrice with “d–n.” Jesus’ name is abused twice.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Captain Klenzendorf, head of the Nazi youth camp (and later, leader of the town’s Nazi services) drinks constantly—mostly from a flask (which he shares on occasion with his adjunct). Rosie drinks wine. Sometimes it’s in a glass when she’s eating dinner with Jojo; other times it’s straight from the bottle. Jokes are made about being drunk. One or two characters smoke, and Jojo’s Adolph is continually offering the 10-year-old cigarettes.

Other Negative Elements

We hear a couple of references to gambling. Jojo tells a lie.

Rosie, at one point, tries to encourage Jojo to dance. When Jojo says that dancing is pointless, Rosie suggests otherwise. “Life is a gift we must celebrate,” she says. “We must dance to show God we are grateful to be alive.”

A product of New Zealand Director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Thor: Ragnarok) , Jojo Rabbit is a strange little movie. Ostensibly a satire, it’s actually weirder and goofier than that moniker suggests. Few movies would dare try to make us love a Nazi wannabe, 10 years old or not—much less one who cavorts with an imaginary Adolph Hitler.

We find shades of Mel Brooks’ infamous (and imaginary) play Springtime for Hitler here, but taken to perhaps even more outlandish extremes. Hearing Jojo enthusiastically shout “Heil Hitler!” to everyone he meets one bright morning is both incredibly disturbing, blending the innocence of youth with one of the darkest regimes in all of the world’s dark history.

The movie reflects this strange tonal schizophrenia perfectly. We are horrified by some of the deaths and sacrifices we see on screen. Moviegoers might be shocked by some of the comedic feints made toward sex and bigotry. But for all its excess and jarring paradoxes, Jojo Rabbit works.

More than that, there’s a beauty that shines through this dramedy’s inherent darkness and dysfunction. Jojo Rabbit tells a story about the power of life and love and heroism of a different kind—one that embraces kindness and goodness above the things that Nazi Germany valued. Or, let’s face it, what our world often values, too.

When Rosie insists that love is the most powerful force of all, Jojo doesn’t believe it. The strongest thing is metal, he tells his mother, followed by explosions, followed by muscle.

But his mother, turns out, was right. Jojo Rabbit tells us so. Shows us so. And in the end, it reminds us that even in the world’s worst moments, and in our worst, too, we should remember to dance. Because we are grateful.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

Latest Reviews

We Grown Now

The Long Game

Love Lies Bleeding

Unsung Hero

Weekly reviews straight to your inbox.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Jojo Rabbit review – Taika Waititi's Hitler comedy is intensely unfunny

A bullied 10-year-old makes imaginary friends with a cheeky Führer with no hilarious consequences in this schmaltzy satire

I f you can imagine The Tin Drum converted into an insidiously sentimental satire-lite, you’ll have some idea of what this terrible film is like: a pointless Hitler-spoofy YA adventure with a 12A certificate, obtusely accentuating little-kid cuteness and optimism amid the quaintly imagined non-horror. It is adapted from the 2008 bestseller Caging Skies by Christine Leunens and directed by and starring the talented New Zealand comic Taika Waititi , who has written the adaptation. His vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows was great. But this is bland and misjudged.

We are in Germany, or possibly Austria, as defeat looms for the Axis powers. Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) is a frightened little 10-year-old boy, just drafted into the Hitler Youth, pathetically eager to fit in but nicknamed “Jojo Rabbit” by all the cruel little Nazi bullies on a weekend camp, for his failure to prove his ruthlessness by killing a rabbit. A grenade accident at this same camp incapacitates Jojo out of the Hitler Youth, and so he gets to spend his days at an admin office run by Comedy Unthreatening Nazis: Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell) and Fräulein Rahm (Rebel Wilson). At home, he’s chivvied by his protective mum, Rosie (a mediocre and undirected performance from Scarlett Johansson). Jojo’s dad is away at the war, gone missing, and his sister is dead. Yet Jojo’s life is complicated when he realises his mother has been sheltering a teenage Jewish girl called Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic. After a rocky start, the two tentatively make friends: like the mature soul that she is, Elsa sees through his Hitlerite bravado to the lonely, scared little child within.

But wait: Jojo has a second secret best friend – who is doing pretty much the same job of showing us Jojo’s private vulnerability. It is the Führer himself, but imaginary, and played by Waititi. This is a quirky, goofy, zany Adolf, like a drag queen but in men’s clothes (Nazi uniform, in fact), who shows up with 21st-century-sounding quips when no one else is around, like Humphrey Bogart in front of Woody Allen in Play It Again, Sam. So, there they are: cheeky Adolf who is hiding in Jojo’s brain and Elsa, who is hiding in the attic, like Anne Frank. You can have one or the other of these adorable “secret friend” setups, I think, but not both.

There’s nothing wrong with refusing to take Hitler seriously, of course, but this film doesn’t have the passion of Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator or the satirically magnificent bad taste of Mel Brooks’s The Producers . There is something weirdly redundant about it. Jojo Rabbit fails to attack or even really notice evil, and the moments when people are shown hanged in the streets serve only to point up the gluten-free ahistorical silliness of everything else. There are no insights to be had – and no laughs.

• Comedy films
• Taika Waititi
• Jojo Rabbit
• Drama films
• Scarlett Johansson
• Sam Rockwell

Most viewed

10 Movies To Watch if You Like 'The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare'

Be sure to check these movies if you liked Henry Cavill's latest war comedy.

In a dramatized retelling of the events of Operation Postmaster, Guy Ritchie locks audiences in for a World War II piece that crosses the boundaries between the drama, action, heist, and spy genres. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare stars Henry Cavill , Alan Richson , Alex Pettyfer , Eiza González , Babs Olusanmokun , Henry Golding , and Hero Fiennes Tiffin as the special forces unit privately sanctioned by Prime Minister Winston Churchill ( Rory Kinnear ) to destroy the depot ships supplying the deadly German U-Boats off the coast of Africa. Their mission was completely secret except to Churchill and military officials Ian Fleming ( Freddie Fox ) and Brigadier Gubbins ( Cary Elwes ).

Like most other historical movies, Ministry takes obvious fictional liberties with the true story and characters that would go on to inspire the inception of James Bond. However, audiences who appreciate either Ritchie's style, Cavill's leading essence, or just a downright satisfying war film that lightens the genre's cinematic tone will find enjoyable experiences streaming these similar titles. These movies hit the same notes as Ministry , making them ideal for fans of Ritchie's latest effort.

10 'The Guns of Navarone' (1961)

Directed by j. lee thompson.

One of Hollywood's greatest espionage tales of World War II, The Guns of Navarone has its roots in historical context . Gregory Peck stars as American Captain Keith Mallory as he joins a team of Allied fighters, ultimately leading them to destroy German guns on the Greek Island of Navarone and free some 2,000 trapped British soldiers.

Like the crew in Ungentlemanly Warfare , Mallory's squad is tasked with doing the impossible to turn the tides of the war by infiltrating a Nazi-occupied island with weapons capable of terrible destruction. The Guns of Navarone was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. For fans of Ritchie's latest movie, this Gregory Peck-led film is a foundational watch for the World War II espionage genre.

Watch on Netflix

9 'The King's Man' (2021)

Directed by matthew vaughn.

A divisive pick among critics and audiences, The King's Man serves up action, espionage, and war on a 131-minute platter. This prequel set in Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman universe takes audiences to the beginning of the Kingsman agency when Orlando Oxford ( Ralph Fiennes ) trains the first round of agents to take down some of history's most notorious tyrants and criminals before they launch a war on millions.

The King's Man fits in with the Ungentlemanly Warfare viewer not only for its linguistic title play but also for its warfare action that differs from the standards of the drama category of the genre. Vaughn and Ritchie's filmmaking styles are different, but they cater to the same set of viewers with their musical timing and flair for dramatics. Both movies are irreverent, stylized, and explosive , offering a new take on the usually by-the-numbers war genre.

The King's Man

*Availability in US

Not available

8 'Jojo Rabbit' (2019)

Directed by taika waititi.

The six-time Oscar-nominated film Jojo Rabbit is a masterful installation in the World War II genre by director Taika Waititi . Jojo ( Roman Griffin Davis ) is a 10-year-old boy swept up in the propaganda of the Hitler Youth, so much so that his imaginary friend is Hitler (Waititi) himself. It isn't until he discovers his mother has hidden a Jewish girl in their home that he begins to question everything he believes in.

A hands-on approach to this film, not only did Waititi direct and star in it, but he also wrote the screenplay about the atrocities of World War II as told through the eyes of a child . While playful, Jojo Rabbit and Ungentlemanly Warfare never let the audiences forget the severity of the situation these characters find themselves in. Waititi's filmmaking style will certainly appeal to audiences who appreciate Ritchie's approach .

Jojo Rabbit

7 'the italian job' (2003), directed by f. gary gray.

For more team-up/getting-the-band-back-together action, The Italian Job matches Ungentlemanly Warfare in its utilization of a cast of characters cohesively working as one unit. A remake of the 1969 Michael Caine -led feature , the 2000s film stars Mark Wahlberg as Charlie Croker as he leads his disbanded group of thieves on one last heist to rob the man who betrayed them. The action-packed remake includes Charlize Theron , Donald Sutherland , Edward Norton , and Jason Statham .

While it's not a war movie, The Italian Job parallels Ungentlemanly Warfare as each character has a specialty role conducive to the operation , each working in sync with the other, ebbing and flowing as the plan evolves. By the end of the historical action feature, Ungentlemanly Warfare is, in fact, a comedic heist story, making The Italian Job a worthy watch for the same audience.

Watch on Paramount+

6 'The Hunt for Red October' (1990)

Directed by john mctiernan.

A dark Cold War submarine tale, The Hunt for Red October is a page-to-screen adaptation that will surely thrill Ungentlemanly Warfare audiences. The film stars the iconic Sean Connery as Soviet submarine Captain Marko Ramius and follows the CIA and American military race to determine if Ramius's sudden move to head to the United States in an undetectable sub is an act of war or a sign of defection.

This Oscar-winning feature is certainly a top contender when it comes to the best Cold War movies of all time. The Hunt for Red October is the procedural side of the warfare genre , where audiences spend time inside the intelligence rooms and the character psyche instead of on the battlefield. This feature will lure Ungentlemanly Warfare 's audience with the evolution of submarine warfare that plagued the Allies during World War II. It might be light on humor, but it more than makes up for it with tension.

The Hunt for Red October (1990)

5 'the great escape' (1963), directed by john sturges.

Instead of sneaking into Nazi-occupied territory, The Great Escape is all about breaking out of prison . Steven McQueen stars as Captain Virgil Hilts, an American soldier imprisoned in a German POW camp during World War II. Determined to free himself and his newfound friend, British Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett ( Richard Attenborough ), Hilts hatches a plan to outsmart their captors and escape.

Much like Ungentlemanly Warfare , The Great Escape is a slow build inspired by the true events of March 1944 , when 76 prisoners tunneled out of the German camp Stalag Luft III. This timeless Hollywood classic contains elements of grandeur and cinematic liberty in its retelling–like Ungentlemanly Warfare— of some of World War II's most harrowing efforts of survival.

The Great Escape

4 'the man from u.n.c.l.e.' (2015), directed by guy ritchie.

For more historical action and adventure from Guy Ritchie and Henry Cavill, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. presents audiences with an underrated Cold War feature. Cavill stars as CIA agent Napoleon Solo as he's forced to partner with a KGB agent, Illya Kuryakin ( Armie Hammer ), to take down a criminal operation whose plan is to use a nuclear weapon to demolish the fragile relationship between the United States and Russia.

The modern feature is based on the 1964 drama starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum . Ungentlemanly Warfare audiences will appreciate this earlier installation in the Ritchie-Cavill resume because of Cavill's ability to play a rogue agent who, while good at his job, has unique methods of madness for getting the task done. The tailored action sequences paired with the right dialogue make The Man From U.N.C.L.E. an obvious choice for the shared viewership.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

3 'tinker tailor soldier spy' (2011), directed by tomas alfredson.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a compelling Oscar-nominated feature that depicts the isolating truths of war. In this Cold War-era thriller, audiences of Ungentlemanly Warfare will enjoy a spy thriller from another acclaimed British author, John le Carré . Gary Oldman stars as retired MI6 espionage specialist George Smiley as he's called back to the agency to uncover a Soviet spy funneling British Intelligence secrets to the Russians in the 1970s.

Although they occur during different eras, Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy and Ungentlemanly Warfare converge for audiences in the spy thriller genre. Ungentlemanly Warfare 's Majorie's (Eiza González) journey is a heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat experience as she attempts to seduce Luhr ( Til Schweiger ), extracting and distracting so that the plan may survive. Smiley's journey is quite the opposite, as he must avoid the seduction of "trusted" colleagues and agents to determine who the mole is. It's an interesting dichotomy that makes for a complex yet satisfying double feature.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

2 'das boot' (1981), directed by wolfgang petersen.

One of the best movies of the 1980s and a six-time Oscar nominee, Das Boot features a look inside one of the dreaded World War II German U-boats Britain was desperate to stop. In this psychological thriller, the crew battles raging storms inside and outside the submarine while their supplies dwindle alongside their mental resolve.

Throughout Ungentlemanly Warfare , the German U-Boats are the ominous hunters of the Nazi regime, halting the United States from entering the war. As one of the best World War II movies , Das Boot takes audiences below the depths and into the psyche of the German soldiers operating the stalking submarines. While a much darker watch than Guy Ritchie's newest film, Das Boot provides the viewers with the perspective of exactly what was at stake should Operation Postmaster fail .

Rent on Amazon

1 'Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Directed by quentin tarantino.

With quite a star-studded cast, Inglourious Basterds is Quentin Tarantino 's World War II masterpiece. Nominated for eight Oscars, the film takes place in Nazi-occupied France where Allied officer Lt. Aldo Raine ( Brad Pitt ) leads a team of Jewish soldiers on their quest for revenge against the Nazis, ultimately uniting with German actress and undercover agent Bridget von Hammersmark ( Diane Kruger ) on her crusade to take down the Third Reich.

In his signature style, Tarantino's WWII installment is far more violent than Ungentlemanly Warfare ; however, both films take a theatrical approach to one of the darkest moments in history . It's a multi-genre war film dabbling in historical context and a good old-fashioned spy flick. Whereas Inglourious Basterds is entirely fictional in its A-plot, Ungentlemanly Warfare is rooted in a real-life mission. Both movies add heightened dramatization with their comedic elements and expressive performances.

Inglourious Basterds

NEXT: The 10 Most Underrated World War II Movies, Ranked

‘Jojo Rabbit’s’ Archie Yates, Nadine Marshall, Anna Wilson-Jones Lead Coming-of-Age Drama ‘Clout’ (EXCLUSIVE)

By Naman Ramachandran

Naman Ramachandran

• Intimacy Coordination Included in Actors’ Contracts by Indian Producer Prerna Arora (EXCLUSIVE) 6 hours ago
• Jeffrey Archer Teams With Dream Bay Entertainment for International Adaptations of Bestselling Books 7 hours ago
• ‘Jackie Chan Adventures,’ ‘Men in Black’ on the Slate as Sony Strikes Pakistan Deal With Streamer Begin (EXCLUSIVE) 11 hours ago

Archie Yates , breakout star of Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit,” leads debutant Jordan Murphy Doidge’s coming-of-age drama “Clout | A Cautionary Tale.”

Yates scored a nomination at the Critics Choice Awards in the best young actor/actress category for “ Jojo Rabbit .” In “Clout,” co-written by Tom Duthie, Tristam Thomas and Doidge, Yates plays boarding school teen Oskar who meets a tragic turn while proving himself in a bid for online fame. The script aims to be a hard-hitting social commentary that tackles hot-button issues like cyberbullying, viral obsession, and the erosion of truth in the digital sphere.

Popular on Variety

The film is produced by Francis Chapman (Sundance winner “In The Summers”) for U.K.-based Pimlico Pictures. Principal photography has commenced and the script is being shot in both short and feature-length versions.

Doidge said: “‘Clout’ is a contemporary fable woven with a cautionary thread, a nostalgic nod to the literature and cinema that captivated my imagination growing up. Our film is poised to prompt audiences to evaluate their own relationship with social media. Immense effort has been dedicated to crafting chemistry amongst the cast, ensuring genuine camaraderie that prioritises real moments over performative focus. Collaborating with Nadine and Anna has been a blessing; they have provided massive support to the boys with care and consideration. Reaching this stage in the journey has been an exhilarating experience.”

Yates is represented by CAA and Atwell Artist Management, Marshall by Hamilton Hodell, Wilson-Jones by Conway van Gelder Grant and Leakey by Osbrink Talent Agency and The Artists Partnership.

More From Our Brands

American aquarium say it’s ok for dudes to cry in new song ‘crier’, ultimate homes: inside a $58 million bel air estate that comes with its own designer fragrance, uab players joining athletes.org means time for labor law refresher, be tough on dirt but gentle on your body with the best soaps for sensitive skin, live with kelly and mark vet announces retirement from abc, verify it's you, please log in.

• Stranger Things Season 5
• Deadpool and Wolverine
• The Batman 2
• Spider-Man 4
• Yellowstone Season 6
• Fallout Season 2
• The Last of Us Season 2
• Entertainment

Like Inglourious Basterds? Then watch these three WWII movies right now

Does anyone else really make movies like Quentin Tarantino ? In addition to making some of the best movies of the past 30 years, Tarantino has also become well-known for his signature style, one that many have tried and failed to replicate. While not every Tarantino project is created equal, each of them is both deliriously violent and somehow also really funny, and it’s that combination, along with his directorial flair, that has made him one of the most beloved modern directors.

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Sisu (2022), das boot (1981).

Many consider  Inglourious Basterds , his film about a Jewish-American battalion of Allied soldiers who hunt Nazis during World War II, to be among his best work. Like Guy Ritchie’s new film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare , these three World War II movies have a similar tone and are also great in their own different ways.

Whereas  Inglourious Basterds  imagines a world where Jews are able to take some semblance of revenge on the Nazis,  Jojo Rabbit  tells the story of a young Nazi who has been totally indoctrinated by the propaganda that has been impossible to escape. He imagines a comic version of Hitler, and comes across a number of destitute and ineffective Nazi officers.

• Like Boy Kills World? Then watch these 3 extreme action movies now
• Like Netflix’s hit series Dead Boy Detectives? Then watch these 3 shows right now
• 3 Hulu movies you need to stream this weekend (April 26-28)

Ultimately, Jojo meets a young Jewish girl, and begins to understand that everything he’s learned about Jews is wrong.  Jojo Rabbit  strikes a delicate balance between satire and deadly serious subject matter, but it’s a balance that most people thought worked.

Jojo Rabbit is streaming on Fubo .

Although Sisu  is much more explicitly an action movie  than  Inglourious Basterds , the two share a certain delight at the idea of Nazis getting completely annihilated.  Sisu  tells the story of a man living in a remote corner of Finland who encounters a Nazi battalion near the end of World War II. When those Nazis decide to steal his gold, they come to realize that they have stolen gold from the wrong person.

Sisu  is a brutal, violent action movie, but one that picks exactly the right target and knows how to shoot its acts of violence so that they have as much impact as possible. It’s not a very subtle movie, but then neither is  Inglourious Basterds. 

Sisu is streaming on Starz .

A realistic look at life as a member of a submarine crew, Das Boot  follows one such crew in a German submarine during World War II. The movie’s rhythm is one of prolonged boredom punctuated by major acts of action the second a battle breaks out or something is found to be wrong with the vessel.

While German officers are often depicted as ruthless and efficient,  Das Boot  focuses on a submarine captain who seems to be struggling to maintain his own motivation as the situation on board his vessel becomes more and more dire. It’s a brilliant movie about the monotony of war, and deeply unusual for a World War II film.

Das Boot is streaming on Fubo .

Editors' Recommendations

• The 10 most popular movies on Netflix right now
• 7 great free action movies you should stream right now
• Like Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout show? Then watch three shows and movies starring Ella Purnell
• The best sci-fi movies on Max right now
• 3 underrated Netflix movies you should watch this weekend (April 26-28)

What are you watching this weekend? All eyes will be on Zendaya as her new tennis film, Challengers, opens in theaters. The romantic thriller featuring a seductive love triangle will likely be the top film at the weekend box office. If you plan to stay home, Anyone but You, the hit rom-com starring Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney, is now streaming on Netflix. Additionally, Monkey Man and Arthur the King are available for purchase on demand.

Not every film this weekend will cost money. You can check out the thousands of free movies with ads on FAST services including Tubi and Pluto TV. Check out our list of three films that you can watch for free this weekend. Our picks include a cult classic from the 1980s, an underrated sports drama from the early 2000s, and a revolutionary 1970s horror film. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Netflix couldn't have asked for a better late April gift than the streaming premiere of Anyone But You. Thanks to Netflix's deal with Sony, 2024's blockbuster rom-com is already on top of the list of the most popular movies on Netflix, leaving Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver in second place. But things could be much worse for Rebel Moon – Part Two, which is performing well a week after its debut.

The other new addition for the week is King Richard, a sports drama starring Will Smith that's appearing on loan from Warner Bros. Discovery. It's also one of Netflix's top movies of the week, which suggests that the film may find sustained popularity on this platform that it didn't get on Max.

Horror movies once had a reputation for being “dumb” films, but the world hasn’t viewed the genre that way for a long time. And whether you’re a fan of psychological thrills, slashers, ghost stories, or any other niche within the bigger pond, one of the best places to catch a horror flick is on Amazon Prime Video. 

Several times per year, we comb through the archives of Prime Video to handpick the best genre titles worth watching. Our criteria is pretty tough too, as we don’t want our readers watching the same cookie-cutter genre pics again and again. Still, we do our best to spotlight a handful of classics. 

• Cast & crew

The Story of Tom and Jerry

Tom Boy and Jerry Rabbit Goes to School, Evil Dr. Zoo Turns Tom Boy and Jerry Rabbit Into Cat and Mouse Tom Boy and Jerry Rabbit Goes to School, Evil Dr. Zoo Turns Tom Boy and Jerry Rabbit Into Cat and Mouse Tom Boy and Jerry Rabbit Goes to School, Evil Dr. Zoo Turns Tom Boy and Jerry Rabbit Into Cat and Mouse

• Darrell Van Citters
• Pierce Gagnon

• Merlin the Fish

• Dr. Zoo's Parrot
• Jerry Rabbit
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Connections Spoofs Fish N Chips: The Movie (2013)
• July 23, 2024 (United States)
• United States
• Tom and Jerry Show Movie - The Origin of Tom the Human Boy Become Cat and Jerry the Rabbit Become Mouse
• Warner Bros. Animation
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 37 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed