Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Jojo Rabbit is a darkly comic World War II satire about ten-year-old Johannes “Jojo” Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis), a lonely, earnest boy whose blind devotion to Nazism is personified by his ridiculous imaginary friend — a buffoonish Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). Set in 1944 Germany, Jojo’s certainties unravel when he discovers that his warm, fiercely protective mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) is secretly sheltering Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), a Jewish teenager, in their attic. Forced to confront a real person behind the hateful labels he’s been taught, Jojo must choose between ideology and empathy. Seeing the film is an experience of sharp tonal shifts: sardonic, absurd humor sits alongside moments of genuine tenderness and heartbreak. Taika Waititi’s direction leans into satire and whimsy — visual gags, earnest childlike perspective, and a deliberately campy imaginary Hitler — while also grounding the story with emotional stakes and human complexity. Performances are a highlight: the young lead captures naïveté and growth, Johansson brings fierce warmth and quiet rebellion, and McKenzie gives Elsa a dignified, subtle power that challenges Jojo’s assumptions. Viewers should expect to laugh and wince in equal measure, then find themselves unexpectedly moved. The film interrogates indoctrination, friendship, and moral courage without flinching from the cruelty of its historical setting, yet it ultimately argues for compassion as the counter to hate. Be aware the movie mixes satire with serious, sometimes disturbing subject matter — its juxtaposition of comedy and tragedy is intentional and provocative. If you appreciate films that use humor to explore painful truths and leave you thinking long after the credits, Jojo Rabbit delivers a provocative, emotionally affecting ride.

Actors: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson

Director: Taika Waititi

Runtime: 108 min

Genres: Comedy, Drama, War

7.2 /10 58 /100 7.9 /10 7.0 /10