Jojo Rabbit

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⭐ 5.0/10

(Originally written by KathleenQ)

I'm not sure how to feel about this movie. I watched it because I freaking love director Taika Waititi and his absurd genius, and I knew he'd won an award for the screenplay.

It is every bit as bizarre as you would expect from Waititi if you know his earlier work, but it deals with the SUPER serious topic of Nazism in WW2. The protagonist is a 10-year-old German boy (Jojo) who's deeply indoctrinated in Nazi propoganda, and Waititi plays his imaginary version of Adolf Hitler, who's a sort of imaginary best friend. Early in the movie, Jojo learns that his mom is hiding a Jewish girl in their home, and has to grapple with all the opposing values that surround him and the very apparent humanity of his enemy.

It's mostly fun and nonsense until the movie takes a VERY sudden, jarring turn near the end that had me SOBBING at 3am when I was watching it. There is never any real resolution, and by the end, Jojo has clearly changed his views on things, but we have no idea where he's going to go from here.

I don't know if I would recommend it. It was weird all right. Someone else please tell me your thoughts.

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