What it’s about
In Nazi-era Germany, 10 year-old Jojo (Davis) is an eager member of Hitler’s youth organization, while his mother (Johansson) secretly works for the Resistance. With his father away at war, Jojo finds comfort in an imaginary friend…none other than Adolf Hitler (Waititi), who goads him on in his anti-Semitism. But Jojo has to rethink his beliefs when he discovers a Jewish girl (McKenzie) hiding out in his attic.
Why we love it
Adapting Christine Leunens novel “Caging Skies,” Waititi walks a razor-sharp edge between comic absurdity and heartfelt pathos. The emotions range from pure slapstick (with Waititi himself superb as a buffoonish, unhinged Hitler) to heartbreak. Johansson and McKenzie express deep wells of sorrow behind their eyes. Making cogent points about intolerance and fanaticism through black humor, this six-time Oscar-nominated comedy took home the prize for Waititi’s brilliantly adapted screenplay.
Taika Waititi, Scarlett Johansson, Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin Mckenzie, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen Taika Waititi
