Jojo Rabbit (2019) is the story of a young Hitler Youth member named Jojo. Wherever he goes, he takes with him an imaginary friend- a version of Adolf Hitler (played in all his ridiculousness by Taika Waititi). As Germany begins to lose the war, Jojo must decide who the real bad guys are- all while dealing with the unwanted guest living in his house.

The film is hilarious, and the jokes in Taika Waititi’s signature style keep on coming. Despite this, the film shows life under the Nazis from the perspective of a child.  Jojo sees Nazi Germany in a very childlike, positive way, and is blind to much of what’s happening around him. Despite this, not everything turns out “happily ever after” despite it being a funny film. The film has several mildly inaccurate factors (Hitler wasn’t that funny in real life) but these make sense in light of Jojo being an unreliable narrator. Jojo sees the world through rose-coloured glasses, although these begin to break towards the end of the film.

As for negatives, the film has been critically panned due to its juxtaposition of humour and tragedy. Specifically, some people are concerned the movie makes light of the Nazis. I disagree. The film mocks the Nazis and makes them look stupid, yes, but it also doesn’t hesitate to show that they do terrible things. I think the film is subtle in the way it shows Jojo’s fear and mental turmoil, although sometimes it’s hard to see because he does not comprehend the full situation he’s in. However, this probably isn’t the film you’d turn to if you wanted something educational. It shows the unswerving dedication instilled in young Nazis very effectively, but it also shows Germany as still being clean, tidy and in order long into the war, which is not representative of reality.

Final rating:

Enjoyability: 4.5/5

Accuracy: 3/5

Storytelling: 3.5/5

TOTAL: 11/15 or 73%