Written and directed by Taika Waititi
Adapted from the novel Caging Skies by Christine Leunens
Starring Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie and Scarlett Johansson
MPAA rating: PG-13 for mature thematic content, some disturbing images, violence, and language
Running time: 1 hour and 48 minutes

by Benjamin Leonard, Best Boy

Rosalie and I saw this one at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) though we saw it at different screenings, we had a lot to talk about afterwards. We both knew the basic premise going in, and thought that it could go one of two ways, cringy or fun and silly as hell. Thankfully, it was the latter. In case you don’t know what the story is about, it is set in Nazi Germany and we follow young Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), his mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) and Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) a young Jewish woman that Rosie is hiding in their house. The comedy comes from the fact that Jojo is so enamoured with Hitler that he becomes his imaginary friend. When Jojo finds out that his mother is harbouring a Jew, he is obviously upset but doesn’t want to get his mother into trouble. There was a hint of cringiness in this movie but it didn’t ruin the rest of the film for me and it would be spoilery to discuss. So I will not do so until the very bottom of this review.