Three Reasons We Love JOJO RABBIT
We lieben Taika Waititi.
A delightful Hitler romp is difficult to pull off, unless, of course, you happen to be one of the greatest living filmmakers working today. Enter Jewish-Māori director Taika Waititi. With projects ranging from the goofy (WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS) to the goofy but also surprisingly tender (THE HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE) to the goofy but also blockbuster-y (THOR: RAGNAROK), he’s proven he can handle a wide range of material. But even with this pedigree, he outdoes himself with JOJO RABBIT, bringing his trademark mix of humor and heart to turn the subjects of blind loyalty, prejudice, and genocide into a charming story about love, friendship, and acceptance.
Über-talented cast.
First we’ve got Waititi himself playing a whimsical, naughty-boy Hitler – which sounds like the worst but is actually the best. Sam Rockwell, Alfie Allen, Rebel Wilson, and Stephen Merchant will make you say Third Reich? More like all right! Plus, Scarlett Johansson and Thomasin McKenzie in some of the best period costuming you’ll see all year (sorry, DOWNTON). And last but not least, breakout star Roman Griffin Davis is gonna melt your heart into a big pile of JoJo love gush.
And because Nazis f#&%ing suck.
JOJO RABBIT is really good satire – and really good satire makes us a little uncomfortable. It peels back the layers of something terrifying and makes us laugh in its dumb, terrifying face. And more importantly, it asks us to take a second look at our own potentially dumb, terrifying beliefs. This level of cognizance and empathy, otherwise known as being human, is what separates us from the Nazis in the first place. Who, by the way, f#&%ing suck.
So enjoy satire and don’t be a f#&%ing Nazi.