The Zone Of Interest - Movie Review

The Zone of Interest is an A24 film.

To put it bluntly, ‘The Zone of Interest’ is one of the most harrowing films to be theatrically released in some time. Director Jonathan Glazer’s previous film, ‘Under the Skin,’ has been described as a haunting experience, and the same can be said of ‘The Zone of Interest,’ except its horror lies more in what it doesn’t show you versus what it does.

‘The Zone of Interest’ is loosely based on Martin Amis’ 2014 novel of the same name. It centers around a German officer during the Nazi era, Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), whose family is building a dream life in a new home that happens to be located directly outside the walls of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

‘The Zone of Interest’ is all about atmosphere. The film never actually shows us anything going on within the walls of the concentration camp. Yet somehow, the casual nature of how a family goes about their mundane lives while the audience is fully aware of the horrors going on a stone’s throw away is almost more horrifying than us seeing these devilish acts for ourselves. The Höss family’s home is a nice house. The kids play games outside while the women gossip and the men work. How casually these family members go about their days while wide shots of the home reveal the smoke plumes of the concentration camp ovens just over the wall.

The film creates a lot of its atmosphere through audio. The sound of gunfire, screams, and military yelling underscores the entire film, rarely offering audiences a moment of reprieve from the horrors over the wall.

Verdict

I give ‘The Zone of Interest’ 4 out of 5 stars. It is a difficult film to review because it’s a bleak experience. The film has brilliant cinematography and excellent performances, but it is not for the faint of heart. It left a big impression and will undoubtedly be a player in the awards conversation in Best Foreign Feature if it doesn’t make it into the Best Picture race.