You know how, as kids, we used to resort to our imaginary friends in moments of need and despair? What if you were a young German boy during WWII who is constantly bullied and fails to fit in, and your imaginary friend was none other than Adolf Hitler? Well, that’s pretty much the premise of Taika Waititi’s next movie Jojo Rabbit, which, let’s be honest, looks like a bonkers wonder.
Based on the novel Caging Skiesby Christine Leunens, Jojo Rabbit tells the story of Jojo Betzler, a young boy seduced by the ideology of the Nazi Party, who wishes to belong to the Hitler Youth. However, poor Jojo isn’t precisely the type of boy that stands out within a group, something he’ll discover when he attends a special Nazi camp for children. After being bullied and teased constantly by his fellow camp mates and instructors, he finds refuge in an imaginary, and really cartoonish version of Adolf Hitler, played by Waititi himself.
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Jojo’s nationalist spirit will be threatened after he discovers his mother has been hiding a Jewish girl inside the walls of his house. Not only will his newly acquired ideals contrast with his mother’s actions, but his chemistry with the girl will also make him doubt things, putting him in a serious conflict also with his imaginary pal.
With performances by Scarlett Johansson, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen, Sam Rockwell, and Stephen Merchant, the movie is already garnering some Oscar buzz. Besides the quirky plot and the amazing visuals, what’s interesting about the movie is the fact that Fox Searchlight (the movie's production company) has recently paired up with Disney, and this subject isn’t something you’d actually see produced by the mostly G-rated company. As a matter of fact, after a lot of discussion, Disney ended up agreeing to make the film, betting it will have a strong claim during award season and at the box office.
Taika Waititi’s "anti-hate satire," as it’s been called, will premiere next Thursday, September, 5, as a headliner at the Toronto Film Festival. But if you’re not able to attend the premiere you’ll be able to enjoy this crazy dark comedy on October 18. We can’t wait!
