The Zone Of Interest (2023): Light On Story, But By Design [SPOILERS]

In the movie, we follow the lives of Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Höss along with his wife and children as they live what can only be described as the perfect little life. They fill their days with swimming and parties and gardening, all while behind the walls of their home – and just out of frame – some of the worst horrors imaginable take place. 

This film lacks a traditional narrative structure, which is not a complaint – it was clearly a deliberate choice, and it made every moment feel incredibly impactful. I wasn’t focusing on plot, so I instead focused more on what was happening just off-camera. My takeaway here is that we are meant to just exist in that world and experience the hubris of many Germans during that time. We are meant to sit with the discomfort. We are meant to see what they did (not) do, and by extension, feel the desperation and frustration and anger that those being sent to the camps must have felt. This movie will probably not provide you with much new information about the Holocaust, but it will surely impress upon you a different perspective from that terrible part of history.