Everything We Know So Far About A24 New Movie ‘Zone of Interest’

Rarely is the story told from the point of view of a family who lives and works with the World War II Nazi regime. The polarizing question of how someone could endure the atrocities that occurred is a tough reality to confront. However, The Zone of Interest has done exactly that.

As this international film has stirred up interest since its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023, where it received rave critical reviews and awards, the anticipation for its release has been building. It’s not only difficult to imagine living in the world these characters call home, but also to learn more about what to expect to see in the movie itself. We’ve gathered all the resources to let you know everything we know so far about this upcoming masterpiece.

When Is ‘The Zone of Interest’ Coming Out?

Though The Zone of Interest has debuted at film festivals around the world, its official release date was set for December 15, 2023, in the United States.

Where Can You Watch ‘The Zone of Interest’?

The film was set for a limited theatrical release and can be found in select locations around the US.

Find Showtimes Near You

Is There a Trailer for ‘The Zone of Interest’?

A24 released its first trailer for ‘The Zone of Interest’ on its YouTube channel on October 17, 2023.

The trailer starts with an ominous synth sound as a mother holds her baby, walking with her dog in a garden. The walled-up courtyard eventually shows a prison wall, as scenes of the family and children laughing flash on the screen. An unmistakable Nazi uniformed man kisses his wife while standing over a small wooden boat. It appeared to be just an ordinary family, going about their day-to-day life, living in extravagance, with fur coats and beautiful parties. It even shows a child holding a flashlight to look at what appears to be Nazi dental gold, a term that refers to the gold teeth stolen from holocaust victims. It’s a terrifying image to display in an otherwise ordinary depiction of a family.

The initial trailer was vague, but A24 released another trailer on December 5, 2023, which presented a little more dialogue.

This time, the trailer shows a family walking in their garden, speaking in German about mundane things. A very real display of indifference to their surroundings. This time, the German soldier is dressed in an all-white suit, displaying some means of wealth and authority. Meanwhile, a couple of children read from a book that can only be described as a diary of a holocaust victim. An incredibly uncomfortable topic for a child to be reading in such a fashion. Finally, images of families and the military appear in a compilation, which makes your heart ache about what is going on around them.

What Is ‘The Zone of Interest’ About?

The Zone of Interest presents a family living in Auschwitz, next to the infamous concentration camp. The Auschwitz camp was used to systematically exterminate Jewish people and other enemies while housing them in some of the most horrific conditions in modern history. The idea of the film is meant to show that people just next door were living a life of somewhat luxury in an ordinary pursuit of success. The Auschwitz commandant, Rudolf Höss, goes about his military duties, all while raising his family and tending to his wife’s needs. All the while ignoring the devastating impact of their surroundings.

Who Stars in ‘The Zone of Interest’?

The film stars Christian Friedel, a German actor (known for his work in the Netflix series Babylon Berlin) who is taking on the role of the commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss. His wife in the film Hedwig is played by Sandra Hüller, a German actress who recently starred in a French film called Anatomy of a Fall. Other actors who appear in the film have yet to be officially announced as we await the film’s official theatrical release.

Who Is Making ‘The Zone of Interest’?

Writer and director Jonathan Glazer has taken on the task of turning this narrative from Martin Amis’s book Zone of Interest into an all-new A24 film. The production company is responsible for some amazing storytelling, including Moonlight and the Oscar-dominating film Everything Everywhere All at Once. This historical war drama could not have fallen into better hands to present this controversial tale.

More Historical War Movies Like ‘The Zone of Interest’

Check out these thrilling masterpieces based on true stories similar to ‘The Zone of Interest’, available for streaming today.

Schindler’s List

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagall

Schindler’s List is a masterpiece that tells the true story of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a German businessman who, amidst the Holocaust, transforms from a profit-driven opportunist to a savior of over a thousand Polish-Jewish lives. What initially started off as greed turns into one of the most harrowing stories of the Holocaust and displays just how much the Nazi regime still needed the Jewish workforce that they set out to destroy.

Watch on Apple TV

The Pianist

Director: Roman Polanski

Cast: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox

Roman Polanski’s The Pianist is the story of one man’s survival during the Holocaust, inspired by the autobiography of Władysław Szpilman. Adrien Brody delivers a powerful performance as Szpilman, a Polish-Jewish pianist navigating the desolation of Warsaw. He is separated from his family during Operation Reinhard, which was a secret nazi plan to exterminate all the remaining Jewish people from the area. As Szpilman dodges the military, he must seek shelter and food in various locations around Warsaw, waiting for the release of the concentration camp prisoners.

Watch on Amazon

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Director: Mark Herman

Cast: Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga, Rupert Friend

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a heart-wrenching perspective on the Holocaust through the innocent eyes of an eight-year-old German boy, played by Asa Butterfield. As he befriends a Jewish boy in a nearby concentration camp, the movie shows the stark contrast between childhood innocence and the realities of war.

Watch on Paramount+