Fresh
The result isn't a deep film, but rather a profound one.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Lines may divide us, but hope will unite us.
2008 · 1h 34m · PG-13
Drama, History, War
Directed by
Mark Herman
Overview
When his family moves from their home in Berlin to a strange new house in Poland, young Bruno befriends Shmuel, a boy who lives on the other side of the fence where everyone seems to be wearing striped pajamas. Unaware of Shmuel's fate as a Jewish prisoner or the role his own Nazi father plays in his imprisonment, Bruno embarks on a dangerous journey inside the camp's walls.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
65%
Tomatometer
Fresh
Young Scanlon and Butterfield are scathingly effective, never overplaying their roles.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Fresh
In truth, the film is sure to stop the hearts of many who see it. There may indeed be hope in hell, but better to avoid hell altogether.
Tom Long, Detroit News
Fresh
Because its gaze is so level and so unyielding, it stands as one of the better dramatic films made on this subject (although it's not nearly as fine as Louis Malle's Au Revoir les Enfants, in which the camps remain a distant abstraction).
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
Fresh
Although it's told from the perspective of a child, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is as shattering as any film about the Holocaust could be, perhaps more so.
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
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