Film Preview: The Zone of Interest (2023)

Film Poster

Page Revisions:

(October 22, 2023) Original
(October 12, 2023) New Trailer (#2) — New Poster (#2)

Release Date:

December 15, 2023

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.”

Poster Rating: C / C

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Review: (#1, C) This scene is featured in the trailer and it’s a lot more vibrant, so the question is what is the purpose of blacking out the environment surrounding this place. The barbed wire fencing is just noticeable enough to be interesting. Yet, the whole thing doesn’t seem well designed to bring in viewers.

(#2, C) The poppy is an English symbol for death and while that’s somewhat fitting for a film set during World War II, it’s not nearly as obvious as it should be and certainly doesn’t look very attractive.

Trailer Rating: B / C+

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Review: (#1, B) Keeping the audience distant from the events in the trailer is a move that many trailers have tried, but few have succeeded at. The hints of Nazism flitting in the background have the ability to reach out to some who seek subtlety, but it’s perhaps a bit too removed from the events of the film to entice the audience.

(#2, C) The slow, methodical shots are appealing in their own way, but for a trailer, they make for a rather tedious effort. That’s especially true when the viewer doesn’t have any clue what’s going on, though they get some sense that World War II Nazis are involved, just not exactly how. It’s confusing.

Oscar Prospects:

Winner of this year’s Grand Prix at Cannes. That means the film impressed the festival judges, but that’s not always a good indication of potential Oscar contention. The film has still built buzz, which means it’s a competitor. Even if it doesn’t make a dent in the overall Oscar race, this is The United Kingdom’s submission to International Feature where it won’t be contending against its chief Cannes competition, Anatomy of a Fall, which France chose not to submit.