Jojo Rabbit
NZ release: 24 October 2019
Violence and content that may disturb Rated on: 13 February 2020
What’s it about?
10-year-old Jojo, a German boy, looks up to his imaginary friend and hero – who happens to be the country’s dictator. His world is flipped upside down when he discovers a Jewish girl that his mother is hiding in their home.
Told from a child’s perspective, Jojo Rabbit is a comedy set in Germany during the final years of World War II.
The facts
- Directed by New Zealander Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Thor: Ragnarok, Boy)
- English and German languages
- Runtime: 108 minutes
- Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, Grolsch People’s Choice Award (Toronto Film Festival 2019)
Why did it get this rating?
This film game was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.
Violence and content that may disturb
Jojo Rabbit contains violence that ranges from implied acts of war to more explicit scenes, including explosions, gunfire, and moments of physical harm. While the humour surrounding war and violence might lessen the impact for some viewers, others may find the combination of violence and war themes unsettling. Examples of violence include:
- At the end of the film, Nazi soldiers are rounded up to be shot. Nothing is shown but we hear a machine gun open fire.
- A grenade is strapped to a child who is told to go and give an enemy soldier a hug. The child runs willingly, but nothing further is shown.
- During a team game, one child holds a large rock while his captain says "finish him." Another child yells "don't, no, no!" before the rock is slammed down with a loud thud. While no gore is shown, the scene heavily implies a child is killed, and some viewers may be disturbed by how quickly the scene moves on.
- A child snaps the neck of a rabbit. We hear a crunch and see the rabbit’s limp body.
- A grenade explodes in front of a child hurling him backwards. We see blood on his hand.
- A boy stabs someone in the shoulder with a knife, but the wound is very shallow with minimal blood.
- There are two public hangings; we only see the legs and feet of the victims, the rest of the action is implied.
- At the end of the film, Jojo’s imaginary friend is seen with a blood splotch on the side of his head, referencing back to an earlier conversation about how he “blew his brains out.”
- A child is taken away from someone he looked up to very much. It is implied that the soldier is shot, and the child is left horrified.
Offensive language
Words like “f**k,” “sh*t,” “ass,” and “g*ddamn,” are used throughout the film. It includes slurs directed at Jewish people.
When content stays with you:
We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.
