The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:125
Fresh:80
Rotten:45
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: A touching and haunting family film that deals with the Holocaust in an arresting and unusual manner, and packs a brutal final punch of a twist.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Feb 2, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $9,030,581
Synopsis: Based on the novel by John Boyne, THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS is a wrenching Holocaust story about a young German boy and his forbidden friendship with a Jewish child. Bruno (Asa Butterfield) is... [More]
Starring: Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, David Hayman
Director: Mark Herman
Reviews for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
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 3.5/5 |
We are left in no doubt about the brutality of what's going on there but it's almost entirely off-screen. Still, the film is terribly confronting. Full Review |
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4/6 |
This writer can't remember witnessing a harder-hitting kids' movie denouement than the one that closes this microcosm of middle-class German family life in WWII. Full Review |
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You may get halfway through and wonder why it's getting so heavily recommended here. Once you've experienced it in its entirety, you'll know why. Full Review |
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4/5 |
For me, the pluses far outweighed any misgivings I had with this ultimately very moving film. Full Review |
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The story is passable, albeit a little too manufactured for my taste in terms of its moral lessons, but the execution is so stilted and unconvincing that the experience is uncomfortable Full Review |
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The power of this story and the way director Mark Herman tells it through the innocent eyes of an eight year old boy overcome all the hurdles with its child-like simplicity that clutches our hearts Full Review |
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2.5/4 |
Built upon a powerful but gimmicky end, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas would make a fine short. As a full-length feature, though, the pajamas wear thin quickly. Full Review |
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5/5 |
Click to read the article Full Review |
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Much of the film depends on our ability to suspend disbelief and see the world as Bruno sees it. It has a finale designed to shock. Full Review |
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Click to read the article Full Review |
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7/10 |
The novel was written for young adults and the film feels like it pulls its punches. The final horrifying revelation is still a long way from the painful realities of those days. Full Review |
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77/100 |
When the time comes for resolution, writer/ director Mark Herman suddenly delivers the unexpected; he does not sell out. Full Review |
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1/4 |
Why do the all the Nazis here have British accents? How confusing is that? An unintentionally-comical cross of Hogan's Heroes and Springtime for Hitler! Full Review |
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The picture is blatantly obvious, pandering, and rather insulting. Full Review |
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C+ |
The inevitability of the loss of innocence and tragedy is a heavy burden for the audience to bear. Full Review |
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A harrowing, unforgettable film. I highly recommend it. Full Review |
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C+ |
While effective in spots, the abrupt, powerful ending would have worked better as a short story. Full Review |
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4/5 |
Constrói um desfecho mergulhado em dor e terror, lembrando-nos de que, no final das contas, são nossos filhos quem pagam - e caro %u2013 pelos erros de julgamento que cometemos. Full Review |
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3/5 |
Herman has the unenviable task of presenting a challenging and delicate topic like the Holocaust honestly, while at the same time delivering his tale in a kid-friendly way. Full Review |
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7/10 |
A movie so horrific it haunts your dreams but so fascinating you can't turn your eyes away from it. Full Review |
CommentLatest News for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
March 16, 2009:
An unlikely buddy flick which makes light of the Holocaust. 
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March 09, 2009:
RT on DVD: Rachel Getting Married, Milk Lead Super Fresh New Releases
Home video enthusiasts, prepare yourself for what may be the best week ever! This week you'll have to choose between Academy Award flicks Rachel Getting Married (Best Actress... More...
March 05, 2009:
In no way a fashion statement about sleepwear, but rather a solemnly imaginative political statement about the Germans asleep when it came to exactly what was going down during the Nazi regime. The Final Solution meets The Pied Piper.
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March 01, 2009:
In no way a fashion statement about sleepwear, but rather a solemnly imaginative political statement about the Germans asleep when it came to exactly what was going down during the Nazi regime. The Final Solution meets The Pied Piper.
More...
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