The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Play trailer

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

PG-13

2008

1h 34m

Drama

History

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

144 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

During World War II, 8-year-old Bruno (Asa Butterfield) and his family leave Berlin to take up residence near the concentration camp where his father (David Thewlis) has just become commandant. Unhappy and lonely, he wanders out behind his house one day and finds Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), a Jewish boy of his age. Though the barbed-wire fence of the camp separates them, the boys begin a forbidden friendship, oblivious to the real nature of their surroundings.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics 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.

Read Critics Reviews

Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

A child’s-eye view of the Holocaust, this family film is likely to trigger big questions from younger viewers.

Nov 4, 2022

Full Review

Hank Sartin

Time Out

[Director] Mark Herman knows how to milk the melodrama from every scene, but viewers may feel a little icky about the experience.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

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.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 1, 2009

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

[The film] touches on important questions about the costs of human life and the dangers of hatred in a stirring, heart-wrenching tale.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 7, 2024

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” asks several powerful questions about war, family, and morality. It also gives us a glimpse into a part of our world’s history that is still hard to look at but should be reckoned with.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 19, 2022

Full Review

Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

A valiant attempt to tell a small scale story about an unimaginably huge period in our history, and while it may drag in places, it has its heart in the right place and a devastating ending that will take your breath away.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 31, 2021

Full Review

Read all reviews

Bronson K.

Wonderful film, this film is great though the end can be very sad.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/03/25

Full Review

L S

Absolute low level tripe. Not one bit fo this film is any good. From the acting, the atrociously written script to the woefully underdeveloped story. It was a painful watch, for all the wrong reasons.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/06/25

Full Review

Reese R

This is unlike any other holocaust film I’ve ever seen. Very unique story and realistic in spite of being fiction. I was crying at the end with a fresh reminder of how sadistic the gas chambers were and that so many Jewish people were murdered in them.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/27/25

Full Review

Makenzie G.

amazing story, obviously sad, and i love how it was portrayed through a child pov, showing how children see things so differently and innocently

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/18/25

Full Review

Ryland C

This movie was straight up depressing! I get it’s a film set during World War 2, but they DID NOT need to go too far with the whole “slave” drama happening and it has such an awful ending. Literally the first 10 minutes of this movie was the one thing I enjoyed in it. Charming movie about two friends my asshole! This is a 1/10.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/23/25

Full Review

Francesca E

This movie was seriously depressing. I cried my heart out at the ending, despite what other reviews say, this is not a "warm and touching film." This film showcases only a fraction of World War 2, and that's just from me. I don't recommend watching this movie with kids. :( I would not watch this movie again.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

04/28/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Mark Herman

Director

David Thewlis

Father

Vera Farmiga

Elsa

Rupert Friend

Lieutenant Kotler

Asa Butterfield

Bruno

Jack Scanlon

Shmuel

The Book Thief

50%

73%

The Book Thief

Watchlist

Miral

19%

54%

Miral

Watchlist

Walking With the Enemy

46%

59%

Walking With the Enemy

Watchlist

The Other Boleyn Girl

43%

62%

The Other Boleyn Girl

Watchlist

Frantz

91%

85%

Frantz

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Frantz

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

During World War II, 8-year-old Bruno (Asa Butterfield) and his family leave Berlin to take up residence near the concentration camp where his father (David Thewlis) has just become commandant. Unhappy and lonely, he wanders out behind his house one day and finds Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), a Jewish boy of his age. Though the barbed-wire fence of the camp separates them, the boys begin a forbidden friendship, oblivious to the real nature of their surroundings.

Director: Mark Herman
Producer: David Heyman
Screenwriter: Mark Herman
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Heyday Films, BBC Films, Miramax Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Mature Thematic Material|Involving the Holocaust)
Genre: Drama, History
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 7, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 15, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.0M
Runtime: 1h 34m

Most Popular at Home Now