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Son of Saul

Play trailer 1:44 Poster for Son of Saul R 2015 1h 47m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 230 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
During World War II, a Jewish worker (Géza Röhrig) at the Auschwitz concentration camp tries to find a rabbi to give a child a proper burial.
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Son of Saul

Son of Saul

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Critics Consensus

Grimly intense yet thoroughly rewarding, Son of Saul offers an unforgettable viewing experience -- and establishes director László Nemes as a talent to watch.

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Critics Reviews

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas The Blue Lenses Son of Saul employs the formal mechanics of filmmaking to turn [its] ... questions back in on and around themselves, doing what cinema does best in the hands of great filmmakers: showing by not showing, telling by not telling. Aug 25, 2018 Full Review Dwight Brown National Newspaper Publishers Association Son of Saul is a masterwork that leads viewers right to the gates of hell. Mar 7, 2017 Full Review Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com Important as it is essential, the movie is a remarkable achievement deserving of every honor and ounce of acclaim it has so far achieved, watching it a catastrophically profound experience I'm not soon to forget. Rated: 4/4 Aug 16, 2016 Full Review Brendan Cassidy InSession Film Son of Saul is one of the richest and most personal of all Holocaust films, backed by a stunning central performance and realized by a filmmaker who has an incredibly bright future ahead of him. Rated: A Jun 17, 2024 Full Review Jordan Brooks Vague Visages Grappling with themes of self-preservation and mental stability amongst abject barbarity, Son of Saul packs an emotional punch all its own, while seeking to convey the essence of an individual living in abhorrent chaos. Aug 1, 2023 Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies A difficult, harrowing, and exhausting film to endure – claustrophobic and psychological. But it’s also an intimate and gripping experience and an extraordinary feature film debut from László Nemes. Rated: 4.5/5 Aug 25, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Stephen C Rated R for Some Graphic Nudity, and Disturbing Violent Content. I love a mix of Drama and History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/13/25 Full Review r96 s 'Son of Saul' is as upsetting and unimaginable as you would anticipate a film about the Holocaust would be. It is quite unique in terms of its story and how it's portrayed. It's interesting to learn about the Sonderkommandos, a term I somehow wasn't overly familiar with to be honest. Géza Röhrig is outstanding in the leading role, one that requires some big acting chops given the character doesn't speak too often. How crazy that he, so I read, hadn't acted in film for a few decades up until this. The only thing more surprising is that this is director László Nemes' directorial debut! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/16/25 Full Review Mo H Watching this film is a bit like having poor eye sight, and then sitting behind someone tall in the cinema, so that you can only see 1/3 of what's going on in the background. While the themes are intense and thought providing, I would not recommend this unless you are a fan of long closeups. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 04/06/25 Full Review Ricardo B Ambientado em Auschwitz, durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial, "Filho de Saul" é pesado e difícil de assistir — assim como qualquer filme ambientado durante o Holocausto —, mas oferece uma singular experiência visual, movida por um profundo foco no protagonista e sua experiência no campo de concentração. É o tipo de filme que eu nunca mais vou assistir novamente, mas a imersiva experiência visual valeu uma visita. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/23/25 Full Review Audience Member A masterpiece. The treatment Sonderkommando have received in the decades since the war is disgraceful. I hope this helps with their long overdue vindication. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/27/25 Full Review Alec B One of the few films about the Holocaust that's willing to be an unrelenting nightmare. I'm not sure if I could ever revisit it but I respect that the filmmakers never compromise on their bleak, pessimistic narrative. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Son of Saul

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Cast & Crew

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László Nemes

Director

Géza Röhrig

Saul

Kecske Molnár Levente

Abraham

Todd Charmont

Bearded Man

Sándor Zsótér

Doctor

Marcin Czarnik

Feigenbaum

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Son of Saul

Son of Saul: Trailer 2 Son of Saul: Trailer 2 1:44 Son of Saul: Trailer 1 Son of Saul: Trailer 1 1:50 View more videos
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Son of Saul

(L-R) Levente Molnár as Abrahám in "Son of Saul." (L-R) Christian Harting as Oberscharführer Busch and Géza Röhrig as Saul in "Son of Saul." (L-R) Géza Röhrig as Saul in "Son of Saul." (L-R) Géza Röhrig as Saul in "Son of Saul." (L-R) Géza Röhrig as Saul in "Son of Saul." (L-R) Géza Röhrig as Saul in "Son of Saul." (L-R) Cinematographer Mátyás Erdély and Géza Röhrig in "Son of Saul." (L-R) Géza Röhrig as Saul in "Son of Saul." (L-R) Director László Nemes and Géza Röhrig in "Son of Saul." (L-R) Géza Röhrig as Saul in "Son of Saul." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis During World War II, a Jewish worker (Géza Röhrig) at the Auschwitz concentration camp tries to find a rabbi to give a child a proper burial.
Director
László Nemes
Producer
Gábor Sipos, Gábor Rajna
Screenwriter
Clara Royer, László Nemes
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Hungarian National Film Fund
Rating
R (Some Graphic Nudity|Disturbing Violent Content)
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
German
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 18, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 16, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.8M
Runtime
1h 47m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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