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Son of Saul

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Son of Saul

R

Released Dec 18, 2015

1h 47m

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

234 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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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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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

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Jordan Hoffman

Times of Israel

Perhaps one of the most striking works of art about the Holocaust yet made.

Feb 1, 2018

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Dwight Brown

National Newspaper Publishers Association

Son of Saul is a masterwork that leads viewers right to the gates of hell.

Mar 7, 2017

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Son of Saul: Trailer 2

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Son of Saul: Trailer 1

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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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