The Oscar-winning film “The Zone of Interest,” directed by Jonathan Glazer, has become the most-watched movie on Max, just four days after its arrival on the platform, according to FlixPatrol. The film has surpassed other popular titles such as “Wonka” and “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.”
Co-produced between the United Kingdom, US, and Poland, the drama stars Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller. It received five nominations for the Academy Awards, winning two: Best International Feature and Best Sound.
In addition to the acclaim from the Academy, the movie won the Grand Prix at Cannes and three British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film Not in the English Language. It was also named one of the top five international films of 2023 by the National Board of Review.
What is “The Zone of Interest” about?
Glazer adapted the screenplay from the 2014 novel by Martin Amis. The movie focuses on the life of Rudolf Höss (Friedel), one of the commandants of Auschwitz, his wife, Hedwig (Hüller), nicknamed Hedy; and their three daughters and two sons.
While the story is fictionalized, the Hösses did exist. Glazer, who started developing the movie in 2014, conducted extensive research on the family. The film centers mostly on the domestic life of the family and was filmed with hidden cameras.
However, one of the most chilling aspects of the movie is the sound, which includes screams, gunshots, dogs barking, and more, serving as a reminder of the tragedy that occurs behind closed doors. Many critics have praised this, with Sean O’Hagan of The Guardian writing: “It is an unsettling film: a study in extreme cognitive dissonance.”
According to Glazer’s interview with The Guardian, he wanted to “make it a narrative that you, the viewer, complete, that you are involved in and ask questions of.”
