With Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi has once again produced a masterpiece that brilliantly displays his unique directing and writing abilities.
His latest piece, which satirizes Nazi Germany, is only the most recent in a long series of comedies that have mocked racist organizations and authoritarian regimes. If you enjoyed Jojo Rabbit, check out the below list of movies like Jojo Rabbit.
Some are more obviously connected to Waititi’s current work than others, but all of them make light of serious issues like racist attitudes and oppressive regimes.
1. Life is Beautiful (1997)
- Director: Roberto Benigni
- Star cast: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Giustino Durano, Sergio Bini Bustric, Marisa Paredes, and Horst Buchholz
- IMDb rating: 8.6/10
The writer and director of Life is Beautiful, Roberto Benigni, also stars in the movie. Benigni portrays Guido, a Jewish Italian waiter who works in Arezzo, Tuscany.
Benigni’s wife and longtime colleague Nicoletta Braschi play the role of Dora, the companion he eventually marries and has a child with. In contrast to the impending disaster, the opening act depicts a better period.
The Nazi takeover of Italy is shown in the movie’s second part. The relocation of Guido, his uncle, and his infant kid to a concentration camp is also shown. Guido maintains his composure in the face of great hardship.
He explains to his son Giosuè that the concentration camp is a game where failing to follow the rules would result in points being deducted from your score. The prize is a tank for the winner.
The kid is overjoyed and unaware of the threat. Like Waititi, Benigni uses comedy to intensify the grim scenes in his movie.
Additionally, it compels viewers to consider the harm that war does to children and innocent people and how resilient humans can be even in the toughest circumstances. This is one of the amazing movies like Jojo Rabbit.
2. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
- Director: Isao Takahata
- Star cast: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Akemi Yamaguchi, Yoshiko Shinohara, Kôzô Hashida, Masayo Sakai, and Kazumi Nozaki
- IMDb rating: 8.5/10
One of the most popular animated movies on World War II is Grave of the Fireflies. Isao Takahata wrote and directed this movie. It follows two Japanese children at the end of the Second World War named Seita and Setsuko.
A firebombing in Kobe, Japan, destroys their house and kills their mother. The two seek safety with a relative but leave again shortly after. Few bright moments may be found on Seita and Setsuko’s trip because of the sorrow of war.
The movie’s horrors contrast with the few glimpses of happy existence seen at the beginning and when the two kids watch the titular fireflies at night. Many movies like Jojo Rabbit on this list deal with the sharp contrast between happy, innocent beauty and fear.
3. Go For Zucker (2004)
- Director: Dani Levy
- Star cast: Henry Hübchen, Hannelore Elsner, Udo Samel, Golda Tencer, Steffen Groth, Anja Franke, and Sebastian Blomberg
- IMDb rating: 6.7/10
After 1989, a gambler named Jaeckie Zucker had financial difficulty in Germany. In addition to his wife’s unhappiness over his gambling addiction, Zucker has also received threats from the bailiff to pay up or go to jail.
His last option is to use the money his mother had set aside to give to her son before she passed away. The issue is that before Zucker can get the money, his mother wants him to perform a reconciliation with his brother.
The fact that Zucker’s brother is an observant Jew is difficult for him. This is one of the movies like Jojo Rabbit that is daring in its comedy and political content. It also serves as a social record of how other Germans felt toward Jews in the latter half of the 20th century.
4. The Farewell (2019)
- Director: Lulu Wang
- Star cast: Shuzhen Zhao, Awkwafina, X Mayo, Hong Lu, Hong Lin, Tzi Ma, and Diana Lin
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
Cultures, values, and emotions collide in the gorgeously rich, semi-autobiographical movie directed by American Lulu Wang.
The result is a sophisticated, sad comedy based on a real deception about a Chinese grandmother whose family refuses to inform her that she is terminally sick.
As an alternative, they plan a fictitious wedding in China where everyone gathers to say goodbye to the unwitting matriarch. The fake wedding is a hasty burial for a lady who isn’t aware that she’s about to pass away.
Billi, a Chinese-American living in New York with a difficult connection to China, is portrayed by rapper and comedian Awkwafina. She represents the moral and cultural dilemma at the center of this story.
5. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)
- Director: Mark Herman
- Star cast: Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, Zac Mattoon O’Brien, Domonkos Németh, Henry Kingsmill, and Vera Farmiga,
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was written and directed by Mark Herman and is an adaptation of a John Boyne novel. It is about two boys’ relationship in Nazi-occupied Poland.
While playing outdoors, Bruno, the son of the SS soldier in command of a concentration camp, encounters Shmuel over the fence.
They become a close friendship even though neither kid knows the full circumstances. This is one of the movies like Jojo Rabbit that is not comical.
Fans of Jojo Rabbit should check out The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which portrays war through children’s eyes.
6. The Great Dictator (1940)
- Director: Charles Chaplin
- Star cast: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie, Reginald Gardiner, Henry Daniell, Billy Gilbert, and Grace Hayle
- IMDb rating: 8.4/10
As an artist, Charlie Chaplin was decades ahead of his time. In the 1930s, he produced modernist masterpieces like “City Lights” and “Modern Times,” and he swiftly gained recognition as an icon of the genre.
His insight is also evident in this 1940 movie, produced when relations between the USA and Nazi Germany were peaceful.
In the movie, Chaplin plays two roles: one is Hitler, and the other is a Jewish barber who is requested to masquerade as the Fuhrer at a crucial point in the plot.
Chaplin made it obvious that he detested the concepts of fascism, racism, and Nazism in “The Great Dictator.” His anti-war statement at the movie’s ending is still one of the scariest moments in cinematic history.
7. Never Look Away (2018)
- Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
- Star cast: Tom Schilling, Sebastian Koch, Paula Beer, Saskia Rosendahl, Oliver Masucci, Hanno Koffler, and Cai Cohrs
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
It’s tough to categorize this outstanding movie into one category or another. It is a three-hour-long epic story that takes you through the division between East and West Germany, the Nazi period, the communist era, and the emergence of capitalism.
However, more than just being historically significant, it is also a coming-of-age story based on the experiences of renowned German artist Gerhard Richter.
Along with being a romance, it follows his experiences of falling in love and experiencing loss. This is one of the amazing movies like Jojo Rabbit.
8. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Star cast: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, and Daniel Brühl
- IMDb rating: 8.3/10
Only Quentin Tarantino can craft a violent movie with layers of dark humor that make viewers laugh despite their horror.
The movie’s plot centers on Landa, a Jewish girl named Shosanna whom he once let escape from his grasp.
It also centers on a gang of Jewish American troops operating secretly in Nazi, occupied France, and ruthlessly executing Nazi commanders. Waltz and Brad Pitt’s performances in this movie exceeded all expectations.
Of course, the screenplay is the true star of a Tarantino movie, and the same is true of this one. Inglourious Basterds is one of the unique war movies like Jojo Rabbit because Tarantino masterfully blends the story with drama, suspense, comedy, and brilliant dialog.
9. Dark Waters (2019)
- Director: Todd Haynes
- Star cast: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Pullman, Bill Camp, Victor Garber, and Mare Winningham
- IMDb rating: 7.6/10
Starring Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, and Tim Robbins, this drama is based on a real story and is both well done-and eye-opening. Successful business attorney Robert Bilott practices in New York.
He receives a visit from a distressed farmer from Cincinnati, whose cows have been exhibiting odd habits and illnesses.
Robert chooses to take on this issue, which will grow to be one of the largest class-action cases in the country: the usage of carcinogenic compounds by the Teflon manufacturer.
Be prepared to be angered by the excellent performances in this excruciatingly tedious but essential drama that will disturb you more than any other legal movie you have ever seen. This is one of the amazing movies like Jojo Rabbit.
10. The General (1926)
- Director: Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton
- Star cast: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender, Jim Farley, Frederick Vroom, Frank Barnes, and Charles Henry Smith
- IMDb rating: 8.2/10
The General is unquestionably Buster Keaton’s most popular movie, and he is one of the most well-known figures associated with the silent cinema period. In this silent movie, Keaton plays Johnny Gray, a Southern railroad engineer.
Since Johnny is from the South and the movie is set during the Civil War, he is extremely eager to enroll in the Confederate army. He is, however, turned down since he now drives a train, which is a more important job.
Johnny’s fiancée is Annabelle Lee, and when the Northern soldiers abduct her on a train they have seized, Johnny must take all necessary precautions to safeguard Annabelle.
His pursuit results in several amusing circumstances that allow you to see Keaton’s comic talent in action.
11. Starship Troopers (1997)
- Director: Paul Verhoeven
- Star cast: Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Dina Meyer, Jake Busey, Neil Patrick Harris, Clancy Brown, and Seth Gilliam
- IMDb rating: 7.3/10
Starship Troopers is one of the amazing movies like Jojo Rabbit. Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers is a biting parody of fascism and war. People debate whether or not the titular novel promotes fascism.
However, most agree that it exalts militarism, making the anti-fascist, anti-war movie a parody of its underlying material.
In this movie, you witness a future Earth invading another planet and annihilating its people throughout the whole movie.
The movie portrays the director’s ideas on post-World War II America using Nazi-style attire, symbolism, and heroes and soldiers.
This is one of the amazing movies like Jojo Rabbit because of the amusing scenes you get when the character’s progress is hampered by nationalism, masculinity, and satirizing Nazism.
12. Monty Python and The Holy Grail (1975)
- Director: Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones
- Star cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Connie Booth
- IMDb rating: 8.2/10
The members of Monty Python are among the funniest people in the history of comedy. This group has made a mark on popular culture that cannot be disregarded at any cost, whether through their movies or TV series.
One of their most famous works, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” is their second movie and has established a standard for what is achievable with historical comedies.
King Arthur’s attempt to guide a group of people to the Holy Grail serves as the movie’s central plot concept. Additionally, the party encounters several humorous and bizarre occurrences along their trip.
To fully appreciate this movie’s humor, you need at least a passing familiarity with history, philosophy, and literature since they are referenced throughout the movie. This is one of the amazing movies like Jojo Rabbit.
13. Look Who’s Back (2015)
- Director: David Wnendt
- Star cast: Oliver Masucci, Thomas M. Köppl, Marc-Marvin Israel, David Gebigke, Paul Busche, Fabian Busch, and Gerdy Zint
- IMDb rating: 7.0/10
Another German movie makes it into this list, and this time it’s the 2015 dark comedy “Look Who’s Back” by David Wnendt.
The movie opens with Hitler waking up in a park in 2014, not far from the spot of his former wartime bunker. It is one of the amazing movies like Jojo Rabbit.
He cannot comprehend why his surroundings are so dissimilar to his memories. People assume he is an actor impersonating Hitler as he wanders around Berlin.
After seeing Hitler in the background of one of his photos in the park, a filmmaker tracks down the guy and takes him on a journey around Germany, which he records for his YouTube channel.
People marvel at the accuracy of the act and believe Hitler to be a comic performing the part. It’s remarkable to observe the scathing comedy and how Hitler is portrayed in this movie. The movie might have been more politically pertinent than it is, however.
14. Turtles Can Fly (2004)
- Director: Bahman Ghobadi
- Star cast: Soran Ebrahim, Avaz Latif, Saddam Hossein Feysal, Hiresh Feysal Rahman, Abdol Rahman Karim, Ajil Zibari, and Marmar Alhilali
- IMDb rating: 8.0/10
One of the coming-of-age movies like Jojo Rabbit that portrays the horror of war through children’s perspective is Turtles Can Fly.
The Kurdish children who lived on the Iraqi-Turkish border during the buildup to the American invasion of Iraq are the subject of this movie.
It was written, produced, and directed by Iranian-Kurdish director Bahman Gobadi. In contrast to Jojo Rabbit, the movie is sorrowful.
However, while using similar storytelling tactics, including emphasizing children in conflict areas, it educates viewers on the horrors of war. This movie is important for everyone.
15. Strangelove (1964)
- Director: Stanley Kubrick
- Star cast: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens, Peter Bull, and James Earl Jones
- IMDb rating: 8.4/10
Every time Stanley Kubrick entered a genre, he did it with his distinct style. His entry into the black comedy genre, “Dr. Strangelove,” is so potent that it has become recognized as a subgenre classic.
The movie takes place in a fictionalized version of the Cold War, just before America and Russia are about to launch an attack against one another.
One American brigadier has called for a nuclear attack on Russia without first getting approval from the appropriate authorities, which is unthinkable. As a result of the current extreme instability, the US President was forced to hold an urgent meeting in the Pentagon War Room.
Many exciting incidents take place in the battle room. The star of this movie is Peter Sellers. You won’t even realize that one actor plays three parts in the movie because of his outstanding performance. This is one of the amazing movies in Jojo Rabbit.
16. Slaughterhouse-Five (1972)
- Director: George Roy Hill
- Star cast: Michael Sacks, Ron Leibman, Eugene Roche, Sharon Gans, Valerie Perrine, Holly Near, and Perry King
- IMDb rating: 6.8/10
Kurt Vonnegut’s book Slaughterhouse-Five served as the basis for the 1972 George Roy Hill movie of the same name.
It tells the story of Billy Pilgrim, portrayed by Michael Sacks, who goes back in time to experience his time as a prisoner of war in a German POW camp in Dresden during World War II.
The fact that Vonnegut was taken prisoner and detained in Dresden makes this story somewhat autobiographical. Vonnegut saw the Allied bombing of Dresden, just as Billy Pilgrim did. This is one of the movies like Jojo Rabbit that illustrates how war is devastating for everyone.
Even though the story’s principal protagonists are American troops, Vonnegut considers the Dresden bombing a horrifying and unnecessary act of violence.
To emphasize that boys, not men, go to battle, he gave his book the alternative title, The Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death.
17. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
- Director: Vittorio De Sica
- Star cast: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Elena Altieri, Gino Saltamerenda, Giulio Chiari, and Vittorio Antonucci
- IMDb rating: 8.3/10
Italian post-war neorealist movie Ladri di biciclette, which translates to “Bicycle Thieves,” was directed by Vittorio De Sica. The movie follows Antonio as he buys a bike for work to support his wife, Maria, and their two children.
His bicycle is stolen, putting an early end to his first day at work. He embarks on a journey with his son Bruno to track down their stolen bicycle.
Despite taking place in a post-war setting, the narrative nonetheless resonates with many of the same issues as Jojo Rabbit. The period’s struggles are shown through a suffering family and young children.
