Overview
A haunting journey through the depths of despair and humanity's resilience in the face of horror.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- harrowing
- oppressive
- immersive
- serious historical viewing
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly hailed the film as an extraordinarily intense, original, and formally daring Holocaust drama distinguished by its immersive perspective, cinematography, sound design, and Géza Röhrig’s performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The camera stays close to Saul Ausländer while the camp’s wider horrors are often registered through fragments and offscreen sound.
The narrow focus around Saul’s face and body with blurred backgrounds denies conventional panoramic presentation of Auschwitz.
Gunfire, screams, machinery, commands, and crematorium activity frequently define the camp beyond the visible frame.
Saul’s attempt to secure a rabbi and burial for the boy’s corpse becomes a desperate recovery of religious and human dignity.
Films like Son of Saul, and why
The Zone of Interest
shared Holocaust subject, historical drama, moral extremity, and immersive formal perspective
The Pianist
shared Holocaust subject, harrowing wartime realism, and focus on moral responsibility under atrocity
Schindler's List
shared Holocaust subject, devastating historical drama, and intimate emphasis on individual survival
The Grey Zone
shared concentration-camp setting, stark visual austerity, and existential struggle for dignity
Movie Details
- Director
- László Nemes
- Release Date
- 2015-06-11
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (1199)
Cast
- Géza Röhrig
- Levente Molnár
- Urs Rechn
- Todd Charmont
- Jerzy Walczak
- Balázs Farkas
- Gergö Farkas
- Sándor Zsótér
- Marcin Czarnik
- Levente Orbán
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Son of Saul about?
- A Hungarian prisoner in Auschwitz risks everything to give a dead boy the burial he believes is his final human duty.
- What is Son of Saul like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Son of Saul as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Son of Saul violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Son of Saul as graphic.
- What did critics think of Son of Saul?
- Critics broadly hailed the film as an extraordinarily intense, original, and formally daring Holocaust drama distinguished by its immersive perspective, cinematography, sound design, and Géza Röhrig’s performance.
- Which films are like Son of Saul?
- Films with a similar feel include The Zone of Interest, The Pianist, Schindler's List, and The Grey Zone.
- How long is Son of Saul?
- Son of Saul runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch Son of Saul?
- In United States, Son of Saul is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
