Film festivals are a great place to get some early buzz on the big movies of the year, and this year one of these titles is Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest, which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
There, the World War II drama not only garnered some of the best reviews of the year, but it already claimed a trophy, the Cannes Grand Prix, which is the festival's second most prestigious prize behind its Palme d'Or (which this year went to Anatomy of a Fall).
As a result, there are a lot of expectations that The Zone of Interest is going to join movies like Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Maestro and more as strong contenders for this year's Oscars.
Time will tell, but in the meantime, here is everything that you need to know about The Zone of Interest.
How to watch The Zone of Interest
The Zone of Interest is playing in select US and UK movie theaters. It is also available to rent via digital on-demand in the US. Find out details on how to watch The Zone of Interest here.
The Zone of Interest plot
The Zone of Interest is based on the novel of the same name by Martin Amis. Here is the movie's official synopsis from A24:
"The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp."
Jonathan Glazer wrote the adapted screenplay.
If you've seen the movie and want to learn a bit more about the history behind the story, check out our Fact vs Fiction: The Zone of Interest feature.
The Zone of Interest cast
There are just two confirmed cast members for The Zone of Interest, Christin Friedel and Sandra Hüller as Rudolf and Hedwig Höss, respectively. Both are German-born actors that have worked primarily in their home country, though some of their roles may be familiar to wider audiences.
For Friedel, his past credits include the Michael Haneke movie The White Ribbon, as well as the crime thriller Perfume and the series Babylon Berlin, both of which are available on Netflix.
Hüller's resume includes the Oscar-nominated German movie Toni Erdmann and a previous World War II movie, Munich: The Edge of War, which is also available to stream on Netflix. Hüller also stars in the other big Cannes 2023 movie, Anatomy of a Fall.
The Zone of Interest trailer
The official trailer for The Zone of Interest is here. It is very minimal, just showing bits of the central family mostly going about their lives, but also featuring quotes from reviews praising the movie for its unique and sharp look. Watch the trailer below:
Here is another trailer for the Jonathan Glazer movie:
The Zone of Interest reviews
We at What to Watch were absolutely floored by The Zone of Interest. You can read in our five-star The Zone of Interest review or see where we placed it in our top 10 movies of 2023 piece.
It's not just us either, as The Zone of Interest was one of the better reviewed movies of 2023. The movie has a 92% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Zone of Interest awards
Here is a roundup of the major awards that The Zone of Interest has been nominated for or won to date:
Oscars
- Best Picture (nominee)
- Best Director — Jonathan Glazer (nominee)
- Best Adapted Screenplay (nominee)
- Best Sound (winner)
- Best International Feature (winner)
BAFTA Film Awards
- Outstanding British Film (winner)
- Best Supporting Actress — Sandra Hüller (nominee)
- Best Director — Jonathan Glazer (nominee)
- Best Adapted Screenplay (nominee)
- Best Film Not in the English Language (winner)
- Best Cinematography (nominee)
- Best Editing (nominee)
- Best Production Design (nominee)
- Best Sound (winner)
Golden Globes
- Best Motion Picture Drama (nominee)
- Best Motion Picture Non-English Language (nominee)
- Best Original Score (nominee)
Critics Choice Awards
- Best Foreign Language Film (nominee)
Film Independent Spirit Awards
- Best International Feature (nominee)
Gotham Awards
- Best International Feature (nominee)
- Outstanding Supporting Performance — Sandra Hüller (nominee)
- Outstanding Screenplay — Jonathan Glazer (nominee)
London Critics' Circle Award
- Film of the Year (nominee)
- Foreign Language Film of the Year (nominee)
- Director of the Year — Jonathan Glazer (nominee)
- Supporting Actress of the Year — Sandra Hüller (nominee)
- The Attenborough Award: British/Irish Film of the Year (nominee)
- Technical Achievement Award — Music & Sound (nominee)
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
- Best Picture (winner)
- Best Director — Jonathan Glazer (winner)
- Best Leading Performance — Sandra Hüller (co-winner; she was also cited for her Anatomy of a Fall performance)
- Best Music Score (winner)
Cannes Film Festival
- Grand Prize of the Festival (winner)
Jonathan Glazer movies
It's been 10 years since Jonathan Glazer has directed a feature-length movie, with 2013's Under the Skin being his last offering. His other offerings include Sexy Beast (2000) and Birth (2004). While he has only directed three movies (though plenty of music videos and other visual projects) he is known as a filmmaker who likes to push the boundaries.
