Movies About the Holocaust on Netflix

From Steven Spielberg, starring Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall
Rated R

Schindler's List is a 1993 American epic historical drama directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the novel Schindler's Ark by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The movie follows the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film stars Liam Neeson as Schindler, Ralph Fiennes as Nazi officer Amon Göth, and Ben Kingsley as Schindler's Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern. Schindler's List chronicles Schindler's heroic efforts to save the lives of his Jewish workers during the Holocaust. It is a powerful and emotional story of courage, compassion, and hope. The film also explores themes of guilt, redemption, and the human cost of war.

From Roberto Benigni, starring Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Giustino Durano
Rated PG-13

Life Is Beautiful is an Italian comedy-drama film directed by Roberto Benigni set during World War II. The film follows Guido Orefice, a Jewish Italian bookshop owner who is determined to protect his young son from the horrors of internment in a Nazi concentration camp. Guido uses his imagination to transform the camp into a game, convincing his son that they are playing "the most important game in the world." Through their journey, Guido and his son experience the harsh realities of life in a Nazi camp while also finding hope in the power of love and the strength of their bond.

From Roman Polanski, starring Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Emilia Fox
Rated R

The Pianist is a biographical drama film directed by Roman Polanski and released in 2002. It tells the story of Władysław Szpilman, a Polish Jew, who struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto during World War II. After being separated from his family, Szpilman is forced to live as a fugitive in the ruins of Warsaw. With the help of friends, he is eventually able to hide in a countryside attic, where he survives the war by playing the piano in order to keep his sanity. In the end, Szpilman is rescued from the war-torn city by a German officer. The film is based on Szpilman's autobiography and won the Academy Award for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for Adrien Brody's performance.

From Stanley Kramer, starring Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich
Rated Approved

Judgment at Nuremberg is a 1961 American drama film directed by Stanley Kramer, and starring Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Maximilian Schell, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Montgomery Clift, and Werner Klemperer. The film examines the events leading up to the Nuremberg Trials of 1945-46 and focuses on a group of German judges who are on trial for war crimes committed during the Nazi regime. The court must decide whether the judges acted in accordance with the laws of their time or if they should be held responsible for the crimes of the Nazi regime. The film explores themes of guilt, redemption, and justice, and examines the aftermath of World War II and the relative morality of the Nazi regime.

From Mark Herman, starring Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, Zac Mattoon O'Brien
Rated PG-13

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a 2008 historical drama film set in World War II, directed by Mark Herman. It is based on the novel of the same name written by John Boyne, adapted by the director. The film tells the story of an eight-year-old German boy, Bruno, whose family moves to a new home near a concentration camp. Bruno befriends a Jewish boy, Shmuel, who lives on the other side of the barbed wire fence. Through their friendship, Bruno learns about the terrible reality of the Holocaust. Despite their differences in identity, the two boys remain close friends until the very end. The film was praised for its exploration of the theme of innocence and its powerful emotional impact.

From Sidney Lumet, starring Rod Steiger, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Brock Peters, Jaime Sánchez
Rated Approved

The Pawnbroker is a 1964 American drama film directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Rod Steiger, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Brock Peters, and Thelma Oliver. The film is about a Jewish Holocaust survivor and pawnbroker, Sol Nazerman, who is living in Spanish Harlem and struggling to come to terms with his traumatic past. After his wife and daughter were killed in the concentration camps, Sol is unable to move on and struggles with depression, intense guilt, and feelings of disconnection from his fellow human beings. When a young Puerto Rican couple tries to rob him, Sol is pushed to his breaking point and is forced to confront his inner demons. Through the course of the film, Sol is able to find redemption in his own sense of justice.

From Radu Mihaileanu, starring Lionel Abelanski, Rufus, Clément Harari, Michel Muller
Rated R

Train of Life is a 1998 French-Romanian-Israeli comedy-drama film directed by Radu Mihaileanu. It follows the story of a Jewish village in Eastern Europe in 1941. In order to avoid deportation to a concentration camp, the villagers decide to put on a charade. Disguised as Nazis, they board a train and attempt to fool their way to freedom. Along the way, they learn lessons about life, death, love, and hope. In the end, the villagers discover a newfound strength and resolve to fight for their freedom and their right to live in peace.

From Agnieszka Holland, starring Solomon Perel, Marco Hofschneider, René Hofschneider, André Wilms
Rated R

Europa Europa (1990) is a gripping, coming-of-age drama directed by Agnieszka Holland. Set during the Second World War, the film follows the incredible journey of Solomon Perel, a young Jewish boy who must disguise himself as a Nazi in order to survive. When his family is separated and killed by the Nazis, Solomon manages to survive by jumping onto a train and joining the German army. He is soon taken in by a Nazi family, who treat him as one of their own. Throughout his journey, Solomon must constantly stay alert and remain one step ahead of the Nazis, while also struggling to reconcile his Jewish identity with his new Nazi persona. Ultimately, he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and must make a daring escape from the enemy.

From Jan Hrebejk, starring Bolek Polívka, Csongor Kassai, Jaroslav Dusek, Anna Sisková
Rated PG-13

Divided We Fall is a 2000 Czech drama film directed by Jan Hrebejk. It is set in German-occupied Czechoslovakia during World War II and tells the story of Josef and Marie, a young couple who hide a Jewish neighbor in their home. When Josef is conscripted into the army, Marie is left alone to protect their secret from the Nazi soldiers and Czech collaborators. Through courage, ingenuity, and humor, the couple manages to outwit the Nazis and ultimately protect their friend. Set against the backdrop of a war-torn Czechoslovakia, the film is a testament to the strength of the human spirit.

From Alan J. Pakula, starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Peter MacNicol, Rita Karin
Rated R

Sophie's Choice is an American drama film directed by Alan J. Pakula and released in 1982. It is based on the novel of the same name by William Styron and stars Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, and Peter MacNicol. The film tells the story of Sophie Zawistowski, a Polish immigrant living in Brooklyn, New York. Sophie is haunted by her past and a difficult decision she was forced to make during World War II. The film follows her story as she falls in love with a writer and gradually reveals her past to him. The film was a critical and commercial success, receiving numerous awards and nominations, including five Academy Award nominations and three wins. Meryl Streep won an Academy Award for her performance as Sophie. The film is an intense and emotional exploration of the human capacity for suffering and resilience.

From Stefan Ruzowitzky, starring Karl Markovics, August Diehl, Devid Striesow, Martin Brambach
Rated R

The Counterfeiters is a 2007 Austrian-German historical drama film directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky. The film is based on the true story of Operation Bernhard, a secret Nazi plan during World War II to destabilize the United Kingdom's economy by flooding its market with counterfeit pound notes. Salomon Sorowitsch, a Jewish counterfeiter better known as "Sally", is arrested by the Gestapo and sent to the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp. He is eventually chosen by the camp's commandant to lead a counterfeiting operation tasked with manufacturing British pounds, American dollars and French francs. Sally and his team of master forgers are given special privileges, but the price for this luxurious treatment is the knowledge that their work will ultimately be used to fuel the Nazi war effort. As the end of the war draws nearer, Sally's conscience is tested as he struggles to reconcile his identity as a Jew with his loyalty to a system that has enslaved him. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 80th Academy Awards.

From István Szabó, starring Ralph Fiennes, Rosemary Harris, Rachel Weisz, Jennifer Ehle
Rated R

Sunshine is a drama directed by István Szabó that follows three generations of a Hungarian Jewish family from the beginning of the 20th century through the mid-1960s. The story is told through the eyes of Ignatz Sonnenschein, the family's patriarch, as he reflects on his life and the many hardships his family has endured. Ignatz's son, Ivan, is a communist revolutionary who is thrown in jail for his beliefs and forced to confront his family's Jewish identity, while his daughter, Valerie, is a fiercely independent woman who struggles to find her place in the world. The film touches upon themes of identity, love, loss, and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world. Through Ignatz's story, Szabó presents an intimate and nuanced portrait of a family living in a turbulent period of history.

From George Stevens, starring Millie Perkins, Shelley Winters, Joseph Schildkraut, Richard Beymer
Rated Approved

From Costa-Gavras, starring Ulrich Tukur, Mathieu Kassovitz, Ulrich Mühe, Michel Duchaussoy
Rated Not Rated

From Edward Zwick, starring Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos
Rated R

From Lajos Koltai, starring Marcell Nagy, Béla Dóra, Bálint Péntek, Áron Dimény
Rated R

From Tim Blake Nelson, starring David Arquette, Velizar Binev, David Chandler, Michael Stuhlbarg
Rated R

From Volker Schlöndorff, starring Ulrich Matthes, August Diehl, Hilmar Thate, Bibiana Beglau
Rated Not Rated

From Margarethe von Trotta, starring Katja Riemann, Maria Schrader, Svea Lohde, Jutta Lampe
Rated PG-13

From John Daly, starring Martin Landau, Kenny Doughty, Caroline Carver, Judy Parfitt
Rated PG-13