One of the blackest pages in human history, the Holocaust killed approximately six million Jews, or about two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population before the war. In the years that followed, it has been the theme of several TV programs and films. Eras of filmmakers have

looked back at this chapter to honor the ones we have lost and in an effort to make sense of the hate and fear which prompted the killers to pursue such violence. HBO Max boasts a remarkable library, with movies on every topic under the sun, including the Holocaust. Here are some of the top ones among them.

11. Primo (2007)

Directed by Richard Wilson, ‘Primo’ is a stage monologue adapted from Primo Levi’s book “If This Is a Man” (1947), as he was a survivor of Auschwitz. The movie sheds light on his arrest and stay at the frightful Nazi concentration camp. The adapted screenplay for the movie and the starring role was played by Antony Sher, who wrote it. You can view the movie here.

10. The Commandant’s Shadow (2024)

Directed by Daniela Völker, ‘The Commandant’s Shadow’ is a compelling documentary that revolves around an encounter between Jurgen Höss, the son of Auschwitz concentration camp chief Rudolf Höss, and Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, a Holocaust survivor of Auschwitz. The movie takes advantage of the dialogue between the two individuals, supported by photographs and archival footage, to present the numerous ways in which the times have changed and how they remain the same. While on the one hand, there is a son grappling with the unsettling legacy of his father. On the other hand, there is a survivor reliving the atrocities. ‘The Commandant’s Shadow’ is what led Jonathan Glazer to ‘The Zone of Interest’ (2023), which won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. You may view the documentary here.

9. 50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus (2013)

Following a US President Roosevelt vetoing a bill to provide safe haven to Jewish children from Germany to the US in 1939, Jewish physician Gilbert Kraus and wife Eleanor departed America for Germany and arranged as many as 50 Jewish children out of Austria, finding them new homes in Philadelphia. ’50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus’ chronicles this gripping and inspiring tale through personal diaries, particularly a manuscript of Eleanor Kraus’ memoir and previously unreleased home movies. The film is directed by Steven Pressman, whose wife, Liz Perle, is the granddaughter of the Kraus’. A gripping addition to the thousand acts of heroism performed by human beings at the darkest period in world history, ’50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus’ is a must-see. You may stream it here.

8. The Shop on Main Street (1965)

An acclaimed Czechoslovakian film by Ján Kadár and Elmar Klos, ‘The Shop on Main Street’ is a depiction of the Slovak State during World War II. The film portrays the unexpected friendship between an old Jewish widow (Ida Kamińska) who runs a button-store and a carpenter (Jozef Kroner) who has been posted to replace her in her business. As Jews throughout the town are being deported, the man is faced with a dilemma. Do he obey his orders or defend the old lady who is now his friend? Crafted with subtle tragedy and humor, ‘The Shop on Main Street’ is an emotionally debilitating drama that can be streamed right here.

7. One Survivor Remembers (1995)

‘One Survivor Remembers’ is a brief documentary film about Weissmann Klein, a survivor of the Holocaust, who lost her friends and family and suffered six years of complete horror at the hands of the Nazi tyrants. The documentary includes Klein’s interview as she narrates about her life. ‘One Survivor Remembers’ took home the Best Documentary Short Subject award at the 1996 Oscar and the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Informational Special. You can view the documentary here.

6. The Survivor (2021)

‘The Survivor’ is a biographical drama film about Harry Haft, an Auschwitz survivor. Since Haft has a decent physique, he catches the eye of his captors, who start training him thoroughly to be a boxer. In no time, he is engaged in hand-to-hand combat against other prisoners for survival. Ben Foster is of course always on top of his form as Haft and gives a spine-chilling and forceful performance. Go ahead and watch the film here.

5. The Last Metro (1980)

François Truffaut’s ‘The Last Metro’ is not necessarily a Holocaust movie, but it embodies the theme very clearly. It is a film that takes place in occupied Paris during the Nazi period and is about a woman who must help her Jewish husband’s theater company survive while the latter hides out in a cellar. And there is another fellow whom she meets who, without her knowledge, is “resistant” to Germans. The theater must be used as a symbol of non-violent protest against the Nazis, keeping the Jewish heritage alive. With an illicit romance underlying, the movie highlights the difficulties, frequently potentially deadly, which the Jews endure as the Nazis conduct raids, imposing their anti-Semitic feelings. With a lovely and poignant portrayal of love amidst war, ‘The Last Metro’ was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 53rd Academy Awards, amongst others. The movie features Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, and Heinz Bennent. You may view it here.

4. The Brutalist (2024)

‘The Brutalist’ takes place immediately following the Holocaust and bears the trauma within through the character of László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Hungarian-Jewish architect, who is a Holocaust survivor. He enters America and learns that numerous of his buildings remain intact. Additionally, he is informed that his wife and child are alive but trapped in Europe. His new life as an architect then begins while he looks for a means to retrieve his family. He also, however, has to contend with the trauma of the Holocaust as well as the fact that he is an immigrant. An epic period drama which earnestly reenacts the opulence of László’s new life while tackling the unbalanced nature of the human condition in a foreign land post-war, ‘The Brutalist’ is an absolute must-see. It’s available to stream here.

3. Europa Europa (1990)

The German war film ‘Europa Europa’ dramatizes the real-life account of a young Jewish man who manages to survive by staying under the cover of the Nazis. Kristallnacht occurs on the night before Solomon “Solek” Perel’s bar mitzvah. Steering clear of Nazis en route, Solomon heads back home to discover that his sister has been murdered. Seeing the danger the family faces, Solomon’s father resolves to move them to Łódź, Poland, his birthplace. World War II starts with the German invasion of Poland. Solomon’s relatives send him and his brother to Eastern Europe, where Solomon becomes an expert in speaking Russian. When Germany invades Russia, Solomon conceals his true identity, telling the Germans that his name is Josef Peters, and they employ him as their translator. Embarrassed in his unusual situation, Solomon must make sure he is never discovered unclothed, lest he be caught. You can view the movie here.

2. Conspiracy (2001).

‘Conspiracy’ is a chilling historical drama that explores the atrocities of the Holocaust. Frank Pierson directed the film, with Kenneth Branagh as SS General Reinhard Heydrich and Stanley Tucci as SS Major Adolf Eichmann, both real-life Nazi leaders from Germany. The film takes place during the notorious Wannsee Conference in 1942 when top Nazi leaders schemed to exterminate Europe’s Jews systematically. The dense dialogue-rich narrative captures the eerie and bureaucratic form of the Holocaust, thematizing moral complicity, ethical dilemma, and banality of evil, and at the end, the audience is left with an overwhelming understanding of what took place during this dark period in history. You can see ‘Conspiracy’ here. +

1. Au Revoir les Enfants (1987)

‘Au Revoir les Enfanbts’ is a biographical French film directed by Louis Malle. Told in Nazi-occupied France during 1943-44, the action takes place for the most part at a Carmelite boarding school. Julien Quentin comes back to the school after having a holiday and comes face to face with three new classmates. Julien learns that at least one of them, Jean Bonnet, is roughly his age. For a while, Julien’s reaction to these new students is as unfriendly as everyone else among the school pupils. Julien also wakes up one night to discover Jean praying in Hebrew. Further, he observes that the other boy wears a kippah on his head. Julien finally learns that all three new boys are Jewish, whom the headmaster of the school has decided to conceal from the occupying Nazi forces. Jean’s actual name is Jean Kippelstein. Once the truth comes out, the two boys become buddies, unaware that their blissful existence is not meant to be for long. You can watch the movie here. Read More: Holocaust Movies on Netflix