Loved JoJo Rabbit? Here are 10 similar movies you’ll enjoy

So you watched JoJo Rabbit, got emotionally sideswiped, and now you’re left staring into the void like, “What do I even watch next?” Well, we get it—this wasn’t just another World War II movie. It was weird, bold, unexpectedly tender.

It's a film that dared to laugh while standing knee-deep in horror, and somehow didn’t come off as disrespectful. It balanced absurdity and heartbreak so delicately that you probably didn’t know whether to laugh or cry—and you did both anyway.

Now you’re craving something similar. Maybe it’s that mix of satire and sincerity, maybe it’s the child’s eye view of a world gone mad, or maybe you just like movies that do things a little differently.

If so, here’s a list you’ll want to bookmark—because these ten films won’t copy JoJo Rabbit, but they tap into the same emotional toolkit: heart, humor, hope...and maybe a tear or two along the way.

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10 movies that hit the same as JoJo Rabbit

1) Life is Beautiful (1997)

Imagine being in a concentration camp and still managing to make your child believe life is one big joke. That’s what Guido, the father in this Italian masterpiece, sets out to do.

It’s sweet, silly, and completely devastating. One moment you’re smiling at his clownish optimism, and the next, you’re hit by the grim truth beneath it all. The emotional swing is brutal, but worth it. If JoJo Rabbit taught you that love and imagination can exist even in the darkest places, this one drives that point home.

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2) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)

This film doesn’t do comedy—not at all. But it does something else: it shows how children process hatred and cruelty without fully understanding it. Told from the perspective of an eight-year-old German boy whose dad runs a concentration camp, it’s about innocence brushing up against horror.

When he befriends a Jewish boy on the other side of the fence, you know it can’t end well—but you watch anyway. Because it matters. And because, like JoJo Rabbit, it hits hardest when viewed through a child’s eyes.

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3) Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Okay, let’s lighten things up. Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom is all color, charm, and adolescent rebellion. Two kids run away from home, adults panic, and somehow it all feels very poetic.

While there’s no war, the tone will feel familiar—quirky, offbeat, and deeply heartfelt beneath all the oddball visuals. If JoJo Rabbit made you appreciate how awkward and brave childhood can be, this is your cozy follow-up. Also, that soundtrack slaps.

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4) The Book Thief (2013)

This one’s slower, quieter, but emotionally rich in that same JoJo kind of way. A young girl named Liesel finds solace in books while Nazi Germany crumbles around her—she reads in basements, hides secrets, and grows up too fast.

It doesn’t shout its emotions; it lets them simmer. But that mix of resilience, literature, and understated rebellion gives it a similar warmth. There’s also a soft, poetic narration from Death itself, which sounds grim—but actually works.

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5) Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

Here comes more Taika Waititi brilliance! This time, the setting’s New Zealand, and the enemy isn’t fascism—it’s the government trying to take a kid away from the only person who’s shown him any love.

It’s got wild humor, a rebel child at the center, and a crusty adult learning how to care. The jokes land, the emotions sneak up on you, and by the end, you feel like you’ve gone through something meaningful—even if all you did was watch a boy and his “uncle” run through the bush eating canned beans.

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6) The Death of Stalin (2017)

If your favorite part of JoJo Rabbit was its ruthless political satire, then this one’s a must. It takes place right after Stalin dies, and every Soviet leader left behind is scrambling to fill the power vacuum—with equal parts fear and incompetence.

The comedy is dry, uncomfortable, and pitch-black. But the ridiculousness feels eerily real. And that’s the genius of it—just like JoJo, it makes you laugh at the very systems that cause suffering, then forces you to think about why you’re laughing.

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7) Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

This one’s fantasy, but the horror is real. A young girl in post–civil war Spain discovers a hidden magical world full of mythical creatures and ominous trials—all while surviving a brutal stepfather who’s a fascist commander.

It’s beautifully dark and full of metaphors. If JoJo Rabbit was imagination used to cope with war, Pan’s Labyrinth is the same—just drenched in gothic fairy-tale vibes. Be warned though: this one doesn’t pull any emotional punches.

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8) Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

What do a silent teen, a failed motivational speaker, a suicidal uncle, and a tiny girl in oversized glasses have in common? They’re all crammed into a broken-down yellow van chasing an unlikely dream.

There’s no war here—just family dysfunction and a beauty pageant. But this film’s about resilience too—about failing spectacularly and showing up anyway. While JoJo Rabbit found hope in heartbreak, this movie finds love in imperfection.

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9) The Great Dictator (1940)

Charlie Chaplin made this in the middle of World War II, mocking Hitler before most people even knew what was coming—and that alone deserves a standing ovation.

He plays two roles: a tyrant and a humble barber. The comedy is pure Chaplin—physical, clever, bold. And that final speech? Both dead serious and inspiring, even today. If you loved JoJo Rabbit for its guts, this is where that spirit was born.

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10) Come and See (1985)

No jokes here—just a slow descent into hell, told through the eyes of a Belarusian teen who joins the resistance. It’s one of the most haunting war movies ever made.

So why is it on this list? Because JoJo Rabbit doesn’t shy away from truth either. It reminds us what war costs—especially for the young. This film takes that idea and strips it of all filters. Watch it when you’re ready...and don’t expect to come out the same.

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Final thoughts

JoJo Rabbit was strange and special, and that’s a hard act to follow. But these ten films, each in their own way, carry a similar torch—they show us the absurdity of cruelty, the power of innocence, and the strange, beautiful ways humans hold on when everything else falls apart.