The Most Haunting World War II Film of the Century Will Be Free To Stream Next Month

5 days ago 6

Christian Friedel as Rudolf Hoss in 'The Zone of Interest'

Published Feb 22, 2026, 5:40 PM EST

Chris is a Senior News Writer for Collider. He can be found in an IMAX screen, with his eyes watering and his ears bleeding for his own pleasure. He joined the news team in 2022 and accidentally fell upwards into a senior position despite his best efforts.

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There are World War II films — and then there’s The Zone of Interest. Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar-winning drama might be one of the most disturbing cinematic explorations of the Holocaust ever put on screen. Instead of showing atrocities directly, the film lets them echo just beyond the frame. The sound of screams, gunshots, and industrial horror hums in the background while the Höss family goes about their carefully curated domestic life beside Auschwitz.

Next month, audiences will be able to stream the film for free — and while “free” feels like the wrong word for something this emotionally heavy, it’s an opportunity to experience one of the century’s most important films. The cast includes Christian Friedel as Rudolf Höss, Sandra Hüller as Hedwig Höss, Johann Karthaus as Klaus Höss, and Luis Noah Witte as young Hans Höss.

While Friedel’s Rudolf anchors the story and Hüller’s Hedwig delivers one of the most chilling performances of the decade, it’s the children who carry the film’s deepest meaning. In several haunting scenes, an unnamed Polish girl sneaks into the night to plant food for Auschwitz prisoners, shown in infrared like a beacon of hope in the darkness. Her quiet bravery stands in stark contrast to Klaus Höss, who is shown examining gold teeth pulled from prisoners’ mouths.

How Good Is 'The Zone of Interest'?

Collider’s review stated that The Zone of Interest was a chilling, formally daring Holocaust film that found horror not in what it showed — but in what it refused to. Ross Bonaime stated that Glazer makes the deliberate choice never to show the atrocities inside Auschwitz. Instead, the horror bleeds in through sound — gunshots, screams, the hum of furnaces — forcing the audience to fill in the blanks with their own knowledge of history.

"Friedel and Hüller are particularly excellent in presenting this idea, as they are able to present an air of dread even when they’re doing nothing directly monstrous. Simply their presence and acceptance of their situation makes them savage—they don’t have to oversell their clear nature.

The Zone of Interest, like Son of Saul or The White Ribbon before it, finds ways to continue telling these important stories, but to do so in a way that presents these narratives in a wholly unique fashion. Glazer’s latest fits within his distinct style, breaking down a genre and working with the skeleton that’s left over in order to get at the heart of what makes these stories so jarring."

The Zone of Interest will stream next month on Kanopy for free.