Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Controversial, intense series about trauma, guilt, and love.
Parents Need to Know
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The Tattooist of Auschwitz
What's the Story?
Based on the 2018 novel by Heather Morris of the same name, THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ is a six-part series that recreates Holocaust survivor Lale Sokolov's experiences as the prisoner most responsible for tattooing numbers into the arms of thousands of people at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When the Slovak government begins summoning Jews to report for ‘work camps,' 26-year-old Lale (Jonah Hauer-King) is deported to the extermination camp in occupied Poland. In an effort to survive he takes a job as a tattooist, which offers better food and living conditions, and requires him to work under the watchful eye of the unstable SS Rottenfuhrer Stefan Baretzki (Jonas Nay). It's a terrible existence, but when he inks the arm of Gita Fuhrmannova (Anna Próchniak), he realizes that he's met the love of his life. Over sixty years later, a much older Sokolov (played by Harvey Keitel) decides to tell his story to writer Heather Morris (Melanie Lynskey). Revisiting the past unlocks the trauma he suffered, and reignites his survivor's guilt, but serves as proof of the unwavering love for Gita.
Is It Any Good?
Part survivor account and part love story, this adaptation of the popular novel highlights the complexities of Holocaust-related survivor's guilt while telling the story of a Jewish couple finding love in a Nazi extermination camp. The Tattooist of Auschwitz, like the book, is a work of fiction inspired by Lale Sokolov's memories, which suggests that much of what is presented here is a fabrication of the author. Nonetheless, the fact that it presents a romantic tale against the backdrop of the brutality of Auschwitz-Birkenau has stirred up some controversy.
While it does bear witness to the atrocities of the the Holocaust, it's hard not to feel odd about Lale and Gita's lovebird-like behavior, which seems completely out of place given what is happening around them. This distortion becomes more pronounced as the series progresses, and the amount and severity of the graphic violence being depicted on camera increases. As a result, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is hard to negotiate, making it hard to determine how one is supposed to feel about what they are watching.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the Holocaust. How can we as a global society halt and prevent genocide? Do you feel like there are ways to help as a single person?
How can a story be a work of fiction if it is based on someone's memories? What parts of The Tattooist of Auschwitz are true accounts of Lale Sokolov's experiences in Auschwitz-Birkenau and with the Soviets?
TV Details
- Premiere date : May 6, 2024
- Cast : Jonah Hauer-King , Harvey Keitel , Anna Prochniak , Melanie Lynskey
- Network : Peacock
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Perseverance
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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