A film recounting the story of a heroic real-life photographer who risked his life to document one of the most horrific periods of human history has an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The “historically accurate” biographical drama is now available to watch on Netflix.
The 2018 historical drama thriller is set in 1943, at the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp in Austria, where, following news of the German defeat at Stalingrad, Spanish prisoner Francesc Boix realises that nazi paramilitary group Schutzstaffel (SS) would try to destroy evidence of their crimes against humanity.
Assigned to work in the camp’s photography laboratory, Boix convinces his fellow inmates that they must weaponise the camera.
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He begins a highly dangerous operation to duplicate and steal the photographic negatives that document the true atrocities – including mass executions, torture, and visits from high-ranking Nazi officials like Heinrich Himmler.
As the Allied forces close in by 1945, danger gets closer to Boix and the ruthless camp commandant, Franz Ziereis, orders the destruction of all photographic evidence and orders the execution of prisoners who know too much.
Directed by Mar Targarona, The Photographer of Mauthausen stars Mario Casas as Francesc Boix, alongside Richard van Weyden, Stefan Weinert, Alain Hernández, and Adrià Salazar.
The film is celebrated for its naturalistic acting, stark historical precision, and harrowing depiction of the Holocaust – and reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes agree.
One Common Sense Media reviewer called it a “harrowing concentration camp tale” that “lauds bravery and resolve,” while another wrote that it’s “very historically accurate to the events that took place, and there are also very precise details that are true.”
They added: “The actors who played in this movie had an outstanding performance, especially Richard van Weyden as Ricken and Stefan Weinert as Franz Ziereis. In conclusion, great movie if you like historically true dramas; I would recommend.”
Another commenter wrote: “Another film told from first-hand witnesses to the atrocities of World War II under fascist control. It’s important to watch films like this so we never forget what happened (and work hard to never allow it to happen again).”
“I found this film to be very moving,” they simply added.
The Photographer of Mauthausen is available to stream on Netflix.
