Shoah (1985)

Kernel Score: 90% · 217 ratings · Rated NR

Genres: Documentary, History

Released: 1985-04-21

Runtime: 566 minutes

Where to watch Shoah

  • Stream: Philo
  • Rent: Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango At Home
  • Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango At Home

US availability, updated 2026-10-23.

Overview

Director Claude Lanzmann spent 11 years on this sprawling documentary about the Holocaust, conducting his own interviews and refusing to use a single frame of archival footage. Dividing Holocaust witnesses into three categories – survivors, bystanders, and perpetrators – Lanzmann presents testimonies from survivors of the Chelmno concentration camp, an Auschwitz escapee, and witnesses of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, as well as a chilling report of gas chambers from an SS officer at Treblinka.

Shoah parents' guide: ages 15+

Parents need to know that this landmark 9-hour documentary presents firsthand Holocaust testimony from survivors, bystanders, and perpetrators.

  • Violence & scariness: Intense — Extensive firsthand accounts of Holocaust atrocities, concentration camps, and gas chambers from survivors and perpetrators.

Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official NR rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.

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Director

Claude Lanzmann

Cast

  • Claude Lanzmann as Self - Interviewer
  • Simon Srebnik as Self
  • Michael Podchlebnik as Self
  • Motke Zaidl as Self
  • Jan Karski as Self
  • Paula Biren as Self
  • Abraham Bomba as Self
  • Inge Deutschkron as Self
  • Ruth Elias as Self
  • Richard Glazar as Self

Shoah FAQ

Is Shoah good?

Shoah has a 90% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels from 217 audience ratings.

Where can I watch Shoah?

In the US you can stream Shoah on Philo and rent it from Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango At Home.

Is Shoah OK for kids?

Shoah is rated NR. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 15+. Parents need to know that this landmark 9-hour documentary presents firsthand Holocaust testimony from survivors, bystanders, and perpetrators.

What movies are like Shoah?

If you liked Shoah, try Human, Kalashnikov AK-47, The Zookeeper's Wife and Simone: Woman of the Century.