SCENES
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Scene Map 60
# PG SLUGLINE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
INT EXT INT/EXT hover for full slug
Scene Map
60
# PG SLUGLINE
1
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - MORNING We open with QUICK DETAIL SHOTS of a young boy dressing: - a brown shirt buttoned. - badges pinned. - belt tightened.
2
EXT. STREET - DAY With a confident stride Jojo walks down the street admiring himself in store windows. He greets everyone he meets with the Hitler salute. JOJO
3
EXT. WOODS - HITLERJUGEND CAMP - DAY Jojo and Yorki sit with other clean cut young children aged between 10 and 13. CHILDREN (singing)
4
INT. WOODS - GROUP CIRCLE - DUSK Jojo sits in a group of boys and girls. One by one, sometimes overlapping the children call out. CHILDREN Horns. Serpent tongue. Fangs.
5
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT Jojo and Yorki lie awake in sleeping bags under the night sky inspecting their new DJ KNIVES. JOJO Imagine being in a battle, you’ve just
6
EXT. WOODS - TRAINING GROUND - MORNING Jojo sits with a bunch of other kids. Two team leaders, CHRISTOPH and HANS, (17) smoke cigarettes and hold court. HANS When you stand before a Roast Beef-man
7
EXT. WOODS - DAY Jojo sits alone on a log, sobbing to himself. He looks up to see a little BUTTERFLY flitting around by his feet... and then a voice comes from behind. VOICE (O.S.)
8
EXT. WOODS - TRAINING GROUND - DAY The older boys are getting instructions from Captain Klenzendorf on throwing hand-grenades. They stand around within a sort of trench set-up. The young kids sit back, behind the trench at a safe distance. Finkel stands nervously to the side, sort of
9
INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY JOJO’S POV - The next couple of minutes are small glimpses as Jojo comes in and out of consciousness. - Bright lights in an operating room. A doctor hovers over us, we see INSTRUMENTS. A concerned Adolf Hitler peeks in, smiles
10
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - MORNING A NEW JOJO stands before us in front of the mirror. The right side of his face is SCARRED. His RIGHT ARM hangs limply by his side. He wears a simple shirt, he still has his hair and although he is half the boy he used to be, with his injuries he
11
EXT. JOJO’S HOUSE - FRONT DOOR - MOMENTS LATER Jojo’s mother helps him put on his jacket and he catches another glimpse of himself reflected in some glass. JOJO I don’t want to go out there.
12
EXT. TOWN - STREET / RATION STORE - DAY Jojo and his mother walk down the street. As he LIMPS, Jojo tries to avoid peoples’ gazes. His mother enters a FOOD RATION STORE leaving Jojo outside. He notices himself in the store window and from his POV we see the new, crooked and damaged
13
INT. REICHSJUGENDAMT - MOMENTS LATER Jojo enters a large office. There is the usual Nazi Propaganda on the walls and a large SWASTIKA FLAG hangs behind a SECRETARY who sits at a desk looking incredibly bored. Two TEENAGE YOUTH OFFICERS laze about while a couple of other children come and go
14
EXT. TOWN - STREET - DAY Jojo pins up some posters of HITLER in a stoic pose, looking off into the distance. Below him is the propaganda slogan: ONE PEOPLE, ONE EMPIRE, ONE LEADER Jojo smiles at this image of the mighty Führer. He gives a happy
15
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - DINING ROOM Jojo arrives home. JOJO Mama! I’m home. He drops his satchel and heads for the kitchen.
16
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - JOJO’S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER Jojo sits on his bed, petrified. ADOLF (O.S.) Sheesh, that was intense. Hitler is sitting next to him.
17
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALL - DAY From Inga’s room we see an empty hallway. We hear clattering and the slow clunking sound of footsteps getting closer. Jojo comes into view wearing various household objects as ARMOUR; A CHEESE-GRATER protects his forearm and a CAST-IRON POT
18
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - JOJO’S BEDROOM - DAY Back in his bedroom, the door firmly shut. ADOLF Great, now she’s got TWO knives! JOJO
19
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - EVENING Jojo sits in the living room, a look of utter fear and confusion covers his face. The house is silent save for the ticking of a clock. INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - KITCHEN - EVENING
20
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - JOJO’S ROOM - MOMENTS LATER Frau Betzler tucks Jojo into bed. JOJO Mama, do you miss papa? FRAU BETZLER
21
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - BEDROOM/KITCHEN - NIGHT Jojo lies in bed, wide awake. We hear a door creak open and footsteps heading down the hall. Leaving the safety of his room, Jojo creeps along the hall and sees candle-light coming from the kitchen. He peers round the
22
INT. REICHSJUGENDAMT - DAY Jojo collects the small pile of CONSCRIPTIONS for the day and approaches Herr Klenzendorf’s office. He enters and we find Klenzendorf drawing pictures of FANTASY GUNS. Finkel sits at a smaller table playing with PINK TRIANGLE PATCHES. He holds them
23
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - INGA’S BEDROOM - MORNING Jojo stands in his sister’s room, while Elsa sits in the doorway to her hideout. She still has the knife and digs it into the floor. JOJO
24
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - EVENING Jojo waits patiently in the living room. ADOLF (O.S.) She’s pretty rude, y’know. Jojo turns to see Adolf, standing in the doorway dressed as a
25
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT Jojo sits at the table while Frau Betzler places a large pot in the middle of the table next to a loaf of bread. She ladles hot stew into the plates and sighs contentedly. JOJO
26
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - DINING ROOM - LATER They are finishing their meals. Frau Betzler is clearing the table. JOJO Is papa really coming home?
27
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - INGA’S BEDROOM - NIGHT Jojo sits in a chair opposite Elsa as BOMBS are dropped on the city in the distance. They speak in hushed tones. JOJO Now, I want you to draw a picture of
28
INT. GESTAPO OFFICE - DAY Jojo enters the local GESTAPO OFFICE, a long line of people wait to file reports and denounce other citizens. Jojo approaches a SECRETARY who, upon seeing his face, cringes. SECRETARY
29
INT. GESTAPO OFFICE - FILE ROOM - MOMENTS LATER Jojo searches through a chaotically messy filing system as Erwin scratches at something under his arm. Jojo flicks through folder after folder. CLOSE on the folders flicking back one after the other...
30
EXT. TOWN - LIBRARY - DAY As he leaves the library Jojo hums softly to himself. Slowly it seems others are joining in his song. He looks around and the sound gets louder. From around a corner, lead by FRAULEIN RAHM, we see a group of “Jungvolk” marching and singing...
31
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - INGA’S BEDROOM - AFTERNOON Jojo knocks on Elsa’s wall-door. ELSA (O.S.) I wonder who it could possibly be? JOJO
32
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - INGA’S BEDROOM - LATER Jojo is back. He knocks lightly on Elsa’s wall. JOJO Hi. He knocks lightly again.
33
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - INGA’S BEDROOM - LATER CLOSE UP on Jojo, mid-discussion with Elsa. JOJO Beethoven. ELSA
34
EXT. FOOD RATION STORE - DAY Frau Betzler stands in line to receive her food allowance. She hands three RATION CARDS to the STOREMAN. STOREMAN Three? I remember you only used two in
35
EXT. TOWN - STREET - LATER His shoelaces now properly tied, Jojo and his mother continue walking. Frau Betzler notices other children staring, laughing and pointing at Jojo behind his back. She turns and gives them a ghostly ‘BOO!’ They scatter in fright. Jojo smiles but is
36
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - ELSA’S HIDEOUT - NIGHT Jojo sits on Inga’s bed, lost in thought. Elsa sits nearby. Jojo sighs. ELSA What’s wrong?
37
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - JOJO’S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER Jojo enters his room with a pep in his step.. VOICE (O.S.) Ahem... Jojo turns to see Adolf Hitler sitting in his bed.
38
INT. REICHSJUGENDAMT - DAY Jojo enters the office and is immediately greeted by Captain Klenzendorf who sits at a desk drawing. KLENZENDORF Heyyy, look who it is!
39
EXT. TOWN - HOUSE - DAY Jojo knocks at a house. An OLD WOMAN answers. JOJO Good morning Frau. Our brave troops and wonderful Führer need your help. I
40
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - INGA’S BEDROOM - DAY Jojo lightly taps on Elsa’s wall, opens the door and holds something out for her. JOJO I got you this, it’s nothing, just
41
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - BATHROOM - LATER Elsa pours a large pot of hot water into a wash basin. She wrings a flannel into the bowl and unties her dress, letting it slip to the floor. Outside the bathroom, Jojo sits against the wall, listening to
42
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - FRONT DOOR - MOMENTS LATER More KNOCKING. JOJO (calling out) Lost your key, Mama?
43
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALL - CONTINUOUS They stop at Jojo’s mother’s room. The officers are looking through her dresser and wardrobe, under the mattress. DEERTZ Do you know where your mother is?
44
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - FRONT DOOR - MOMENTS LATER The men are almost out the front door. DEERTZ As usual, call us if you notice anything suspicious.
45
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER Adolf Hitler wears oven gloves and stirs a pot that is heating on the stove, with a ladle. He smells the broth. ADOLF Mmm, lecker soup.
46
EXT. TOWN - FOOD STORE - MORNING Jojo is at the FOOD STORE. He hands over ONE RATION CARD. In return they give him a tiny piece of bread and a small piece of butter. He puts them in his pocket and leaves. EXT. TOWN SQUARE - FLORIDSDORFER SPITZ - AFTERNOON
47
EXT. TOWN SQUARE - FLORIDSDORFER SPITZ - DUSK As the sun sets Jojo remains in the park, sitting near his mother, quiet and still. A pair of shiny shoes appear next to Jojo. He looks up to see Adolf Hitler staring back at him with sympathetic eyes.
48
EXT. JOJO’S HOUSE - ROOFTOP - NIGHT Jojo and Elsa stand on a ladder in the attic, their heads poking out through the ROOFTOP HATCH. Distant bombing continues. JOJO She was with others. They had a number
49
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - INGA’S ROOM - MORNING Outside the window we hear birds chirping and see fresh leaves on the trees. It’s SPRING. Jojo is reading a letter to Elsa. She is listening with a smile on her face. JOJO
50
EXT. GRUSCH GROCERY - DAY Jojo heads down a street and finds a group of civilian locals being given weapons and instructions on how to use them. There are a couple of women and young boys among them, all looking very out of their element and bewildered. Two younger kids help
51
EXT. TOWN SQUARE - BEETHOVEN PLATZ - DAY They reach a square, the fire-fight in the distance gets closer. There are a few other explosions, heard but not seen, down the street. It’s loud and chaotic. Other soldiers run around, many of them are JOJO’s AGE. Jojo is a little bewildered.
52
EXT. TOWN - STREET - DAY Jojo walks down a street, music blares, an anthem of some sort. He stares wide-eyed as the CANNIBAL TRIBES of RUSSIA, GREAT BRITAIN, and AMERICA parade down the street. Some people are waving, happy. Others devastated, unwilling to accept defeat.
53
EXT. TOWN - STREET - LATER The streets are quiet, heavy with Russian presence. Jojo stands in line at a FOOD RATION STATION, holding a bag. Among the GERMAN CIVILIANS and RUSSIAN TROOPS he feels like a stranger. A tank rumbles past with the sounds of Soviet music wafting out.
54
INT. SCHOOL - CLASSROOM - DAY CLOSE UP on a word written on a BLACKBOARD: MONSTERS! Jojo sits in a broken down classroom with some other children. They are being addressed by a woman, a RUSSIAN TEACHER. On the
55
EXT. TOWN SQUARE - FLORIDSDORFER SPITZ - DAY Jojo walks through the city, he sees some Russian soldiers busting into a house, looting it. Others are pushing an old piano out of a window as locals watch on. Gunshots are heard across the city.
56
EXT. TOWN - RIVER - DAY Jojo sits on the banks of the river. He watches the water flow past him as more gunshots and cheering can be heard in the distance. He looks over at the bridge and sees a young couple holding
57
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - INGA’S BEDROOM - DAY Jojo enters the room wearing a suit that’s too big for him. The sleeves and pants are rolled up. He places a sandwich on the floor near Elsa’s door. He takes a piece of paper and facing Elsa’s wall he reads...
58
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - JOJO’S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER Jojo is now dressed in his normal clothes. He checks himself out in the mirror and tucks in his shirt. Adolf Hitler is standing behind him. ADOLF (O.S.)
59
INT. JOJO’S HOUSE - DAY Jojo leads Elsa along the hall. Her hair is washed, she wears clean clothes and holds Inga’s papers. They head down the stairs. Elsa catches a glimpse into Jojo’s room and sees all of her drawings on his wall. She hides a small smile and takes Jojo
60
EXT. JOJO’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Jojo and Elsa stand on the front steps of the house. Elsa looks at Jojo and then back out to the street. Yorki sits nearby, he waves, smiling. On the opposite corner we see a couple of British soldiers
INT EXT INT/EXT tap to expand

Jojo rabbit

In the final days of World War II, a young, dedicated Nazi boy must confront his beliefs and biases when he discovers a Jewish girl hiding in his home, leading him on a journey of self-discovery and the consequences of extremism. Other loglines ›

Take the Tour Download PDF

Overview

Poster
Unique Selling Point

What sets 'Jojo Rabbit' apart is its audacious use of satire to tackle the horrors of war and prejudice through the eyes of a child. The whimsical portrayal of Adolf Hitler as Jojo's imaginary friend adds a surreal layer to the narrative, allowing for both comedic and serious moments that challenge the audience's perceptions of hate and love. This approach not only engages the target audience but also invites them to reflect on the absurdity of indoctrination and the power of empathy.

AI Verdict

How to read these: in industry coverage, Pass is the default outcome for the majority of professional scripts, and Consider means the reader stayed in the room. Industry-wide, the median professional evaluation sits at a 6 — scores of 8+ are rare everywhere, on purpose.

Synthesis Where readers agree and split
7.8

A distinctive, tonally confident tragicomedy whose voice and central relationship carry the read, and it needs targeted work on middle-act escalation and final emotional accounting before it can be championed.

Readers read as Elevated commercial4 Specialty1
Genres Comedy5 Drama4 Historical4 Coming of age3 War2

An elevated commercial tragicomedy aiming for a high-wire balance between absurdist comedy and poignant historical tragedy through a distinctive child-POV.

Readers split slightly on primary lane (four elevated commercial, one specialty), tracing to whether the script's tonal risks read as commercially accessible or deliberately niche. The split does not affect the core contract.

Why not lower

The distinctive voice, tonal control, and central relationship specificity are strong enough that even with the middle-act softness, the read remains engaging and the ending lands with genuine emotional weight.

Why not higher

The middle-act repetition and the compressed third-act emotional accounting keep the script from the higher band, as the reader's engagement dips in the middle and the payoff feels slightly asserted rather than earned.

Rewrite map

A script with a distinctive central dynamic and tonal control that needs targeted work on middle-act escalation and the final emotional accounting.

Readers read as Elevated commercial4 Specialty1

Start here

Re-engineer the middle-act relationship scenes so that each encounter changes the terms of the dynamic, giving the protagonist a clear, active pursuit that carries through to the third act and naturally spaces out the final reversals.

Protect while fixing 2
Imaginary Hitler as psychological projection

Consolidating or cutting later fantasy appearances to fix pacing risks stripping the script of its primary mechanism for externalizing internal conflict.

Keep the fantasy figure tethered to active decision-making rather than reducing it to thematic commentary, even when tightening the later sequences.

Care carried by small physical gestures

Expanding the grief-processing sequence or adding dialogue to repair the relationship risks overriding the quiet, action-driven emotional continuity the script relies on.

When expanding the final emotional exchange, let the characters process the loss through shared action and physical detail rather than declarative dialogue.

Fix first 3
Middle-act relationship settles into repeating transaction

The reader enjoys the banter but loses forward pull as each scene resolves to the same emotional resting point without advancing the stakes or the power balance.

Root cause

The relationship is built through dialogue and reconciliation beats rather than through costly action or a shifting objective, so each step toward trust is announced rather than tested.

One direction

Introduce a mid-act shift in leverage or a concrete new goal for the protagonist so that subsequent scenes operate under changed terms and accumulate consequence.

Third-act reversals compress emotional accounting

The reader is asked to absorb multiple emotional turns in quick succession, so the final relationship resolution lands more as a hopeful image than as an earned payoff.

Root cause

The script relies on external events to force the final choice, leaving the protagonist's internal processing and the relationship's repair offscreen or rushed.

One direction

Hold one or two of the late reversals for their own sequence, or fold the grief processing into the escape preparation so the emotional handoff between loss and choice is dramatized rather than reported.

Fantasy device loses grounding in later acts Medium confidence

The reader experiences the fantasy figure as increasingly decorative rather than integral, weakening the cumulative emotional payoff the earlier sequences established.

Root cause

The fantasy device shifts from an active participant in decision-making to post-hoc commentary, decoupling it from the protagonist's immediate choices.

One direction

Tether later fantasy appearances to active interruptions of the protagonist's goals, or consolidate them into a single high-stakes confrontation that forces a clear rejection.

Your decisions 1
Climax tonal calibration: minor polish vs. structural recalibration Consequential
Side A

Treating the tonal whiplash as a polish-level calibration means the script's high-wire balance is fundamentally sound and only needs sequence-level trimming to let the tragedy land.

Side B

Treating it as a structural issue means the farcical battle elements actively cannibalize the emotional stakes, requiring a reordering of the final sequences to separate comedy from visceral loss.

Quick credibility wins 2
Proofreading errors and inconsistent formatting

Run a dedicated pass to fix recurring typos in names and dialogue, standardize slug lines, and remove stray punctuation marks that read as unresolved notes.

Overwritten action emphasis and shot direction

Strip the all-caps emotional cues, parenthetical beats, and explicit camera directions from action lines, trusting the scene's staging and dialogue to carry the weight.

Ask AI about this read
Would readers champion it · Rewrite depth · Voice · Score stability
What's working 4 of 5 readers agree

The script's central device—using an imaginary Hitler to externalize a child's indoctrination and internal conflict—provides a distinctive, championable engine that sustains the read across acts.

What's blocking 3 of 5 readers agree

The middle act's repeating transaction pattern and lack of a restated protagonist desire drain forward pull, making the central relationship feel static at the point where it needs to escalate.

Would readers champion it?
Not yetNot yetReaders wouldn’t actively push for it.
Early interestEarly interestMentioned, but no real push behind it.
ModeratelyModeratelyMentioned favorably to the right buyer.
StronglyStronglyActively championed across their network.
ClaudeStronglyGeminiStronglyDeepSeekModeratelyGPT5ModeratelyGrokModerately
How much rewrite does it need?
Start from scratchStart from scratchPremise or core engine isn’t working. Page-one rebuild.
Structural rewriteStructural rewriteSpecific acts or zones need rebuilding — not starting over, but significant revision work on those sections.
Targeted rewriteTargeted rewriteSpecific scenes or threads need rework. ~1 month.
Just polishJust polishLines and pacing tweaks. A few weeks.
ClaudeStructural rewriteDeepSeekTargeted rewriteGPT5Targeted rewriteGrokTargeted rewriteGeminiJust polish
How distinctive is the voice?
GenericGenericReads like other scripts in the genre.
EmergingEmergingHints of a distinctive voice, not yet locked in.
DistinctiveDistinctiveA clear, recognizable authorial voice.
One-of-a-kindOne-of-a-kindA voice that couldn’t be anyone else’s.
ClaudeDistinctiveDeepSeekDistinctiveGPT5DistinctiveGrokDistinctiveGeminiOne-of-a-kind

On the score: The score sits at the high edge of its band — a focused revision could push it to the next verdict.

Story Facts
Genres:
War 40% Comedy 30% Drama 50% Fantasy 15% Romance 20%

Setting: 1944 during World War II, Vienna, Austria

Themes: The Absurdity of Nazi Ideology, The Horrors of War, The Power of Empathy and Compassion, Family Relationships and Loyalty, The Nature of Identity and Self-Discovery

Conflict & Stakes: Jojo's internal struggle with his indoctrination and the reality of his beliefs, particularly as he forms a bond with Elsa, a Jewish girl he initially views as an enemy.

Mood: A mix of dark humor and poignant reflection.

Standout Features:

  • Unique Hook: The film's perspective of World War II through the eyes of a child, blending humor with dark themes.
  • Major Twist: Jojo's transformation from a fervent Nazi supporter to someone who questions his beliefs and forms a bond with a Jewish girl.
  • Innovative Ideas: The use of an imaginary friend as a representation of Hitler, providing both comedic relief and a critique of indoctrination.
  • Distinctive Settings: The contrast between the innocence of Jojo's home life and the harsh realities of war-torn Vienna.

Comparable Scripts: The Book Thief, Life is Beautiful, Jojo Rabbit (the film itself), The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Diary of Anne Frank, Catch-22, The Sound of Music, The Pianist, The Little Prince

Script Level Analysis

Writer Exec

This section delivers a top-level assessment of the screenplay’s strengths and weaknesses — covering overall quality (P/C/R/HR), character development, emotional impact, thematic depth, narrative inconsistencies, and the story’s core philosophical conflict. It helps identify what’s resonating, what needs refinement, and how the script aligns with professional standards.

Screenplay Insights

Breaks down your script along various categories.

Overall Score: 8.76
> Go to Screenplay Insights
Story Critique
Big-picture feedback on the story’s clarity, stakes, cohesion, and engagement.
> Go to Story Critique
Characters
Explores the depth, clarity, and arc of the main and supporting characters.
> Go to Characters
Emotional Analysis

Breaks down the emotional journey of the audience across the script.

> Go to Emotional Analysis
Goals and Philosophical Conflict
Evaluates character motivations, obstacles, and sources of tension throughout the plot.
> Go to Goals and Philosophical Conflict
Themes
Analysis of the themes of the screenplay and how well they’re expressed.
> Go to Themes
Logic & Inconsistencies
Highlights any contradictions, plot holes, or logic gaps that may confuse viewers.
> Go to Logic & Inconsistencies

Scene Analysis

All of your scenes analyzed individually and compared, so you can zero in on what to improve.

Scene-Level Percentile Chart
Hover over the graph to see more details about each score.
Go to Scene Analysis

Other Analyses

Writer Exec

This section looks at the extra spark — your story’s voice, style, world, and the moments that really stick. These insights might not change the bones of the script, but they can make it more original, more immersive, and way more memorable. It’s where things get fun, weird, and wonderfully you.

Unique Voice
Assesses the distinctiveness and personality of the writer's voice.
> Go to Unique Voice
Writer's Craft
Analyzes the writing to help the writer be aware of their skill and improve.
> Go to Writer's Craft
Memorable Lines
Spotlights standout dialogue lines with emotional or thematic power.
> Go to Memorable Lines
Tropes
Highlights common or genre-specific tropes found in the script.
> Go to Tropes
World Building
Evaluates the depth, consistency, and immersion of the story's world.
> Go to World Building
Correlations
Identifies patterns in scene scores.
> Go to Correlations
Loglines
Presents logline variations based on theme, genre, and hook.
> Go to Loglines

Script•o•Scope