Al Pacino's new series Hunters has been slammed by critics, who claim the show is 'exploiting the Holocaust'.
The gritty thriller landed on Amazon Prime Video over the weekend and tells the story of a band of Nazi hunters who bring escaped war criminals to justice in their own bloody style.
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However, while some fans have raved about it, critics have hit out at its creators for their fictitious and gory depiction of the atrocities that took place at the death camps.
They took specific aim at one scene in particular, which shows prisoners at Auschwitz concentration camp being forced to kill each other in a vindictive game of human chess.
Speaking to the BBC, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust Karen Pollack said it was 'flippant' and made light of the true horror that took place during the Holocaust.
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She said: "We have a real responsibility to protect the truth of the Holocaust, particularly as we're moving away from living history, the survivors are few and frailer."
The Auschwitz Memorial charity also wrote on Twitter: "Auschwitz was full of horrible pain & suffering documented in the accounts of survivors. Inventing a fake game of human chess for [Hunters] is not only dangerous foolishness & caricature. It also welcomes future deniers. We honour the victims by preserving factual accuracy."
And writer Sophie Gilbert, from The Atlantic, said 'the show's exploitation format sits so strangely with the atrocities it's parsing, and the actual people who are being exploited'.
However, Hunters executive producer and creator David Weil has defended the artistic merit in portraying fictionalised events.
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Referencing the 'human chess' sequence, he said in a statement: "This is a fictionalized event. Why did I feel this scene was important to script and place in series? To most powerfully counteract the revisionist narrative that whitewashes Nazi perpetration, by showcasing the most extreme - and representationally truthful - sadism and violence that the Nazis perpetrated against the Jews and other victims.
"And why did I feel the need to create a fictional event when there were so many real horrors that existed? After all, it is true that Nazis perpetrated widespread and extreme acts of sadism and torture - and even incidents of cruel 'games' - against their victims.
"I simply did not want to depict those specific, real acts of trauma.
"If the larger philosophical question is, 'Can we ever tell stories about the Holocaust that are not documentary?' I believe we can and should."
Viewers who have tuned into the series so far have praised it, with many claiming it's one of Pacino's best performances in years.
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Writing on Twitter, one fan said: "Started watching Hunters with Al Pacino on Amazon. It's bizarre and violent, but everything about it is excellent, from costume design, and sets, to direction and acting."
A second commented: "Hunters on Amazon Prime is so good. Emotional, at times a hard watch, but I honestly think necessary so we truly do never forget. 3 episodes in and I'm hooked. Also, Al Pacino is amazing as always."
While another gushed: "Hunters on Amazon Prime is off to an amazing start. Great introductions and acting by the entire cast, especially Al Pacino, who gives a subtle, nuanced performance of Meyer Offerman."
Featured Image Credit: AmazonTopics: Interesting, History