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Apt Pupil (1998)

 -  Drama | Thriller  -  23 October 1998 (USA)
6.6
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Ratings: 6.6/10 from 21,923 users   Metascore: 51/100
Reviews: 238 user | 111 critic | 21 from Metacritic.com

A boy blackmails his neighbour after suspecting him to be a Nazi war criminal.

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Writers:

(novel), (screenplay)
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Title: Apt Pupil (1998)

Apt Pupil (1998) on IMDb 6.6/10

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
Joey
Mickey Cottrell ...
Sociology Teacher
...
Nightmare Victim
...
Monica Bowden
...
Richard Bowden
...
Victor Bowden
Marjorie Lovett ...
Agnes Bowden
David Cooley ...
Gym Teacher
Blake Anthony Tibbetts ...
Teammate
...
Becky Trask
Katherine Malone ...
Student
Grace Sinden ...
Secretary
...
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Storyline

Neighborhood boy Todd Bowden (Renfro) discovers that an old man living on his block named Arthur Denker (Mackellan) is Nazi war criminal. Bowden confronts Denker and offers him a deal: Bowden will not go to the authorities if Denker tells him stories of the concentration camps in WWII. Denker agrees and Bowden starts visiting him regularly. The more stories Bowden hears, the more it affects his personality. Written by Casey Ward <ward@citizen.infi.net>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

If you don't believe in the existence of evil, you've got a lot to learn.

Genres:

Drama | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for scenes of strong violence, language and brief sexuality | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

|

Language:

|

Release Date:

23 October 1998 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Az eminens  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$3,583,151 (USA) (23 October 1998)

Gross:

$8,838,938 (USA) (1 January 1999)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(8 channels)|

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Editor / composer John Ottman actually did two cameos in the film, but both were cut. The first was reading the lines of the off-screen teacher, but his voicing of lines was substituted at the last minute by Christopher McQuarrie. He also had a cameo as the music teacher conducting the high-school band in the graduation scene but this was eliminated from the final cut. See more »

Goofs

Some question Dussander's description of carbon monoxide gas being introduced to gas chambers through pipes, pointing out that Nazi extermination camps used Zyklon B pellets dropped through openings in the roofs of the chambers, which then released prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) gas. While the extermination camps, Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II-Birkenau, Majdanek and KZ camp Sachsenhausen and Dacau did use the Zyklon B method, most of the other major extermination camps (Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka II) and KZ camps used large gas or diesel engines to produce carbon monoxide exhaust, which was then routed to the gas chambers through pipes. This was learned from the experiences of the T-4 project. (The Chelmno camp had no gas chambers, it instead used gas vans, in which the vans' own carbon monoxide exhaust was routed to the rebuild and airtight cargo bay of the vans, which held the victims.) See more »

Quotes

[Todd presents Dussander with his old SS uniform]
Kurt Dussander: Maybe I'll put it on and do a little shopping, is that what you thought?
See more »

Connections

Referenced in An Interview with John Ottman (2002) See more »

Soundtracks

"Das Ist Berlin"
Music by Leo Leux & Matthias Perl (as Matthias Perl)
Lyrics by Hans Hannes & Bruno Balz
Performed by Liane Augustin (as Liane) & The Boheme Bar Trio
Courtesy of Omega Record Group, Inc.
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Original, Intriguing
19 November 2006 | by (Manitoba, Canada) – See all my reviews

A teenage boy befriends an elderly man. During countless discussions over many a night, they form a special friendship that manages to bridge their considerable age gap. It would sound like a sweet character study if the old man wasn't a Nazi war criminal and the teen wasn't a Holocaust-obsessed recluse blackmailing his new pal for all the gory details.

APT PUPIL scores the highest marks for originality. Nothing ever quite like this has been done before, and it's all quite intriguing. In the beginning, we come close to feeling sorry for the old man despite his past misdeeds. Here is he living out his golden years in peace and seclusion when all of a sudden a pushy teenager threatens to blow his cover. As the tale progresses, we see that the elder is just as conniving as the boy, threatening simply to expose their friendship, forever linking the young man with unimaginable notoriety. What starts out as a bizarre acquaintance escalates into a duel of manipulation.

It's not surprising that APT PUPIL is based on a novella by Stephen King. The film bears many of the hallmarks of King's works. And while it's never actually scary, it is thrilling at a psychological level that King reaches best. It's not perfect, but with the skilled direction of Bryan Singer and solid performances by leads Brad Renfro and Ian McKellen, it generally accomplishes what it sets out to do.

You don't have to be a horror person or a teenager at a late night party to enjoy APT PUPIL. The film has a unique appeal beyond what its target audience may have been. If you missed it when it was released in 1998 (as many did, based on its limited commercial success), it's certainly worth a look.


13 of 16 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
A terrible film. jeremy3
How much like the book? Gorgeous_Mistake
How much jail time would Todd have done if the police found out he KNEW cristina0121
For all the people that worry a real cat was harmed in this film... krasnyoktyabr
I couldn't finish watching it. storey_12
Is this just a short story or is a novel? jesy-1
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