Review of Apt Pupil (1998) by Ryan L — 02 Aug 2010
A simple, small setting movie that is packed with enough chills to make even the most iron clad of viewers shutter. Focusing on a unique and eerie friendship ironically built on mistrust and circumstance, Apt Pupil gives a peek into dark side of human nature.
Ian McKellen plays an escaped Nazi criminal named Kurt who know resides under an alias in the United States. His secret remains safe until a young boy, Todd, comes knocking after discovering his true identity, yearning to hear about his past. By showing the old man that he has enough evidence to turn him over to authorities, the boy blackmails him into being open about his days during the holocaust. After giving in reluctantly to his request, the two would share many months together reliving the horrors that occurred in the concentration camps and what roll the old man played.
As time goes by, Kurt turns the tables on Todd by promising to take him down with him if he is ever reported. The chess match they play against each other is uncomfortably intriguing and tears the two apart while at the same time binding them closer together. A chain of events eventually forces them both to work together to conceal accusations that they would stop at nothing to silence.
I almost feel guilty to say I enjoyed this movie. The events that happen and the horrors of the Holocaust that are investigated send chills without warning. The acting is brilliant, especially by Mckellen, and the realistic feel of the film takes you into a world that most would be too scared to even glimpse at. Even so, I was left with a desire to see more merely out of uneasy curiosity.
It could have done a lot more with itself given the subject matter. Conversely, its simplicity keeps the script from over flowing into the horror genre and stubbornly holds its shape as a fierce, unnerving drama. Ultimately, the movie will stand on its own even if eyes are closed during the more graphic scenes, with how brilliantly constructed the relationship between the two main characters is crafted.
Rating: 6 out of 10.
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This review of Apt Pupil (1998) was written by Ryan L on 02 Aug 2010.
Apt Pupil has generally received mixed reviews.
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