IGN.com|AskMen.com|Rotten Tomatoes|GameSpy|FilePlanet|TeamXbox|CheatsCodesGuides|GameStats|Direct2Drive

RottenTomatoes.com

Register | Log In | What is RT?
It's our 10th birthday, so you get presents!
Home Movies DVD Celebrities News Critics Trailers & Pictures The Vine Forums
Box Office | Best Of | Certified Fresh | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
 
MOVIES / ON DVD / APT PUPIL
Apt Pupil

Rate This Movie

Write a Review
Share This Movie
Add to List
Buy Poster

Bookmark and Share

Apt Pupil (1998)

53%
50%
67%
N/A
N/A
N/A
53 %
Reviews Counted: 55 Fresh: 29  Rotten:26 Average Rating: 6/10
 
Consensus: A somewhat disturbing movie that works as a suspenseful thriller, yet isn't completely satisfying.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins

Synopsis: Based on the novella by Stephen King, director Bryan Singer's follow-up to THE USUAL SUSPECTS is a harrowing psychological thriller about the relationship that forms between a boy and the neighbor he discovers is a Nazi war criminal. After a brief lesson in history class, star pupil Todd... Based on the novella by Stephen King, director Bryan Singer's follow-up to THE USUAL SUSPECTS is a harrowing psychological thriller about the relationship that forms between a boy and the neighbor he discovers is a Nazi war criminal. After a brief lesson in history class, star pupil Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro) becomes obsessed with Hitler and his followers. Through extensive research, he discovers that the infamous Kurt Dussender (Sir Ian McKellen) has been hiding out, living a normal life in his own neighborhood. But instead of reporting Dussender to the authorities, Todd decides to use him to gain further knowledge...everything that the history books won't tell him. But who ends up using whom, and what happens when a susceptible young mind encounters true evil, leads to a surprising, taught, and unsettling suspense film. Interested in the novella since he was 19, Singer worked closely with screenwriter Brandon Boyce to bring this compelling story to the screen. Filled with the same touches that are hallmarks of his previous films--careful editing, use of small spaces to evoke tense atmospherics, terrific cinematography, and stellar acting--the film is a disturbing exploration into the seductively dark side of human nature. [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Ian McKellen, Brad Renfro, Elias Koteas, David Schwimmer, Bruce Davison

Director: Bryan Singer
Screenwriter: Brandon Boyce
Story: Stephen King
Producer: Jane Hamsher, Don Murphy, Bryan Singer
Composer: John Ottman

DVD Info

Release:

Jul 10, 2000

[DVD Details]

Reviews

 
T-Meter Critics
 
 
Top Critics
 
 
RT Community
 
 
My Critics
 
 
My Friends
 
 
DVD
 
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
Arrange By: Name | Fresh | Rotten | Date | Source
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
03/03/02
Kim Newman
Sight and Sound
Ratings Image
5/10

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
01/01/00
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
UK Critic
Ratings Image
5/5

McKellen gives one of the year's great performances.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/23/07
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
Ratings Image
N/A

Stephen King's 1982 Different Seasons collection has been a gold mine for moviemakers:

Full Review | comment Comment
03/28/06
Maitland McDonagh
Film Journal International
Ratings Image
2.5/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
04/09/05
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews
Ratings Image
3/10

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
07/28/04
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
05/22/03
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather
Ratings Image
1.5/4

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
05/20/03
Susan Tavernetti
Palo Alto Weekly
Ratings Image
2.5/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
12/08/02
Film Threat
Ratings Image
4.5/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
11/07/02
James Rocchi
Netflix
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
10/15/02
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
09/10/02
Kevin N. Laforest
Montreal Film Journal
Ratings Image
N/A

"Pupil" demonstrates Singer's eye for framing shots and his skill in bringing out the best in his stars. Even so, there's something amiss here.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/21/02
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette
Ratings Image
2/4

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
04/24/02
Globe and Mail
Ratings Image
4

It's a story that has taken 10 years to get to the screen at least, but what kept it from the screen for so long was lost when it was finally filmed.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/15/01
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina
Ratings Image
2/4

No hace mas que dejarnos la sensación de que o bien el director fue una llamarada de petate o el escritor vio pasar sus mejores momentos hace ya varios años

Full Review | comment Comment
03/14/01
Jorge Avila Andrade
Moviola
Ratings Image
7/10

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
02/27/01
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
02/14/01
Jack Mathews
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
See More Topics...

Related Forums

Chilling!
by: David Litton 12/21/00
all

News

Brad Renfro: 1982-2008
posted by Jeff Giles January 17, 2008
Brad Renfro, star of The Client and Apt Pupil, passed away Tuesday of unknown causes. He was 25.


Critical Consensus: "Superman" And "Devil" Are Certified Fresh
posted by Tim Ryan June 29, 2006
This week's wide releases both involve publishing. In "The Devil Wears Prada," the setting is a fashion...

Around the Network

• Apt Pupil at Rotten Tomatoes
• Apt Pupil at IGN
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | ModCenter | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2008, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.