Apt Pupil (1998)
| Title | Apt Pupil |
| Year | 1998 |
| Country | Canada, France, USA |
| Genre | Thriller (Movies) |
| Collection | Stephen King |
| Run Time | 1h 51 min |
| Director |
The American thriller film, Apt Pupil (1998), directed by Bryan Singer and starring Ian McKellen and Brad Renfro, is based on the 1982 novella of the same name by Stephen King. Set in Southern California in 1984, 16-year-old high school student Todd Bowden makes a shocking discovery about his elderly neighbor, Arthur Denker. It turns out that Denker is actually Kurt Dussander—a former Nazi concentration camp commandant who has fled from justice. Intrigued by the horrors of Nazi Germany during World War II, Todd blackmails Dussander into sharing disturbing stories about his involvement in genocide. In order to further humiliate Dussander, Todd even goes as far as purchasing an SS uniform for him to wear. As their twisted relationship continues, Todd’s grades slip, he becomes disinterested in his girlfriend, and he hides his declining academic performance from his parents.
Dussander uses his leverage to manipulate Todd into improving his grades, threatening to reveal their shared secrets to his parents. He even assumes the role of Todd’s grandfather and accompanies him to a meeting with school counselor Edward French. The discussion of war crimes affects them both deeply. In an inebriated state, Dussander attempts but fails to kill a cat by locking it in a gas oven. He also takes pleasure in Todd’s impressive transformation, from almost failing to earning straight As in just a few weeks. One evening, Dussander targets a homeless individual who had seen him wearing his Nazi uniform. However, when Dussander suffers a heart attack, he calls on Todd to finish the job, clean up the scene, and call for medical assistance.
Date of download: 2015-11-11T17:22:34+00:00
Cast:  Brad RenfroTodd Bowden  Ian McKellenKurt Dussander  Bruce DavisonRichard Bowden  Elias KoteasArchie  David SchwimmerEdward French  Joshua JacksonJoey |
The American thriller film, Apt Pupil (1998), directed by Bryan Singer and starring Ian McKellen and Brad Renfro, is based on the 1982 novella of the same name by Stephen King. Set in Southern California in 1984, 16-year-old high school student Todd Bowden makes a shocking discovery about his elderly neighbor, Arthur Denker. It turns out that Denker is actually Kurt Dussander—a former Nazi concentration camp commandant who has fled from justice. Intrigued by the horrors of Nazi Germany during World War II, Todd blackmails Dussander into sharing disturbing stories about his involvement in genocide. In order to further humiliate Dussander, Todd even goes as far as purchasing an SS uniform for him to wear. As their twisted relationship continues, Todd’s grades slip, he becomes disinterested in his girlfriend, and he hides his declining academic performance from his parents.
Dussander uses his leverage to manipulate Todd into improving his grades, threatening to reveal their shared secrets to his parents. He even assumes the role of Todd’s grandfather and accompanies him to a meeting with school counselor Edward French. The discussion of war crimes affects them both deeply. In an inebriated state, Dussander attempts but fails to kill a cat by locking it in a gas oven. He also takes pleasure in Todd’s impressive transformation, from almost failing to earning straight As in just a few weeks. One evening, Dussander targets a homeless individual who had seen him wearing his Nazi uniform. However, when Dussander suffers a heart attack, he calls on Todd to finish the job, clean up the scene, and call for medical assistance.
