APT PUPIL (1998)

Cast

Plot

A pedigree like the one this movie posesses - a Stephen King tale from the director of "The Usual Suspects" - was always going to be hard to live up to, and while this isn't a terrible film, it's most definitely unpleasant. Sixteen year old Todd (Brad Renfro) is pondering a high school essay entitled "Why Nazism?" when he spots an elderly bus passenger (Ian McKellen) and recognises him from a 40 year old photo of a Gestapo officer. Threatening him with exposure unless he spills the beans on what the Nazis really got up to, Todd forces the old boy to relive his darkest memories, even procuring for him an SS uniform. As Todd's unhealthy obsession escalates, the pair become embroiled in an ever-shifting power game. Interesting but uneasy watching.