I saw Apt Pupil once shortly after release in video stores. I saw it only because of Stephen King. At the time, I wasn’t very familiar with much of the cast. In 2021, I can say that it’s an incredible cast on name value. It stars Ian McKellen, Brad Renfro, Joshua Jackson, Ann Dowd, Bruce Davison, and Elias Koteas. Do I have your attention now? I remember the trailer to this wasn’t really great. It didn’t make me want to go to the theaters to see it, but I had mild curiosity.
Start Film
Bryan Singer is the director, and this was his follow-up project following The Usual Suspects. He would later go on to do 4 X-Men films, Bohemian Rhapsody, Valkyrie, and Superman Returns. He has a nice portfolio of films. I didn’t even know that Brad Renfro died in 2008. He plays Todd Bowden, a student who wants to know more about nazi history. Oh shit, David Schwimmer is in this too. What a unique cast. Ann Down and Elias intrigue me the most in this. They both are so talented. Ian plays the role of Kurt Dussander. I’ll update everyone else as we make progress. Joshua Jackson is Todd’s buddy, Joey. Joshua was on a roll at this point in time with Mighty Ducks, Scream 2, Urban Legend, and Cruel Intentions. Fuck Dawson’s Creek.
Todd visits Kurt’s house, one he saw on a bus. He seems to know who this guy is, a Nazi war criminal. Todd is a psycho, he took pictures and fingerprints of Kurt. Kurt calls himself Arthur Denker. Todd thinks that he is so smart. Todd wants to hear the stories that he can’t learn at school and then he will leave him alone.
Kurt chooses to tell the stories and answer questions. Ann Dowd is Todd’s mom, Monica, and she looks good here. Bruce Davison is Todd’s father, Richard, and he looks his usual self.
There’s a boy’s locker room scene that is the polar opposite of the great opening scene in Carrie. And then Todd imagines being in a shower with Jewish men. That’s an awkward time. I’m really trying to watch what I say due to the content. I don’t want to make light of the atrocities that so many experienced. But I do still want to make fun of awkward situations. I just want to be clear about that.
Todd buys Kurt a big present. What’s in the box? It’s a replica Nazi uniform. Kurt doesn’t want to wear it, but Todd insists with the help of blackmail. Todd has some balls on him, I’ll give him that. He is making Kurt march. Kurt is now just getting into it to an uncomfortable degree and Todd tells him to stop. Todd, you let the tiger out of its cage, and you aren’t capable of controlling that shit.
Becky makes out with Todd in a car and he just isn’t into it. Well, then she sucks his dick, so good for him…I guess. He’s getting rewarded for his behavior. A cat wakes up Kurt while he is napping outside. I think Kurt went limp midway through. She then suggests that maybe he doesn’t like girls. Kurt brings the cat inside and shows it the gas oven and tries putting it inside, but it escapes. PETA, settle your tits down.
Todd’s grades are dropping in school from an A student like a C-. David Schwimmer, the guidance counselor, wants to have a meeting with Todd’s parents about his grades. Todd shoots a basketball about as poorly as I do, and he’s a real dickhead to Joey. Joey leaves and Toss sees an injured bird, possibly a pigeon in the gym. The bird has an injured wing and Todd scares it and then smashes it with a basketball. Dick move!
This is fascinating. You have one character who did some of the worst shit ever but appears to be laying low and living a modest life. You also have this other character who is slowly spiraling downward quickly, not because of the first character, but because of his weird obsession. And yes, we know who the worst person morally is, but they are really trying to get us to hate Todd. Todd is blaming his bad grades on the stuff that Kurt tells him. Kurt knows how to forge documents better than this fucking amateur.
Todd has to visit Mr. French, and Schwimmer’s stache is delightful. Kurt has arrived at this meeting as Todd’s grandfather. Kurt is posing as Victor. Kurt has offered to let Todd study at his home. French will try to talk to teaches and manipulate Todd’s grades if Todd can get all A’s in the next 3 and a half weeks. Kurt has told a story about Todd’s parents having difficulties at home and French buys it and leans in with his sympathy. He even gives him his home phone number.
Todd is so pissed at Kurt, and Kurt finds it amusing. Oh man, Kurt has the upper hand because if he gets caught, he will throw Todd to the wolves because Todd had this knowledge and never reported it. It was a smart play.
A homeless man is outside Kurt’s house at night picking through the trashcan while Kurt is wearing his uniform. I like how Todd made it seem like such a big deal to learn a 10 week semester in 3 and a half weeks when he is an A student. In high school, that wouldn’t be that difficult. You could easily do that. I wasn’t the smartest kid in my class and I know that I could have done that, with little to no problem. This kid is a whiny little bitch.
Hahaha, Kurt has gotten in Todd’s head so much that Todd has thrown out all of his evidence or at least a good chunk. Todd managed to get all A’s. Kurt gives Todd the day off from studying. He wants to share some stories. Kurt tells the story of what has happened so far between him and Toss and then as Todd saw an opportunity to push Kurt down the cellar stairs, Kurt revealed that he wrote all of this down, in his own words and put it in a safe deposit box that can only be opened by someone else, after his death. Todd, you just got served!!! Awww, Todd is pouting and says that he won’t be coming around here any longer.
Todd is back to being a normal student, normal student-athlete, going on dates with Becky at the theater, but Kurt is in the theater too. The homeless guy is on the bus with Kurt and is played by Elias Koteas. Elias’ character’s name is Archie. Archie gets off at the same stop as Kurt. Archie is a talkative fella, he just wants to drink. Kurt was that gleam in his eye. Irritable and with a solution in mind. He gets behind Archie, who is offering up some favors, and stabs him in the back with a knife, and pushes him down the stairs. On his way down the stairs, Kurt has a heart attack.
Kurt calls Todd and tells him to come over and help him and help himself. Todd, maybe you should remove your clothes if you have to do dirty work. Haha, Kurt locks Todd in the basement. Archie is up and sees Todd. Todd starts hitting Archie with a shovel. He gets a few good hits on Archie and has most likely killed him. Kurt opens the door to see the damage. Now Todd most likely has blood on his clothes since it is splattered on his face. Todd is insisting on getting the key to the box.
Todd did call the amberlamps and saved Kurt’s life. Todd cleaned up the mess in the kitchen, except on the phone. Aww, that cat has gone missing. Todd digs a hole in the basement and burns the Nazi uniform.
Todd visits Kurt in the hospital and the operation was a success. They say he has another 20 years. Todd tells him that he took care of everything, except for the key. Kurt reveals that there was never a safe deposit box and it was all a ploy. But is this a ploy? Todd wants to leave but Kurt asks him to stay until he falls asleep. They both fall asleep.
The other hospital room patient starts asking Todd questions about where Kurt is from. This guy wonders if Kurt was in the war. This guy knows something, but then puts on The Jeffersons, even better. The guy wakes up horrified. He recognizes Kurt. He leaves his room. I think his name is Ben. He finds a nurse and hugs her and just cries.
The next day, Krut wakes up with 3 men, 2 authorities, and one guy who is Jewish, most likely. Kurt killed Ben’s wife and 2 daughters. Kurt is denying who he is. The Jewish man suggests that Kurt will be moved to Jerusalem soon enough. That won’t end well.
Now it is Todd’s graduation day, French sees Todd and his family. Richard reveals that the real Victor lives in Charlotte and is in a wheelchair. The bell rings, and it’s time to start the ceremony. Todd gives his speech while detectives are at Kurt’s house and just explored the basement. After I received my diploma, I gave the DX crotch chop. I have regrets.
Todd is just now seeing the news about the body being found. AT the hospital, there’s a protest and some Neo-Nazies and angry citizens, as one may expect. Todd is getting interviewed by the 2 guys at the hospital. Todd claims that he was reading a letter to Kurt, but the authorities can find no such letter. The theory is that some accomplice came over and stole the letter. Todd is making things worse for himself. These two guys are named Dan Richler and Dr. Weiskopf. He assists the Israeli government. Richard wants to lawyer up because he doesn’t trust the police.
Kurt is looking at all the stuff hooked up to him. He wants a way out before being taken away. Smart play. French shows up to speak to Todd’s parents. Kurt blows into one of the tubes to kill himself. Why was nobody watching him? Todd wants French to just forget about this situation. French will talk to Todd’s parents over the phone. Todd is turning this around on French, raising the grades, giving his home phone number, showing up when Todd’s parents aren’t home. Yikes. Todd is playing the game properly too. The doctors are unable to resuscitate Kurt. French has no choice but to walk away or else his career and life are fucked.
End Film
Man, this is a difficult one, right? The story starts off interestingly enough. In typical King fashion, the story kinda peters out toward the end. There is no satisfying ending, which is fine given the subject matter. Looking at some reviews, I don’t know what people expected. There’s no way this movie ends on a positive note.
I’m not going to get into ultra film student critic mode, because I’m not a pretentious asshole. Look, the performances were mostly very good. Ian was great. Brad’s portrayal as Todd was okay, and I don’t know if I would change it. He was such a dick that I was happy when Kurt put him in his place. It’s crazy to think that in the ’80s, this film was almost made with Ricky Schroeder as Todd. I’m not sure if he would have handled the role as well.
The problem with a film like this is that you spend almost 2 hours with it. And you walk away with very little You can’t really go to your friends and have that discussion. And even if you did, it would be a very short conversation. And you may remember it, but it’s not something that you are going to want to see multiple times, right? Is there any reason that you would want to see this again?
That doesn’t mean that the film was bad. It was very well done. I am just trying to look at it from my usual angles. Replay value matters to me. Walking away from the movie thinking, I could watch that again someday when I’m bored. That’s important. I wouldn’t strive to watch this again and honestly, may object if someone wanted me to watch it with them. There’s no real value to me in that regard.
Final Rating – 5.0 – I know it doesn’t seem fair because, on the surface, this is a 6.3 probably. But if I don’t plan on seeing it again, I must follow my rule that it can’t go higher than a 5.0. You may not like the rule. I may not like the rule. But it’s the rule and I need to be consistent with that one or else the whole system goes to shit.
All the pictures used in this blog are for review purposes. They are the property of:
- Phoenix Pictures (presents)
- Bad Hat Harry Productions (producer) (as Bad Hat Harry)
- Canal+ Droits Audiovisuels (in association with) (as Canal+ D.A.)
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