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Evil

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Evil (2003)

69%
45%
81%
N/A
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N/A
69 %
Reviews Counted: 35 Fresh: 24  Rotten:11 Average Rating: 6.6/10

How does the Tomatometer work?

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

Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins

Theatrical Release: Mar 10, 2006 Limited

Synopsis: In 1950s Sweden, sixteen-year-old Erik Ponti's (Andreas Wilson) life is tainted by violence and conflict at both home and school. When he is expelled for fighting other students and has no possibility of transferring to another state school, his mother sells her heirlooms to pay for her only... In 1950s Sweden, sixteen-year-old Erik Ponti's (Andreas Wilson) life is tainted by violence and conflict at both home and school. When he is expelled for fighting other students and has no possibility of transferring to another state school, his mother sells her heirlooms to pay for her only child to attend the Stjärnsberg Boarding School, a prestigious boys' academy. Confident that he can start anew, Erik is dismayed that the cycle of violence has far from ended and the school is not a refuge. For at Stjärnsberg , evil is systematized in the form of condoned violent oppression of younger students by their seniors. The teachers turn a blind eye as the older pupils implement their reign of terror, creating a hierarchical society based on class and age. Despite good advice from his studious roommate and best friend, Pierre (Henrik Lundström), to keep a low profile, Erik reveals his rebellious side through persistently disobeying the rules set by a small group of senior pupils, headed by sadistic snob Otto Silverhielm (Gustaf Skarsgård). Fearful of being expelled again, Erik retaliates to their vicious torments with his verbal skills rather than his fighting abilities. After Erik becomes the school swimming champion and a hero to the junior students, Silverhielm and his cruel classmates make the young teenager's life even more miserable. Notwithstanding more suffering, Erik remains steadfast in curbing the violence in his life. That is, until he is forced to defend the honor and name of his best friend whom the bullies have tortured in order to get Erik to break down and accept the challenge of a fight. Magnolia Pictures Presents EVIL, starring Andreas Wilson, Henrik Lundström, Gustaf Skarsgård, Linda Zilliacus. Screenplay by Mikael Håfström, Hans Gunnarsson. Based on the novel by Jan Guillou. Produced by Hans Lönnerheden, Ingemar Leijonborg. Directed by Mikael Håfström. --© Magnolia Pictures [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Jesper Salen, Andreas Wilson, Henrik Lunstrom, Gustaf Skarsgård, Linda Zilliacus

Director: Mikael Håfström

DVD Info

Release:

Jun 27, 2006

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Keep Case

Audio:

  • (unspecified) - English

Buy It On DVD

Reviews

 
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Full Review | comment Comment
09/29/07
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press
Ratings Image
4/5

On the surface it seems very familiar ... and not altogether inaccessible to American audiences, but it also has the depth and substance we expect from our imports.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/17/07
Christopher Campbell
Cinematical
N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
05/07/07
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Ratings Image
4/5

Powerful film where the transformation is painful to watch, but leaves you feeling hope. It took me by surprise at several turns and stayed with me long after the final credits rolled.

Full Review | comment 1 Comment
07/11/06
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com
Ratings Image
2/5

Add the mystique of a foreign language, and suddenly the U.S. considers it an art film.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/28/06
Jesse Hassenger
Filmcritic.com
Ratings Image
N/A

The narrative has the same familiarity as the setting as Erik has to fight forces bigger than himself, giving the audience a story that justifies (and, not so secretly, revels in) its violence. Call it Fight Club at a boarding school.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/11/06
Boyd van Hoeij
european-films.net
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2.5/4

Extremely watchable, even if it never goes as deep as it should.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/05/06
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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N/A

The second half of 'Evil' takes this genre into new and challenging territory.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/12/06
Les Wright
culturevulture.net
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1.5/5

Hafström's dramatic sense is ... pedestrian and snail's-pace obvious.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/01/06
Robert Abele
Los Angeles Times
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2.5/4

Movies like Evil entertain us by serving sweet revenge on a platter, and director Mikael Håfström manipulates emotions more intelligently than most.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/31/06
Jeff Shannon
Seattle Times
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3/4

Wilson, who plays Erik, had never been in a film before Evil -- which was nominated for a best foreign-language Oscar in 2004 -- and there's no reason that he can't make many more of them.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/31/06
John McMurtrie
San Francisco Chronicle
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3/4

Its stuffy, private-school scenes nearly turn the whole thing into The Dead Pugilist's Society, but this Swedish import does have its chilling moments.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/31/06
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
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2.5/4

Director Mikael Håfstrom exudes no subtlety and lets the blood flow, at odds with the nonviolent moral message this Oscar-nominated film aims to deliver.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/31/06
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune
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N/A

A commentary on the troubling gray area between acceptable and unacceptable forms of violence, especially where the molding of boys into 'real men' is concerned.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/30/06
Tim Grierson
L.A. Weekly
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3/5

Solid enough, its main flaw is a sense of restraint -- it never quite ventures into the surreal darkness of the obviously comparable If…

Full Review | comment Comment
03/25/06
Empire Magazine
N/R

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03/25/06
culturevulture.net
Ratings Image
4/5

Director Mikael Hafstrom demonstrates a sure hand with the material and is definitely a talent to keep an eye on.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/24/06
Johnny Butane
Dread Central
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2.5/4

The way it plays out, Evil feeds the audience's bloodlust as much as it decries the worst acts of its characters.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/23/06
Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune
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2.5/4

So unsubtle as to verge on the comical ... this didactic drama is set safely in the past and says nothing about the culture of conformity at all costs that hasn't been said before.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/10/06
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide
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3/4

While it's sometimes obvious, Hafstrom's film is so emotionally satisfying on a gut level -- like Rebel Without a Cause -- that it holds you from start to finish.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/10/06
Timothy Knight
Reel.com
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