Solid enough, its main flaw is a sense of restraint -- it never quite ventures into the surreal darkness of the obviously comparable If…
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03/25/06
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Evil (2003)
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Reviews Counted:34
Fresh:23
Rotten:11
Average Rating:6.6/10
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Genre: Dramas
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... [More]
Starring: Jesper Salen, Andreas Wilson, Henrik Lunstrom, Gustaf Skarsgård
Director: Mikael Håfström
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Reviews for Evil
A morally complex tale of the 'class' struggle, set in a 1950s boarding school.
06/10/05
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.
06/11/06
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.
07/11/06
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.
09/17/07
Wilson is a powerful presence as the slow-burning but, when roused, very violent Erik, while Lundstrom movingly portrays the vulnerable Pierre.
03/09/06
Although Evil eventually suffers from its heavy-handed treatment of its subject, it is a well-made and engrossing melodrama.
03/10/06
It's assured filmmaking and proof that school isn't always the best days of your life.
06/21/05
Movies like Evil entertain us by serving sweet revenge on a platter, and director Mikael Håfström manipulates emotions more intelligently than most.
03/31/06
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.
03/31/06
There are better films tackling similar issues, but Evil is a confident and well-told drama full of wonderful promise from both director and stars alike.
07/05/05
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.
03/31/06
Top CriticDirector Mikael Hafstrom demonstrates a sure hand with the material and is definitely a talent to keep an eye on.
03/24/06
A charismatic teen controlling his power and meeting physical and mental cruelty with disciplined resistance and submission to pain makes this a penetrating character study.
02/15/04
The second half of 'Evil' takes this genre into new and challenging territory.
04/12/06
It's Fight Club in a boarding school. It's Dead Poets without the superhero teacher. It's Good Will Hunting with a lot more bloodletting.
03/04/04
Embora moralmente confuso, o filme funciona ao acompanhar o fortalecimento psicológico do protagonista – e os jovens atores são excepcionais.
04/21/05
Watching this time bomb tick away is never less than riveting.
03/08/06
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.
03/30/06
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.
03/10/06
Latest News for Evil
March 09, 2006:
Cusack Checks In to King's "1408"
Popular actor John Cusack has signed on to star in the movie adaptation of Stephen King's short story "1408," says Variety. The story, which is available on King's... More...
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