Evil

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Evil

2003,

1h 53m,

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

67%

36 Reviews

Tomatometer

87%

10,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

36 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Erik Ponti's home life is a nightmare. His abusive stepfather subjects him to systematic beatings while his terrified mother turns a blind eye. When Erik is expelled from school for pummeling an innocent boy, he is sent to an elite boarding school that seems the picture of tranquility. But the school is run by a brutal group of upperclassmen who routinely beat and humiliate weaker students.

Critics Consensus

Evil's attempts to unpack the causes and effects of violence aren't always successful, but the well-acted end result still has an unsettling impact.

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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

May 5, 2006

2.5/4

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

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

Apr 1, 2006

1.5/5

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

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Jeff Shannon

Seattle Times

Mar 31, 2006

2.5/4

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

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Miles Fielder

The List

Apr 24, 2019

3/5

It's a handsomely mounted film that's very cinematic with its visual styling.... And in its lead, model and actor Wilson, Evil has a charismatic and strappingly handsome protagonist.

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Louis Proyect

rec.arts.movies.reviews

Feb 28, 2012

A powerful tale of boarding school repression based on a novel written by a Swede very much in the Stieg Larsson mold.

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Christopher Campbell

Cinematical

Sep 17, 2007

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.

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Han L

May 23, 2009

Swedish film finds a tormented youngster bullied and abused by his step-father and getting into fights in order to cope. When he's expelled too many times, his mother sacrifices her family heirlooms in order to get him into boarding school. But the boarding school's student hierarchy is brutish and corrupt, pushing him to his limits. The film's themes of civilization, savagery, humanity, are all apparent in this coming of age film with some very good cathartic moments.

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Mikael Håfström

Director

Andreas Wilson

Erik Ponti

Henrik Lundström

Pierre Tanguy

Gustaf Skarsgård

Otto Silverhielm

Linda Zilliacus

Marja

Marie Richardson

Mother

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Synopsis

Erik Ponti's home life is a nightmare. His abusive stepfather subjects him to systematic beatings while his terrified mother turns a blind eye. When Erik is expelled from school for pummeling an innocent boy, he is sent to an elite boarding school that seems the picture of tranquility. But the school is run by a brutal group of upperclassmen who routinely beat and humiliate weaker students.

Director: Mikael Håfström
Producer: Ingemar Leijonborg, Hans Lönnerheden
Screenwriter: Mikael Håfström, Hans Gunnarsson, Jan Guillou
Distributor: Bir Film
Production Co: Moviola Film och Television AB
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Swedish
Release Date (Theaters): May 16, 2003, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 26, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $15.3K
Runtime: 1h 53m

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