Apt Pupil
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) | Release Date: October 23, 1998 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
53
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
11
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Dallas ObserverJean Oppenheimer
This brutal film borders on the brilliant. Beautifully structured and edited, with a chilling central performance by Ian McKellen and an exceptional score by John Ottman, who also edited the picture, it churns up emotions and leaves the viewer feeling stunned and depleted. Read full review
80
EmpireKim Newman
Not all the plot developments ring true, but moments carry a real chill - even in a coma, McKellen can terrify a fellow patient almost to death - and it has more than enough thought-provoking material to command your interest. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Brought off with such skill and commitment that there isn't any time to snicker at its obviousness. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
It's scariest as a parable about the evil that exists in the hearts of adolescent boys. Read full review
70
The New York TimesJanet Maslin
Both actors play their roles so trickily that tensions escalate until the horror grows unimaginatively gothic. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
Largely free of generic horror-movie elements, such as exploitative torture and murder scenes. Those it does contain draw attention to the difference between the conventions of psychological drama and those of pulp horror. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
It's not perfect King, but it is jarringly close, which these days remains pretty much all one could hope for. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesJack Mathews
Despite the riveting performances of Renfro and McKellen, we're left with classic horror-movie sociopaths, evil-doers without conscience, or much to say about the nature of evil. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Do director Bryan Singer and screenwriter Brandon Boyce really mean to suggest that the roots of genocide lie in homosexual desire? Read full review
60
VarietyTodd McCarthy
A creepy, well-acted story of contagious evil, Apt Pupil has more than enough chilling dramatic scenes to rivet the attention but suffers from some hokey contrivances and underlying insufficiencies of motivation. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
This sensationalistic tale doesn't delve very far into the issues it raises. Read full review
50
Film ThreatMerle Bertrand
A creepy, if disjointed exploration of the nature of evil. But compared to its predecessor, it's also a bit of a disappointment. Read full review
50
NewsweekDavid Ansen
In the end, artifice overwhelms art. Apt Pupil is too serious to work as a genre movie, and too contrived to be taken seriously. [12 October 1998]
50
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Perhaps the most disappointing thing about Apt Pupil is the lack of sustained tension generated by director Bryan Singer. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
No matter how you judge it -- as a strict morality play or simply a psychological thriller -- Apt Pupil just doesn't make the grade. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
When bodies are buried in cellars and cats are thrown into lighted ovens, the film reveals itself as unworthy of its subject matter. Read full review
50
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
Scares, to be sure, which is certainly one promise on which it delivers. But the film offers little insight into what it seems to be saying is essentially a mundane fact of life: When one devil leaves the world, there is always another one waiting just outside the door. Read full review
40
Washington PostStephen Hunter
Ultimately the movie disintegrates due to its own clumsiness. It's far too coincidence-driven to be believable. Read full review
30
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Heartless piece of ill will. Read full review
30
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
McKellen is fine, of course, but the film as a whole offers about as much insight into evil as Ming The Merciless in a “Flash Gordon” serial. Read full review
30
The New YorkerDavid Denby
Overwrought and unpleasant nonsense. Read full review
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