Apt Pupil (film)
Apt Pupil is a 1998 American psychological thriller film based on the 1982 novella of the same name by Stephen King. The film was directed by Bryan Singer and stars Ian McKellen and Brad Renfro. Set in the 1980s in southern California, the film tells the story of high school student Todd Bowden (Renfro), who discovers a fugitive Nazi war criminal, Kurt Dussander (McKellen), living in his neighborhood under a pseudonym. Bowden, obsessed with Nazism and the Holocaust, persuades Dussander to share his stories, and their relationship stirs malice in each of them. Singer has called Apt Pupil "a study in cruelty", with Nazism serving as a vehicle to demonstrate the capacity of evil.
| Apt Pupil | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Bryan Singer |
| Screenplay by | Brandon Boyce |
| Based on | Apt Pupil by Stephen King |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Newton Thomas Sigel |
| Edited by | John Ottman |
| Music by | John Ottman |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $14 million |
| Box office | $8.9 million (US) |
The film was released in the United States and Canada in October 1998 to mixed reviews and made under $9 million. The main actors won several minor awards for their performances.