53
Metascore
21 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Dallas ObserverJean OppenheimerDallas ObserverJean OppenheimerThis 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.
- 80EmpireKim NewmanEmpireKim NewmanNot 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.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleBrought off with such skill and commitment that there isn't any time to snicker at its obviousness.
- 70The New York TimesJanet MaslinThe New York TimesJanet MaslinBoth actors play their roles so trickily that tensions escalate until the horror grows unimaginatively gothic.
- 67Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovAustin ChronicleMarc SavlovIt's not perfect King, but it is jarringly close, which these days remains pretty much all one could hope for.
- 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.
- 50Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittThis sensationalistic tale doesn't delve very far into the issues it raises.
- 50Film ThreatMerle BertrandFilm ThreatMerle BertrandA creepy, if disjointed exploration of the nature of evil. But compared to its predecessor, it's also a bit of a disappointment.
- 50NewsweekDavid AnsenNewsweekDavid AnsenIn 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]
- 50ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliPerhaps the most disappointing thing about Apt Pupil is the lack of sustained tension generated by director Bryan Singer.