Apt Pupil (1998): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch
Apt Pupil is a 1998 drama thriller directed by Bryan Singer, starring Ian McKellen and Brad Renfro. It is partly based on Different Seasons by Stephen King. It runs 1 hour 51 minutes and earned $8.9 million worldwide. It earned 3 award nominations, including Best Director at the Saturn Awards 1999. Critics gave it 54% on Rotten Tomatoes and 53 on Metacritic. Stream it on Tubi TV, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 51m (111 min)
- Director
- Bryan Singer
- Original language
-
English - Based on
- Different Seasons by Stephen King
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Apt Pupil About?
The premise of Apt Pupil without spoilers, adapted from Different Seasons by Stephen King. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A teenage boy develops a disturbing fascination with a former Nazi living in his town. The older man, burdened by a dark past, finds himself drawn into the boy’s intense interest. Their unusual relationship becomes increasingly complex, blurring the boundaries between captor and captive as a sinister secret is revealed, challenging the quiet facade of their community.
Apt Pupil Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- nazi
- blackmail
- war criminal
- old man
- holocaust
- homosexual subtext
- murder
- obsession
- teenager
- based on the works of stephen king
- bare chested male
- male rear nudity
+38 more Show fewer
- nudity
- male nudity
- fellatio
- ex nazi
- cat
- innocent person killed
- anti semitism
- teenage sex
- father son relationship
- cruelty
- student
- nazism
- teenage boy
- year 1984
- heart attack
- falling down stairs
- basement
- knife in back
- tunnel
- guidance counselor
- secret
- shower
- locker room
- 1980s
- nazi uniform
- two word title
- man wears eyeglasses
- older man teenage boy relationship
- ginger cat
- death
- sociological
- suburb
- elite
- sociology teacher
- sociologist
- sociology
- cartoon on tv
- newspaper article
Where to Watch Apt Pupil
Stream it on Tubi TV, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Stream 1
Tubi TV 
Streaming availability in the US, powered by 
Apt Pupil Cast
Ian McKellen leads the cast, with Brad Renfro. Directed by Bryan Singer.
-
Director Bryan Singer
Apt Pupil Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Apt Pupil 54% on Rotten Tomatoes and 53 on Metacritic.
-
Rotten Tomatoes 54% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 56%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 53 Metascore
User score 6.6
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 65% User score
See on TMDB
Apt Pupil Plot Summary
What happens in Apt Pupil from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In the sun-soaked suburbs of Southern California during the pivotal year of 1984, a seemingly average and curious sixteen-year-old high school student named Todd Bowden stumbles upon a shocking secret about his reclusive and elderly neighbor, Arthur Denker. As it turns out, this old man is actually Kurt Dussander, a former Nazi Obersturmbannführer who has evaded justice and is now a fugitive war criminal. Driven by a dark fascination for the heinous activities of the Nazis during World War II, Todd resorts to blackmail when he threatens to expose Dussander’s true identity, compelling the old man to share harrowing tales of the death camps.
Full summary
The whole story of Apt Pupil, scene by scene
Apt Pupil Box Office
Apt Pupil grossed $8.9 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$8.9M
- US & Canada
- $8.9M
Apt Pupil Awards & Nominations
Apt Pupil earned 3 award nominations, including Best Director at the Saturn Awards 1999.
3 nominations1 ceremony
-
Saturn Awards 1999 3 nominations- Nominated Best Director
- Nominated Best Performance by a Younger Actor/Actress
- Nominated Best Writing
Apt Pupil Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Apt Pupil.
How Well Do You Know Apt Pupil?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the real identity of Arthur Denker?
Cars in Apt Pupil
7 cars on screen, including the 1982 Chevrolet Celebrity and the Flyer D 901.
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1982 Chevrolet Celebrity Minor role -
Flyer D 901 Minor role -
1983 Volvo 240 Minor role -
1978 Buick Electra 225 Background role
Apt Pupil Also Known As
27 alternative titles, including “El aprendiz” and “L'élève doué”.
- Also known as
-
- El aprendiz
- L'élève doué
- Μαθήματα φόβου
- Golden Boy
- Sommardåd
- Az eminens
- Der Musterschüler
- L'allievo
- Sob Chantagem
- Un Élève doué
- Verano de corrupción
- Способный ученик
+15 more Show fewer
- Савршени ученик
- Den gode elev
- ゴールデンボーイ
- Nadaný žák
- תלמיד מצטיין מדי
- O Aprendiz
- Ölümcül Sır
- Прилежен ученик
- Uczeń szatana
- 纳粹追凶
- 죽음보다 무서운 비밀
- Mallioppilas
- Influență nefastă, ნიჭიერი მოსწავლე
- Здібний учень
- Savršeni učenik
Seen Apt Pupil?
Movies Like Apt Pupil
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Boy, The Reader and Child’s Play.
Apt Pupil FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings and the book behind it of Apt Pupil, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Apt Pupil?
Apt Pupil runs 1 hour 51 minutes (111 minutes).
When was Apt Pupil released?
Apt Pupil was released on October 23, 1998.
Who directed Apt Pupil?
Apt Pupil was directed by Bryan Singer.
More films by Bryan Singer Who is in the cast of Apt Pupil?
Apt Pupil stars Ian McKellen and Brad Renfro.
Where can I watch Apt Pupil?
In the US, Apt Pupil is streaming on Tubi TV and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
How much did Apt Pupil make at the box office?
Apt Pupil grossed $8.9 million worldwide.
How is Apt Pupil rated?
Apt Pupil has 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, 53 on Metacritic and 65% on TMDB.
Is Apt Pupil based on a book?
Yes. Apt Pupil is partly adapted from Different Seasons by Stephen King.
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