Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Stockholm, in the 1950s. Erik is expelled from the local school for getting into one brawl too many. To protect Erik from his violent stepfather’s reaction to his expulsion, Erik's mother arranges for Erik to spend a year at Stjärnsberg Boarding School, the only school willing to accept him. This is Erik's last chance to graduate to Upper School and he promises his mother, for his and her sake, to do all he can to stay out of trouble.
Evil (2003) is a solid Swedish drama adaptation of Jan Guillou's autobiographical novel. The film handles the bullying and institutional oppression themes with sincerity and emotional weight, though the narrative arc — outsider resists corrupt authority at a rigid boarding school — follows a well-worn path. The acting is competent and restrained, with Andreas Wilson delivering a credible lead performance, but no one transcends the material. The cinematography is functional and period-appropriate without being visually distinctive. The boarding school setting and themes of institutionalized violence echo many predecessors, making novelty a weak point. The ending provides emotional resolution but doesn't subvert expectations in any meaningful way.