Evil
A Swedish teenager confronts a boarding school’s violent code of discipline while struggling to break free from the violence that shaped him.
Overview
A gripping tale of resilience and rebellion against a brutal system of oppression.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- unsettling
- serious
- oppressive
- focused evening viewing
- social issue film night
What critics said
Critics generally find the film well acted and unsettling, even though its examination of the causes and effects of violence is not always fully successful.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Erik enters a boarding school where older students use systematic humiliation and violence to discipline younger pupils.
The school’s senior students and administrators protect a disciplinary system built on rank, silence, and coercion.
Erik’s history of fighting and his new struggle against institutional abuse directly frame the film’s concern with violence’s causes and effects.
The private boarding school’s traditions and protected upper-class hierarchy make abuse appear normal and untouchable.
Films like Evil, and why
The History Boys
shared boarding-school setting, institutional cruelty, class hierarchy, and psychologically intense coming-of-age drama
Dead Poets Society
shared adolescent protagonists, oppressive educational institutions, mentorship, and emotionally serious social critique
The Class
shared themes of bullying, abuse, moral resistance, and the corrosive effects of institutional power
The White Ribbon
shared European period atmosphere, authoritarian social structures, youth rebellion, and stark black-and-white moral conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- Mikael Håfström
- Release Date
- 2003-09-16
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (414)
Cast
- Andreas Wilson
- Henrik Lundström
- Gustaf Skarsgård
- Linda Zilliacus
- Jesper Salén
- Mats Bergman
- Johan Rabaeus
- Marie Richardson
- Lennart Hjulström
- Björn Granath
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Warriors and Gangsters Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Evil about?
- A Swedish teenager confronts a boarding school’s violent code of discipline while struggling to break free from the violence that shaped him.
- What is Evil like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Evil as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Evil violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Evil as moderate.
- What did critics think of Evil?
- Critics generally find the film well acted and unsettling, even though its examination of the causes and effects of violence is not always fully successful.
- Which films are like Evil?
- Films with a similar feel include The History Boys, Dead Poets Society, The Class, and The White Ribbon.
- How long is Evil?
- Evil runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch Evil?
- In United States, Evil streams on Warriors and Gangsters Amazon Channel.
