Evil (2003)

Academy Awards, USA 2004

Nominated Oscar

Best Foreign Language Film Sweden.

Columbia TriStar (Sweden)
Directed by Mikael Håfström
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Magnolia Pictures)

A misfit is juggled from school to school for fighting, a result of his abuse at home at the hands, and whips, of his brutal father. At his latest boarding school, seniors relentlessly torment the younger students. It goes far beyond the usual hazing to include grotesque acts, forced labor and finally rigged fist fights when all else fails. The new boy makes waves by winning the school swimming championship and refusing to bow to the demands of the seniors. They use his romance with a kitchen girl to get him expelled, but that is not the end of it. One has to wonder where are all the teachers as this is happening? They are occasionally glimpsed eating together at a table, but even when a student is beaten to a pulp right next to them they seem unmoved. Only the swimming coach seems to have any clue as to what is happening. Anyway, violence seems to be the only thing anyone understands, leading to a rather bleak and depressing film.