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Apt Pupil

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  • Cry for the Devil: Kurt Dussander may be an unrepentant Nazi, but there's something pitiable about how, when he's in the hospital and gives away all of his cards to Todd in informing him he has no blackmail information on him, all but begs Todd him to stay with him until he falls asleep. It drives home that, for all of Dussander's evil, he is still an old man alone in the world.
    • In the novels, Dussander even privately admits to being pleased with Todd's unrelenting fascination and company, due to his extreme isolation wearing away at him.
  • Funny Moments:
    • Doubles with Crosses the Line Twice, when Todd is unexpectedly called into Edward French's office, he finds Kurt Dussander impersonating his grandfather. Adding to his priceless expression, Dussander tells the guidance counsellor that Todd had come to him "in tears" about his family's home situation, Todd remains open-mouthed for the rest of the interview.
      • There's something funny about how blissfully unaware the guidance counsellor is that kindly Mr. Bowden isn't Todd's grandfather, but a genocidal totalitarian. He even consolingly speaks to Todd, informing that "your grandfather and I" have made a decision, and Todd and Dussander can't help Eye Take at that.
      • Todd, as he learns more and more the cover story Dussander gave without his knowledge or permission, repeatedly glances sideways at Dussander, such as when Dussander fictitiously claims his mother has a drinking problem. Dussander notably looks downwards, as though even he can't look Todd in the eye.
      • The fact that all this is done with Todd being understandably nervous people may find out Dussander is a literal Nazi.
  • Harsher in Hindsight:
    • Todd gets away with it all by blackmailing his guidance counselor, and goes on to college. Bad enough, if less ghastly than a shooting spree, but in the wake of the rise of Neo-Nazism in the US, it's downright sinister.
    • Todd outright says that if his school counselor tells anyone about what happened then Todd would accuse him of sexual advances could be is this in light of the numerous allegations of sexual abuse and rape committed against underage men towards Bryan Singer, some of which happened on this film.
  • Nightmare Fuel: The scene in the film where Todd makes Dussander wear a replica Nazi uniform and do a Nazi march. At first, Dussander plays along just to shut Todd up...but then old habits kick in and Dussander begins goose-stepping and saluting like it's 1940 again, showing how deep the indoctrination still is, while Todd is shouting marching orders at him. When it's over, even the unrepentant Nazi Dussander is shaken, warning Todd "Boy...you play with fire."
  • Overshadowed by Controversy: This film is largely overshadowed by reports that Bryan Singer allegedly preyed upon and sexually abused young cast members on the film, which were revisited when an investigative article published in The Atlantic in early 2019 detailed accusations that Singer molested an extra.
  • Tear Jerker: The old Jewish man who shares Dussander's hospital room notices that his roommate looks familiar, then has a full-blown panic attack when he realizes that it's the same man who murdered his entire family in a concentration camp some forty years ago, still alive and at large. He hurries out of the room as fast as a geriatric old man is capable of and collapses into a nurse's arms, bawling his eyes out.

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