Director: Mikael Håfström
Starring: Andreas Wilson, Henrik Lundström, Linda Gyllenberg, Gustaf Skarsgård, Jesper Salén, Marie Richardson, Johan Rabaeus

- Reviewed by Vickie

A fascinating phenomenon occurred during the screening of Evil that I attended. There was a palpable, visceral reaction brewing within the audience as the film progressed. You could feel it in the air in the theatre.

And it was totally cool.

The drama follows violent teen Erik (Andreas Wilson), who's beaten at home by his stepfather and transfers that violence onto others at school. When he's kicked out for fighting, Erik is sent to a prestigious academy (read: fancy reform school) where, he vows, he will focus on his studies and renounce his formerly violent ways. He will channel his energy into good grades instead of pummeling others. Of course, Erik is barely there for a heartbeat when he's targeted by the snotty rich kids in the upper grades. His resistance to their attempts at getting him upset only fuel them further as they push and push and push in a bid to get him to crack. All the while, it becomes harder and harder for Erik to stick to his pacifist plan.

Director Mikael Håfström does a fantastic job of turning up the tension a notch at a time. He opens the film by showing Erik beating the stuffing out of a classmate in a scene that had many people cringing at its brutality. He makes it clear that Erik is a powerful fighter who could likely wipe the floor with any opponent. So, as the action unfolds and Erik endures the torment of his peers, the very same audience that shook its collective head at his violence at the outset now desperately wants him to unleash his rage and give his snotty oppressors their comeuppance. That dramatic turnaround in opinion ("Ew! Erik is evil and violent!" to "Come on, Erik! Pound them into oblivion!") was remarkable and is a testament to how well the film is executed. A misstep could have derailed it completely.

Carefully nuanced and wonderfully acted by Wilson (who's destined to become a heartthrob with his brooding good looks and raw talent) in his feature film debut, Evil is a clever look at the nature of violence and its repercussions. It's a terrific film with some exceptional performances, including those of Gustaf Skarsgård (as the ascot-wearing leader of the rich kids) and Henrik Lundström (as Erik's nebbish best friend). But a small warning: the violence is graphic and there were many moments that had people looking away. That said, Evil also boasts a powerful emotional journey for both the people on the screen and the ones sitting in the theatre seats.

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