SYNOPSIS
Based on the novella by Stephen King, director Bryan Singer’s follow-up to THE USUAL SUSPECTS is a harrowing psychological thriller about the relationship that forms between a boy and the neighbor he discovers is a Nazi war criminal. After a brief lesson in history class, star pupil Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro) becomes obsessed with Hitler and his followers. Through extensive research, he discovers that the infamous Kurt Dussender (Sir Ian McKellen) has been hiding out, living a normal life in his own neighborhood. But instead of reporting Dussender to the authorities, Todd decides to use him to gain further knowledge…everything that the history books won’t tell him. But who ends up using whom, and what happens when a susceptible young mind encounters true evil, leads to a surprising, taught, and unsettling suspense film.
Interested in the novella since he was 19, Singer worked closely with screenwriter Brandon Boyce to bring this compelling story to the screen. Filled with the same touches that are hallmarks of his previous films–careful editing, use of small spaces to evoke tense atmospherics, terrific cinematography, and stellar acting–the film is a disturbing exploration into the seductively dark side of human nature.
