The award-winning Swedish drama Evil plays a neat trick on its audience, turning the brutal bully of the opening scene into a perceptive hero by film's end. We first meet Erik, a sullen teen living in the late '50s, pulverizing the face of a schoolmate. He's expelled for this reprehensible act and transferred to a posh boarding school, which is a run by a group of sadistic upperclassmen. By the end of the film, however, we want nothing more than the reformed Erik — who withstands much physical and mental abuse from his more privileged classmates — to open a super-sized can of whup-ass on his tormentors. It's a riveting morality tale that's both provocative and cathartic.
Fri., June 16, 7 p.m.; Sun., June 18, 9 p.m.
