John’s “Disturbing Behavior” flashback review, July 31, 2020
“Disturbing Behavior” – This is the pleasant surprise of the summer movie season. David Nutter’s film is a powerful treatise on a major problem in society and, specifically, high school: The expectation that everyone conform to the arbitrary rules of the establishment. The film begins as a new student (James Marsden) comes to Cradle Bay Island and befriends two classmates (Nick Stahl and Katie Holmes) who also don’t “fit in.” They soon discover that if you’re not “perfect,” you will be, thanks to Frankenstein-like experimentation on the part of the twisted school counselor. The story may seem a little farfetched, but it works because it is rooted in reality. Observe the final scene and ask yourself what the film is saying about society. “Disturbing Behavior” is a chilling, insightful movie. A+
– John Hansen, NDSU Spectrum, Sept. 1, 1998