Best movie ever!

Admirable film.

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Sidney Lumet's fascinating, ambiguous fight between good and evil. Robert Preston and James Mason are teachers at a Catholic school for boys fighting for the collective soul of the student body. On the surface, Preston is the angelic one, while Mason is evil incarnate...that shifts as new teacher Beau Bridges slowly unravels what's really going on. The film is slow but never lethargic with terrific performances by Preston and Bridges and an absolutely brilliant turn by Mason (he hasn't been this neurotic and pathetic since LOLITA). Preston was reportedly a last minute replacement for Marlon Brando and, while he seems the least likely choice, he pulls off this dramatic role with ease.

Chances are you will never have an opportunity to see this film as it hasn't been on TV for ages. However, I wouldn't say it is as bad as some of the comments. I thought it was well acted, but the ending left the viewer confused about exactly what had happened with the boys. The fates of two of the three major characters are also left to the viewer's imagination. Robert Preston and James Mason made interesting foils. Mason managed to make his character a man to be despised and pitied. Preston was also quite capable in his role - all sweetness and light with increasingly malevolent undertones.If it had been as dull as described in some of the other comments, I probably wouldn't have been able to stay awake since I watched it in the wee hours of the AM.

I haven't seen this in years but here's what I remember.Dull horror film about the strange behavior of students at an all boys school. James Mason as a teacher thinks Robert Preston (another teacher) is trying to drive him out (or crazy). Beau Bridges tries to figure it all out.You think that a film which has young students attacked (one is blinded, another is tied up and hung from a statue) might at least be disturbing...but it's not. It's dull, slow and it's pretty obvious who the villain is (he's always lit to look evil). Also, for a PG film, this is pretty grim stuff. It all leads to an unsatisfying ending which never truly explains what's going on. Also Preston, Mason and Bridges are at their worst. I caught this on TV years ago and had trouble staying awake! A rightfully forgotten horror film. Skip it.

Sidney Lumet manages to engender great tension in this curious tale about a group of satan like kids and one of their masters. Reasonable acting with an intelligent script produces satisfactory results.The only thing missing here is a lack of focus on the mechanics of how the boys behaviour is merely down to a local cult or if something more sinister is at work; however it may have been the writers intention to leave us in two minds regarding this aspect.Definitely worth watching