Name: Retro Film Review: Disturbing Behavior (1998)
Item: Disturbing Behavior
Rating: 50
Author: @drax

(source:tmdb.org)

So many people who used to wear outrageous clothes, practice exotic religions, experiment with illegal substances, flirt with unconventional forms of sexuality, protect environment, reject materialism or have pictures of Mao Zedong and Che Guevara on their bedroom walls now wear ties, own huge houses, drive SUVs, go to church every Sunday and vote for the likes of Reagan, Thatcher and George W. Bush. Whether the same fate awaits today's youth remains to be seen, but at least some Hollywood films suggest that such transformation could be artificially accelerated. That is the concept behind Disturbing Behavior, 1998 science fiction thriller directed by David Nutter.

The plot of the film is set in Cradle Bay, quiet Pacific Northwest community where family of troubled teenager Steve Clark (played by James Marsden) arrived in order to start new life following suicide of Steve's brother. Steve is trying to adjust to new environment and in doing so he befriends two pupils in local high school – drug-abusing and rebellious Gavin Strick (played by Nick Stahl) and attractive Rachel Wagner (played by Katie Holmes). Gavin, who gets increasingly paranoid, warns him about new and powerful school clique - Blue Ribbons, made of well-behaved and impeccably dressed students with highest possible grades. So many former drug addicts, nerds, rebels and nonconformists have joined this clique and Gavin is convinced that this was the result of lobotomy and brainwashing. Steve starts to believe in that only after Gavin himself becomes a Blue Ribbon. He and Rachel desperately try to evade such fate and it seems that the answer for the mystery could be provided by seemingly retarded janitor Dorian Newberry (played by William Sadler).

Many critics compared Disturbing Behavior with The X-Files, which is hardly surprising because the film and TV show share Vancouver locations, director Nutter (responsible for some of the best episodes), composer Mark Snow and writer Howard Gordon (who polished Scott Rosenberg's original script). Those comparisons were usually quite unfavourable to the film, mostly due to cartoonish one-dimensional characters, extensive use of teen film cliches and "trash" elements in the plot (medieval-style mental institutions, power-mad scientists and seemingly impeccable "zombies" being transformed into sex-crazed homicidal maniacs). On the other hand, Nutter knew how to create menacing atmosphere with the clever use of Vancouver locations, Snow's music and young and talented cast, although that cast, with an exception of Nick Stahl, didn't have complex role to play. William Sadler is, on the other hand, quite entertaining in the supporting role.

Disturbing Behavior, however, can't overcome its main problem, based in its very concept - the film is marketed to the teenage audience and, as such, takes rather simplistic views on the issue of non-conformism. Screenwriter Scott Rosenberg claims that the non-conformism is a virtue in itself and everything parents and society stand for - in other words, anything other than teenager's instant self-gratification - is the source of all evil in the world. There is nothing particularly wrong with this worldview, but in this film it is presented with simplicity that insults the very intelligence of the audience Disturbing Behavior is intended for.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on October 19th 2004)