PopHorror Let's Get Scared
The 1990s were a roller coaster of a time for the horror genre. From the lackluster franchise sequels in the early 90s to the reinvigoration of the craft through Wes Craven’s Scream in 1996, the decade went out with a bevy of underrated entries. One of the greatest forgotten gems of that time is 1998’s Disturbing Behavior. Though it found a cult audience through physical media later, this movie didn’t get the respect it deserved when it first debuted on July 24, 1998. Now that Disturbing Behavior turns twenty-five years old, let’s take a look at what makes it age like fine wine.
Disturbing Behavior was written by Scott Rosenberg (Venom 2018) and directed by David Nutter (The X Files TV series). It stars James Marsden (X-Men 2000), Katie Holmes (Dawson’s Creek TV Series), and Nick Stahl (Sin City 2005). The story revolves around the picturesque town of Cradle Bay, where the apparent eutopia is a little more forced than it seems. As Steve’s family moves into town, he starts to see the clear divide in the cliques at his new school, and he comes to find that there’s something sinister behind the “Blue Ribbon” overachiever crew. Perfection always comes at a cost, but in Cradle Bay, it may cost you your mind, personality, and free will.
The acting is on point here. Notably, the innocent Steve (Rosenberg), the rebellious Rachel (Holmes), and the loner Gavin (Stahl) have great chemistry. They gel very well through good pacing and shiningly sarcastic dialogue, as this unlikely trio tries to stop the mind control experiment run by the adults at school. We get to see some character layers, as some normally independent people become brainwashed, and some normally fearless people have to watch their friends transform one-by-one. Not only do you get a sense of entrapment as the entire town closes in on the remaining kids, but you feel helpless because the adults have complete control over their potential victims. One of the reasons Disturbing Behavior got buried at the time was that The Faculty (check out our retro review here), a much wider released film with bigger names and a similar premise, came out just five months later.
This film is a bit of a new age update to The Stepford Wives, combined with the teen angst and pacing of I Know What You Did Last Summer. In spite of a great atmosphere, a cool premise, and a talented cast, Disturbing Behavior came out during a barrage of cunning, meta Kevin Williamson flicks. The studio did it no favors either, as they mandated heavy cuts to the film. Thirty-one minutes in total were shaved off for the official release, but dedicated fans have begun locating and piecing that footage back in online.
In any case, Disturbing Behavior is a fun and easy watch that still holds a lot of tension and nostalgia. Its open ending has left its fans begging for a sequel, even twenty-five years later.
