Disturbing Behavior

"In Cradle Bay it doesn’t matter if you’re not perfect. You will be."

1998 1h 24m EN

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 442

MysteryHorrorScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Steve Clark is a newcomer in the town of Cradle Bay, and he quickly realizes that there's something odd about his high school classmates. The clique known as the "Blue Ribbons" are the eerie embodiment of academic excellence and clean living. But, like the rest of the town, they're a little too perfect. When Steve's rebellious friend Gavin mysteriously joins their ranks, Steve searches for the truth with fellow misfit Rachel.

“In Cradle Bay it doesn’t matter if you’re not perfect. You will be.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

fuboTVSubscription

MGM+ Amazon ChannelSubscription

PhiloSubscription

MGM Plus Roku Premium ChannelSubscription

MGM PlusSubscription

Fandango At HomeRent

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

James Marsden
Steve Clark
Katie Holmes
Rachel Wagner
Nick Stahl
Gavin Strick
Bruce Greenwood
Dr. Edgar Caldicott
William Sadler
Newberry
Chad Donella
U.V.
Katharine Isabelle
Lindsay Clark
Tobias Mehler
Andy

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: David Nutter
Writers: Scott Rosenberg
Languages: English
Countries: Australia, United States of America, Canada

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

28 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Australia, United States of America, Canada.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by David Nutter, shot by John S. Bartley. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mark Snow. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Randy Jon Morgan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

James Marsden and Katie Holmes and Nick Stahl carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "In Cradle Bay it doesn’t matter if you’re not perfect. You will be.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

David Nutter directs. John S. Bartley behind the camera. Mark Snow scores. Randy Jon Morgan cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in Australia, United States of America, Canada. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
228 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 3 countries: Australia, United States of America, Canada.
4Directed by David Nutter, shot by John S. Bartley. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Mark Snow. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Randy Jon Morgan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7James Marsden and Katie Holmes and Nick Stahl carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "In Cradle Bay it doesn’t matter if you’re not perfect. You will be.".
9IMDB entry: tt0134619 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 17 themes, including "mind control", "high school", "suicide", "island".

The technical file

Cinematography: John S. Bartley
Original score: Mark Snow
Editing: Randy Jon Morgan
Production design: Nelson Coates
Costume design: Trish Keating
Makeup / hair: Serge Lavigueur
Sound: Stephen Hunter Flick
Stunt coordinator: J.J. Makaro
Runtime: 84 min · 1h 24m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $15,000,000
Box office: $17,514,980
Return: 117% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Disturbing Behavior (1998)

Also by

David Nutter

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2019-08-02
★ 7/10
The Stepford Teens, sort of When a Chicago family moves to an island in the Puget Sound, Washington, Steve (James Marsden) encounters the usual cliques at his new high school, but there’s something odd about the Blue Ribbon Club, a circle of high-achieving students who get a pass from the police when they screw-up. Nick Stahl plays Steve’s new friend, Katie Holmes a potential girlfriend and Katharine Isabelle his sister. Bruce Greenwood is on hand as a dubious school psychologist. The set-up of “Disturbing Behavior” (1998) is similar to the same in “Twilight” (2008), but there are no vampires and werewolves. I won’t say more about the plot, except that it includes elements of Dr. Frankenstein and “The Stepford Wives” (1975). This isn’t really giving much away as the movie telegraphs everything from the get-go and so is kind of predictable. Yet the Great Northwest locations are spectacular, the cast is good, particularly Marsden and Stahl, and the story is compelling enough. It’s just laden by a been-there, done-that vibe. Still, it’s way superior to the similar “The Faculty” (1998), not to mention more serious. It’s also arguably better than comparable flicks from the time period, like “Scream” (1996), “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997), “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” (1998), “Urban Legend” (1998), “Jawbreaker” (1999) and “Final Destination” (2000). “Bad Girls from Valley High” is on par (which was shot in 1999, but not released until 2005). The original length was 115 minutes, about 32 minutes longer than the released version, but producers found it too long and so cut out scenes that supposedly helped the movie to make more sense. Personally, I didn’t feel the movie was hard to grasp and never felt lost. But the last act needed more finesse because it does seem awkward and rushed; for instance, the mental hospital sequence flashes by so quickly you might miss it if you blink. The film runs 1 hour, 23 minutes, and was shot in the Vancouver area, British Columbia, including Bowen Island. GRADE: B

Production companies