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IMDbPro

Apprentice to Murder

  • 1988
  • PG-13
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
5.0/10
862
YOUR RATING
Mia Sara, Donald Sutherland, and Chad Lowe in Apprentice to Murder (1988)
DramaHorrorMysteryThriller

The small beautiful Pennsylvania Dutch community is rocked by a series of bizarre events which lead to a web of deception, violence and murder. Apprentice to Murder is a story of infatuation... Read allThe small beautiful Pennsylvania Dutch community is rocked by a series of bizarre events which lead to a web of deception, violence and murder. Apprentice to Murder is a story of infatuation with love, dreams, and out-of-world temptations.The small beautiful Pennsylvania Dutch community is rocked by a series of bizarre events which lead to a web of deception, violence and murder. Apprentice to Murder is a story of infatuation with love, dreams, and out-of-world temptations.

  • Director
    • Ralph L. Thomas
  • Writers
    • Wesley Moore
    • Allan Scott
  • Stars
    • Donald Sutherland
    • Chad Lowe
    • Mia Sara
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.0/10
    862
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Ralph L. Thomas
    • Writers
      • Wesley Moore
      • Allan Scott
    • Stars
      • Donald Sutherland
      • Chad Lowe
      • Mia Sara
    • 14User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos37

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    Top Cast23

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    Donald Sutherland
    Donald Sutherland
    • John Reese
    Chad Lowe
    Chad Lowe
    • Billy Kelly
    Mia Sara
    Mia Sara
    • Alice Spangler
    Knut Husebø
    • Lars Hoeglin
    Rutanya Alda
    Rutanya Alda
    • Elma Kelly
    Eddie Jones
    Eddie Jones
    • Tom Kelly
    Mark Burton
    • Clay Myers
    Adrian Sparks
    Adrian Sparks
    • Irwin Myers
    Tiger Haynes
    • Rufus
    Minnie Gentry
    • Mam Isobel
    Blain Fairman
    Blain Fairman
    • Foreman
    Mert Hatfield
    Mert Hatfield
    • Sheriff
    Keith Edwards
    • Cop 1
    Chris Langman
    • Patterson
    Lars Hiller
    • Prouty
    Ed Wiley
    Ed Wiley
    • Mr. Krieglander
    Agnete G. Haaland
    • Mrs. Krieglander
    Irina Eidsvold
    • Jessica
    • Director
      • Ralph L. Thomas
    • Writers
      • Wesley Moore
      • Allan Scott
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews14

    5.0862
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    Featured reviews

    10pascal-francaix

    Underrated

    A very fine movie, totally underrated. Despite a bad box for the DVD edition, this is NOT a "horror flick", but a greatly interesting and subtle approach of a strange and complex relationship between an influenced young man (Lowe) and a disturbed pow-wow-preacher, tortured by his secret fears -- and desires... Homosexual implications, wonderful camera work, and great musical score by Charles Gross. There is a magic in this movie, which places it somewhere between "The Night of the hunter" and "The Reflecting skin". Felicitations to R.L. Thomas. Oh !... and Donald Sutherland is memorable !... His performance is suave, well balanced, and constantly precise.
    7skallisjr

    Strange, but Based on Fact

    This film was based loosely on a bizarre murder investigation and subsequent trial in Pennsylvania. At the time, in the 1920s, backwoods Pennsylvania had folk-medicine healers called Pow-Wows, and the film involves one. These healers relied on a book, "Long Lost Friend," written by a George Hohmann, that was full of prayers and folk remedies based on a form of sympathetic magic, that were supposed to cure ailments and the like.

    The Sutherland character is a Pow-Wow, and a youngster, played by Lucas Haas, becomes his apprentice. A series of bad events takes place in the community, and the Pow-Wow suspects a neighboring farmer, culminating in the murder.

    Significant Spoiler: The film is ambivalent on the nature of the Pow-Wow's power, and leads the viewer in one direction, and then suddenly reverses itself. This weakness could have been sidestepped easily. It would have been a better film if it had.
    6gridoon

    Minor item.

    If you're planning to watch this simply because you're a Donald Sutherland fan, don't bother. He isn't likely to impress you with his mediocre performance here. As the for the film itself, it's watchable but very minor. It manages to remain reasonably interesting most of the way, but it doesn't have many surprises to offer and it MOVES LIKE MOLASSES!
    5tjff77

    Filmed in Bergen, Norway

    Just want to ad that much of the movie is filmed at the west coast of Norway and in the city Bergen.

    I probably liked the movie because of that... The buildings and landscape fits the movie well. Based on how religious some people were in some areas at the west coast (maybe still are), and how strong some believe in the super-natural, the story gets a good framing from the Norwegian nature.

    Some of the landscapes are probably gone to day, farming areas are becoming suburbs, and the cities are growing. But you may still find some buildings, and the scenes from the center of Bergen are almost identical to day.
    7Wuchakk

    Caught between a charismatic healer and a beautiful girl in late 1920s' Pennsylvania

    Shot in September-November, 1986, this is a psychological drama and supernatural thriller based on a true story that took place in the Pennsylvania Dutch community southeast of York in late November, 1928. The case involved the practice of Braucherei or powwow, which was their brand of folk medicine. The book "The Long Lost Friend" was their manual, written by powwower Johann Georg Hohman (published in 1820).

    Donald Sutherland is effective as the fascinating healer with a Christian garnishment while Chad Lowe works well as the naïve protagonist in a John Boy Walton kind of way. Meanwhile Mia Sara is stunning, fresh off her success with "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

    The tone is lyrical with slight supernatural bits curiously thrown into the mix. It's an oddity that makes comparisons difficult, but there are fragments reminiscent of films like "Rachel, Rachel," "The Exorcist," "Picnic at Hanging Rock," "The Seventh Sign," "The Apostle" and "The Skeleton Key." This ranks with the least of 'em due to the ambiguity of the proceedings, but there's enough good here for those interested.

    Speaking of the supernatural bits, are they for real or is it a depiction of events through a schizophrenic lens? The movie leaves it up to the viewer to decide.

    I should add that Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs are included in the story, but they're oddly called "hexagrams" for some unknown reason.

    It runs 1 hour, 33 minutes, and was shot in Nygardsparken in Bergen, southwest Norway, as well as Osteroy, just north of there. The house in the story stands to this day and is located at Rehmeyer's Hollow, which is located 14 miles southeast of York, just a couple miles east of I-83.

    GRADE: B-/B.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Released on star maker vhs in Canada who did several direct to video movies in Canada
    • Connections
      Referenced in Hex Hollow: Witchcraft and Murder in Pennsylvania (2015)

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    FAQ16

    • How long is Apprentice to Murder?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • 1989 (Norway)
    • Countries of origin
      • Canada
      • United States
      • Norway
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Long Lost Friend
    • Filming locations
      • Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
    • Production companies
      • New World Pictures
      • Hot International A/S
      • K/S LLF Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Gross US & Canada
      • $466,369
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 37m(97 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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