Bad Apples, 2025.
Directed by Jonatan Etzler.
Starring Saoirse Ronan, Eddie Waller, Jacob Anderson, Rakie Ayola, Robert Emms, Sean Gilder.
SYNOPSIS:
A struggling primary school teacher begins to make some questionable decisions after one of her students is injured.
There has been something of an education crisis in the UK for some time now with a shortage of teachers and prominent news stories about the stress caused by Ofsted inspections. This is all packaged together into the black comedy thriller Bad Apples, directed by Jonatan Etzler making his English language debut. Saoirse Ronan stars as Maria, a teacher in over her head, dealing with a troublesome student, causing disruption on the eve of an Ofsted inspection.
With the film set in Somerset, there are numerous references to the local apple orchards and cider-making community, offering multiple interpretations of its title. We start with the class touring a cider factory. It then becomes clear that one of the students has thrown a shoe into the machines, disturbing the trip and sense of calm the opening creates. Danny is one of the most difficult students in Maria’s class, placing more and more strain on her after a string of incidents; her performance is under scrutiny.
It is perhaps best to go into Bad Apples without following the plot, as it takes far more twists and turns than you might expect for a film focused on the UK’s education system and a primary school in rural Somerset. Once it becomes clear where it is going, it is simultaneously hilarious and shocking, striking a neat balance.
It can border on the preposterous, but Ronan, who has proven her chops in films like Lady Bird and See How They Run, keeps things together. She is often overwrought and stressed, selling both the comedic and dramatic elements of the performance to perfection. With so much focus on the school, the film relies on strong child performances, and the newcomers across the cast help keep it on track.
Etzler and screenwriter Jess O’Kane delve into the core issues facing teachers across the UK today, namely a lack of respect from parents and other sectors, as well as inadequate pay. Many who work in the sector will likely feel seen. While it stretches belief at times it offers some important discussion points.
Bad Apples is certainly a singular film, one that may well divide audiences but certainly plays well with a crowd. The tonal balance works for the most part and Saoirse Ronan’s performance elevates what could be a flimsy premise and structure. Maria is someone we’re asked to root for even through some questionable actions, Ronan selling her moral dilemmas. For a film about a rural primary school it is far from the film you’d expect and all the better for it.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Chris Connor
