⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5

Occasionally a low-budget and almost art-house film in presentation can show huge potential. A unique dark comedy drama with Saoirse Ronan as teacher Maria who is pushed to the limit and accidentally kidnaps a wayward pupil – Danny (played by Eddie Waller). After some unfortunate events, Maria panics and must now find her way dealing with holding Danny in her basement.

Saoirse Ronan is particularly excellent, capturing the journey of Maria and how she changes as her confidence grows and deals with associated issues along the way. Eddie Waller also captures the disruptive school pupil in brilliant fashion.

The supporting story, pacing, cinematography, and sound are all excellent. This is a unique film with very British humour that provides perfect entertainment for the first hour. My disappointment is that when Danny’s fellow pupil Pauline (played by Nis Brown) regularly appears at the house, the story pacing slows. A film that up to that point felt like a 5 star review quickly lost its edge. This is no fault of the actor, but the story losing its way and becoming too far-fetched when concluding.

Throughout the film, it has to be said that the sound is excellent and enhances the production hugely. The opening cinematography is also fantastic, cementing this as a wonderfully dark and surreal piece despite its later stumbles.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5

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Trailer, synopsis and score below.

In Jonatan Etzler’s dark satirical thriller Bad Apples, Saoirse Ronan stars as Maria, a dedicated primary school teacher pushed to her absolute breaking point by Danny, an exceptionally disruptive, violent, and foul-mouthed student. Following a volatile incident that leaves another pupil injured, a panicked Maria accidentally knocks Danny unconscious and, in a rash moment of desperation, locks him in her basement to save her career and restore order to her classroom. As she attempts to manage her double life—secretly feeding and tutoring the boy at home while teaching normally—she becomes increasingly unmoored upon discovering that the school community and parents are strangely indifferent to his sudden disappearance, preferring the peaceful status quo over his return.

Online synopsis 

Film Rating

Music/Sound

5 out of 5

Story/plot

4 out of 5

Acting/Performances

4 out of 5

Overall

3.5 out of 5

Certification: 15
Running time: 100 minutes
Screening type: 2D