There is teaching a troublesome kid and then there is TEACHING a troublesome kid. Maria Spencer’s (Saoirse Ronan) life would be so much more satisfying without having to allow for Danny’s (Eddie Waller) violent and disruptive ways. Seemingly permanently angry and uncooperative, he is the ultimate primary school horror child.
As the film opens, on a school excursion, under the supervision of Maria, Danny has thrown one of his runners into an apple sorting machine, gumming up the works. Maria is at her wit’s end and, to add insult to injury, she is on her final warning with head teacher Sylvia (Rakie Ayola), who urges Maria to find a way to control Danny.
Subsequently, he causes mayhem in the classroom and then injures a fellow student. But worse is to follow, as the Year 5 pupil goes on the tear. So it is that with Danny’s father Josh (Robert Emms) too busy and stressed to help, Maria takes drastic measures. It is a “solution” few, if any others, would have thought of, but suddenly Maria’s life in the classroom becomes so much smoother.
That is until her “plan” is uncovered by another student, Pauline (Nia Brown), who tries far too hard to be the teacher’s pet. Then, suddenly, Maria is walking a tightrope.
Helmed by a wonderful performance from Saoirse Ronan, Bad Apples is a deliciously perverse satire, in which the proverbial knife keeps being twisted. While her character steps over the line, Ronan remains measured in her realisation. Eddie Waller brings a manic quality to his depiction of the out-of-control Danny. There’s a glint in the eyes of Nia Brown as Pauline exploits the powerful position in which she finds herself.
Set in Somerset, England, writer Jess O’Kane has skilfully adapted Rasmus Lindgren’s 2020 Swedish debut novel The Unwanted. Director Jonatan Etzler too continues to push the envelope as the situation develops and unravels. He is aided by some evocative cinematography from Nea Asphäll and Chris Roe’s dramatic score.
Bad Apples aims pointed barbs at deep seated structural problems within the education system. Among its targets are underfunding and burnout. If that sounds dry, the movie is anything but. Tantalising, darkly comedic and unexpectedly thrilling, it plays with boundaries. There is a lot to like about how the film evolves and what it has to say about a system under strain. Rated MA, it scores an 8 out of 10.
It will play as part of the British Film Festival, which is on from 28th October to 6th December, 2026. For more information about Bad Apples and all other films in the festival, and to buy tickets, go to https://britishfilmfestival.com.au
Alex First
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- British Film Festival 2020 – movie feature
- On Chesil Beach – movie review
- The Seagull – movie review
Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.
