---
title: "Bad Apples"
year: 2026
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/bad-apples"
fi1m_id: "bad-apples"
imdb_id: "tt29714073"
tmdb_id: 1198654
wikidata_id: "Q125029885"
fi1m_score: 67
critics_score: 71
critics_reviews: 13
published: "2026-09-21"
updated: "2026-10-01T06:01:46.292589+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Bad Apples (2026)

Directed by Jonatan Etzler · 1h 40m · Comedy, Thriller

## Identity

Bad Apples

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/bad-apples
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** bad-apples
- **IMDb ID:** tt29714073
- **TMDB ID:** 1198654
- **Wikidata ID:** Q125029885
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29714073/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1198654, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q125029885

**Fi1m score: 67** · Critics 71 from 13 reviews

*In a sentence:* The class has never been quieter, and nobody at the school gate is asking why

> Jonatan Etzler’s black comedy about a teacher who locks a disruptive pupil in her house is sharp for an hour and increasingly strained after it. Saoirse Ronan holds the whole thing together with a performance of unnerving reasonableness.

## Synopsis

Maria (Saoirse Ronan) teaches a primary school class with one pupil in it who makes the day impossible for everyone else: lessons stop, other children go home crying, and their parents (Jaye Jacobs, Joanna van Kampen and Kirris Riviere among them) want something done. Nothing the school has tried has worked. After an incident we will not detail, Maria ends up with the boy locked in a room in her house, and she goes to work the next morning as if nothing has happened. The class is suddenly calm. Results improve. Sam (Jacob Anderson), the man she lives with, notices she seems lighter. PC Williams (Kerry Howard) starts asking around about a missing child, and Maria discovers how little anyone wants to look closely at a problem that has solved itself.

## Review

Maria (Saoirse Ronan) teaches a primary school class, and one boy in it has made teaching impossible. He is not evil; he is a child, and loud, and nothing anyone in the building has tried has worked. Then something happens that we will keep to ourselves, and Maria finds herself with the boy locked in a room in her house and a class that has gone quiet. Jonatan Etzler’s film, written by Jess O’Kane from Rasmus Lindgren’s novel, is a black comedy about what happens next, and for an hour it is as sharp a thing about schools as we have seen in some time. Then it has to finish, and finishing is where it comes apart.

Ronan is the reason it works for as long as it does. She plays Maria as tidy, tired and entirely reasonable, a woman who has done the reading on behaviour management and found it does not survive contact with the boy. She never raises her voice and never asks us to like her, and the film’s best joke, repeated with variations, is that the calmer she is, the worse what she is doing looks. There is a scene early on where she takes the register the morning after and the classroom is so quiet that the children look up for permission to breathe. We laughed, hard, and then sat with the fact that we had laughed at a classroom that was peaceful because a child was missing from it. That is the film working exactly as intended.

Around her the town settles in. Sam (Jacob Anderson), the man she goes home to, notices she is sleeping better and does not ask why. The parents at the gate (Jaye Jacobs, Joanna van Kampen and Kirris Riviere among them) notice their children have stopped coming home in tears and are pleased about it. Kerry Howard’s PC Williams asks the questions the plot requires and no more. The satire here is precise and unkind: everyone benefits from what Maria has done, so nobody looks at it too closely. O’Kane’s script gives each of these people a small, human reason to keep quiet, and each one is convincing.

Nea Asphäll shoots the school in flat overhead light, laminated displays and coloured plastic chairs, and the house in something warmer and dimmer, so that the place where the crime is happening is the place you would rather be. Jacqueline Abrahams’s production design keeps both spaces ordinary; where the boy is kept has a door that locks and nothing else to mark it out. Sarah Blenkinsop puts Maria in the cardigans and flat shoes of someone who bends down a great deal, and the clothes never let us forget what her job is even when she has stopped doing it. Chris Roe’s score stays out of the way for the first half, then grows more insistent as the plot does, and we preferred it when it had less to say.

The trouble arrives with the second half. Having set up a situation in which one wrong is quietly rewarded, the film needs to escalate, and each escalation asks us to accept slightly more than the last. Robert Krantz’s editing, brisk and funny early, starts skipping the scenes in which someone would surely have said something, and the gaps show. The title metaphor, which the first hour trusts us to work out for ourselves, gets said out loud, more than once, by people who have no reason to be that articulate about it. By the last twenty minutes we were no longer laughing and not quite believing either, which is a poor place for a comedy thriller to leave you.

The obvious comparison is *The Teachers’ Lounge* (2023), which took a far smaller transgression in a similar staffroom and made it unbearable through plausibility alone. *Bad Apples* has the better jokes and the bigger idea, and it spends its last act unsure which of those it wants to be. Most critics have been a little warmer than we are, and we can see why: Ronan is that good, and the premise is that clever. We wish the film had known when to stop.

Worth an evening for the first hour and for Ronan, who plays a monstrous act with such ordinary good manners that we kept forgetting to be appalled. It runs 100 minutes, carries a 15, and is not recommended to anyone with a parents’ evening in the morning.

*Fi1m score 67, published 21 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics come away pleased with Jonatan Etzler’s black comedy, and almost all of them say the same thing first: Saoirse Ronan is the reason it works. Her teacher, who locks a disruptive pupil away, is described as grounded, underplayed and sincere, and more than one review ranks it among her strongest work. The premise itself draws admiration for how far Etzler pushes it while keeping the satire on a strained school system in view, and the young cast, Eddie Waller in particular, earns notice alongside her.

The reservations gather around the later stretches, where a number of critics find the plotting pushed past what they can believe. The spread is wide. Screen Daily thinks the early promise fizzles and the film offers little insight for the effort, while The Guardian, the one outright dissenter, finds it heavy-handed and neither shocking nor funny enough, with Ronan its main credit. Variety, otherwise warm, feels the title metaphor is played too broadly.

## Straight answers

**Is Bad Apples worth watching?**

*Bad Apples* is worth watching for its first hour and for Saoirse Ronan, and we scored it 67. Jonatan Etzler's black comedy about a teacher who locks a disruptive pupil in her house is sharp and unkind about how gladly everyone accepts a problem that has gone away. The second half escalates past what we could believe, and the jokes thin out as the plot thickens.

**How long is Bad Apples, and what is it rated?**

*Bad Apples* runs 1h 40m. It is a comedy and thriller film.

**Where can I watch Bad Apples in the US?**

*Bad Apples* is not on any streaming or rental service in the US at the moment. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Bad Apples, and is it suitable for children?**

*Bad Apples* carries a UK 15 certificate and is not for children. Its unease comes from the premise, a primary school teacher holding a child captive while the town looks the other way, rather than from anything the review describes as graphic or frightening. Older teenagers who can stomach a comedy built on that idea will be fine; parents of small children may find it harder to laugh at.

**How does Bad Apples compare to Election?**

*Bad Apples* has the bigger idea and the better jokes, but [*Election*](https://film.one/film/election) is the more complete film. Both follow a teacher who decides one pupil must be dealt with, and both are funniest about adult self-deception; Payne's film keeps its nerve to the end, where Etzler's spends its last act unsure whether it is a comedy or a thriller. Choose *Election* for a story that lands, *Bad Apples* for Ronan.

**Is Bad Apples based on a true story or a book?**

*Bad Apples* is based on a novel by Rasmus Lindgren, adapted for the screen by Jess O'Kane, and is not a true story. Our review does not measure how closely the film follows the book, so we cannot say how faithful it is. Nothing in it assumes you have read the source; the premise is explained in the first act and the film stands on its own.

**What should I watch after Bad Apples?**

After *Bad Apples*, try [*Election*](https://film.one/film/election) (1999, Fi1m 86): A teacher decides one pupil must be stopped and ruins himself trying. Then [*Sightseers*](https://film.one/film/sightseers) (2012, Fi1m 78): Ben Wheatley’s caravan holiday where minor irritations are dealt with permanently; and [*Force Majeure*](https://film.one/film/force-majeure) (2014, Fi1m 84): One cowardly moment on a ski slope, and a family cannot stop discussing it.

### Reviews we read (13)

- **Sight and Sound** (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as a wicked, winking black comedy and satire on the rigid education system that pressures both teachers and vulnerable children. Etzler and the script are commended for finding an edgy sweet spot, with particular praise for Saoirse Ronan's expressive performance as the teacher navigating sticky situations. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/bad-apples-saoirse-ronan-this-black-comedys-secret-weapon)
- **Empire**, Iana Murray (85/100, inferred): Jonatan Etzler’s school satire is darkly hilarious and politically sharp, as satisfying as a crisp Granny Smith. Saoirse Ronan has never been better walking its riveting moral tightrope. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bad-apples/)
- **Little White Lies**, Katherine McLaughlin (4/4/4): The critic finds the film a funny, unsettling satire with a morally complex story. She singles out Jess O’Kane’s compelling screenplay and praises the child actors’ performances. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/bad-apples)
- **Time Out**, Zara Dosanjh (4/5): The critic calls it a bleak comedy with absurdist twists and an unexpected pivot into dark territory that gets the balance of satire and wit just right. Ronan is singled out as the best thing in the film for her performance as the teacher. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/bad-apples-review-2025)
- **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (70/100, inferred): The critic calls it a deliciously dark comedy that highlights the pressures of a broken school system through an extreme teacher-student scenario. Ronan delivers a fresh, funny turn in this wild premise about community benefits from drastic measures. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/bad-apples-review-saoirse-ronan-1235149752/)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Brian Tallerico (70/100, inferred): The critic calls it the best of three TIFF films, a dark comedy that will provoke relatable laughter and conversations about education systems, highlighting Saoirse Ronan's grounded performance amid the crazy premise of a teacher kidnapping a disruptive student. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/tiff-2025-bad-apples-eternity-sacrifice)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Leslie Felperin (70/100, inferred): The critic views the film as a nifty ethical puzzle about balancing individual needs against the community in a sharp dark comedy format. Ronan shines in an unsympathetic role alongside a revelatory child performance, though the story leans into implausibilities in its later acts. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/bad-apples-review-saoirse-ronan-1236363893/)
- **Variety**, Guy Lodge (70/100, inferred): The critic describes a daringly discomfiting black comedy with a subversive mean streak that initially sympathizes with the adult teacher before allegiances shift, praising Saoirse Ronan's sincere performance and the young cast while noting it sometimes goes too broad with its title metaphor. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/bad-apples-review-saoirse-ronan-1236525985/)
- **Screen Daily** (50/100, inferred): The critic finds the nervy dark comedy premise intriguing thanks to Ronan's performance but ultimately too difficult to sustain plausibly, with the story stretching to extremes without offering meaningful insights. The early promise fizzles out despite the star power. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/bad-apples-review-saoirse-ronan-is-a-teacher-driven-to-extremes-in-nervy-uk-thriller/5208646.article)
- **The Guardian** (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the black comedy heavy-handed and unpersuasive, crediting its limited success mainly to Saoirse Ronan's engaging lead performance as the teacher. The film is faulted for insufficient shock or comedy and for its implausible plotting, especially in the later stages. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/sep/17/bad-apples-review-saoirse-ronans-suffering-teacher-best-thing-about-school-horror-satire)
- **The Wrap** (90/100, inferred): The review calls the film a witheringly funny and searing satirical thriller that cleverly exposes societal failures. It singles out Saoirse Ronan's fiercely funny, multilayered performance as the standout element. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/bad-apples-review-saoirse-ronan/)
- **Collider**, Therese Lacson (8/10): The critic finds Jonatan Etzler's debut irresistibly funny despite its grim premise of a teacher locking up a student. Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Eddie Waller deliver standout performances in this black comedy. [Read](https://collider.com/bad-apples-review-saoirse-ronan/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a very dark comedy that grows funnier as its absurd premise sinks in. He singles out Saoirse Ronan's underplayed performance and the pitch-perfect ending for praise. [Read](https://deadline.com/2025/09/bad-apples-review-saoirse-ronan-black-comedy-toronto-fest-1236510361/)

## Details

- **Director:** Jonatan Etzler
- **Director:** Jonatan Etzler
- **Writer:** Jess O'Kane
- **Novel:** Rasmus Lindgren
- **Cinematography:** Nea Asphäll
- **Editor:** Robert Krantz
- **Music:** Chris Roe
- **Production design:** Jacqueline Abrahams
- **Costume design:** Sarah Blenkinsop
- **Producer:** Oskar Pimlott
- **Cast:** Saoirse Ronan as Maria; Jacob Anderson as Sam; Sean Gilder as Frank; Robert Emms as Josh; Rakie Ayola as Sylvia; Kerry Howard as PC Williams; Jaye Jacobs as Khaliya's Mum; Joanna van Kampen as Carys's Mum
- **Runtime:** 1h 40m
- **Release (the US):** 18 September 2026
- **Genres:** Comedy, Thriller
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nhu80EmVQE

## Where to watch in the US

Not streaming, renting or buying in the US at the last check.

## If you liked this

- *The Teachers' Lounge* (2023): A smaller staffroom crime, made unbearable by how plausibly everyone behaves.
- *Election* (1999), Fi1m 86: A teacher decides one pupil must be stopped and ruins himself trying. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/election.md)
- *The Kindergarten Teacher* (2014): Nadav Lapid’s original: a teacher’s care for one child tips into something worse.
- *Sightseers* (2012), Fi1m 78: Ben Wheatley’s caravan holiday where minor irritations are dealt with permanently. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/sightseers.md)
- *Force Majeure* (2014), Fi1m 84: One cowardly moment on a ski slope, and a family cannot stop discussing it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/force-majeure.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/bad-apples