'Bad Apples' Review: Saoirse Ronan Shines In This Tonally Adept School Satire [TIFF 25]
the sardonic comedy plants itself in utter absurdity, and yet, it may be an effective psa for education reform.
A social-issue satire in the 2020’s? What a novel idea! Sarcasm aside, it can prove easy to dismiss a social-issue film, let alone a satire, based on ‘festival hyperbole,’ where the same kinds of over-embellished, ‘pull-quote hunting’ reviews come en masse. Something like Bad Apples, to no fault of its own, is almost going to be subject to such treatment by default, but proves to be the (increasingly) rare exception, being just as wild and unhinged as you’re likely to hear.
The film, helmed by Swedish director Jonatan Etzler in his English-language debut, follows a primary school teacher named Maria (Saoirse Ronan), who takes drastic measures to root out her class’ proverbial bad apple, a boy named Danny (newcomer Eddie Waller), by locking him in her basement. At first read of the prior sentence, one might think this is some sort of dark thriller, which it indeed is due to the subject nature. Yet, Bad Apples leans into the absurdity of its premise tenfold, and is able to balance it with the genuine moral conundrum at the centre, like a candy-coated apple that’s slowly rotting on the inside.
Something like Bad Apples is bound to be a tough balancing act, tonally, and it does benefit from the fact that the core conflict of the film is a balancing act itself. Initially, Maria experiences a strange form of bliss in having an undisrupted learning environment, a blinding success that seemingly usurps most of her moral guilt for removing Danny from the picture. However, like any good thriller, things must unravel, and that’s where the real ‘meat-and-potatoes’ come from. Despite how morbid it may seem to say, the film makes it clear that Maria does indeed care about Danny, and wants the best for him. This results in some great comedy, such as Maria and Danny’s eventual bonding while playing video games, a funny, yet oddly sweet bit, which is still morbid, as Danny is harnessed to the ground in the basement. Many may be alienated as to how much Bad Apples leans into the comedy, as there is a disproportionate ratio of comedy to actual moral confrontations of Danny’s capture. Ultimately, the film leans into the fact that it is a satirical thriller more than anything, and can’t be the ‘be-all or end-all’ statement on disruptive students or discipline, and is all the better for it.
With this, the film is able to operate as a mostly-funny thrill ride with a genuine undertone laced with adrenaline. The often sardonic nature of the comedy persists and becomes stronger and stronger as the film goes on, thanks to Maria becoming spread even further thin as more unexpected twists and turns dare to spoil her newly achieved state of idyllism. Jacob Anderson (Interview With A Vampire) is able to ground the film a bit as Sam, the school’s deputy principal and Maria’s ex-fiancee. Sam is a genuinely compelling presence, who the film could have benefited from a bit more of, as a inadvertently tense reminder that Maria’s ambitions will come with a catch.
There’s so much to be said about Saoirse Ronan’s turn in this film. Ronan, (who built her wildly impressive young career starring in dramas) has dabbled in comedy before, notably in Lady Bird and a few Wes Anderson entries. Bad Apples marks something completely different for her, managing to effortlessly bring out the absurdity of Maria’s actions, while playing everything as straight as possible. Audiences and critics alike, at this point, have zero doubts about Ronan’s ability to superbly lead a movie, but sometimes, it’s nice to be reminded, especially after a relatively quiet few years from her, sans the likes of The Outrun and Blitz last year. Newcomer Eddie Waller proves himself as an emerging new talent, holding his own against Ronan and a superb ensemble.
Again, some might be frustrated at the ‘failure’ of Bad Apples to find a concrete point of moral clarification, but by the time the film reaches its end, it makes itself abundantly clear that neither the characters of the film, nor the audience, will have a concrete answer. Rather, the question of morality lingers at the back of Maria’s, and hopefully, the audience’s heads. Without giving too much away, the film, for the most part, does provide some answer or justification for even the most heinous of actions, so the ultimate conundrum remaining as such does feel foregrounded to make a larger impact when the credits roll.