Bad Apples, a reverse Roald Dahl-esque tale about a rundown school teacher, is a bonkers ride that loses its way.
Set in a tight-knit town in the back end of the West Country, this hyperbolic tale is originally based on Rasmus Lindgren’s Swedish-language novel De Oönskade (The Unwanted) and adapted by Jonatan Etzler.
The plot, however, seems right at home in England, where chronic underfunding has stretched the education system to the breaking point.
Once full of hope that her career would change lives, the pep in Miss Spencer’s (Saoirse Ronan) step has been thoroughly quashed by unruly student, Danny (Eddie Waller), a neglected kid who lashes out in volatile and violent ways – and someone the school simply doesn’t have the money to help.
After a series of escalating incidents borne out of Danny’s Reign of Terror, Miss Spencer accidentally locks him in her basement out of sheer desperation – and then not-so accidentally keeps him there.
The Irish actor has more than proven her intimate grasp of human nature, whether playing a daughter reckoning with her fraught relationship with her mother or a recovering alcoholic who finds solace in her childhood home on the coast.
Republic Pictures)
As such, the Blitz actor doesn’t even break a sweat portraying Miss Spencer, the troubled school teacher trapped in a labyrinth of her own poor decisions, who finds herself in an increasingly absurd situation.
If anything, her impeccable comedic delivery is a refreshing change of pace from the heavy roles we’re used to seeing her in – and she makes it her own.
In one scene, we see Miss Spencer awkwardly trying to get her package scanned by Danny’s grieving father, delivered with a subtle use of physical comedy that had the whole audience laughing out loud.
For the most part, you simply need to indulge in the ridiculousness as we watch Miss Spencer self-destruct her own life at the hands of her conniving tween students.
At points, you almost find yourself rooting for her as the school community’s life is awkwardly transformed for the better by Danny’s disappearance – before being yanked back to the horrifying reality of the situation.
Waller and Ronan share a delightful chemistry onscreen, with both staying emotionally grounded in the story as it spins more and more out of control.
You almost can’t look away out of morbid fascination. How will Miss Spencer get herself out of this pickle, eh?
The movie does start to fall apart by the third act, seemingly unsure of the extremes it’s ready to go to with what is, objectively, an alarming premise.
The indecisiveness about how to bring this sorry tale to an end means we’re given a shaky ending to an otherwise strong movie, bolstered by standout character dynamics and stellar acting.
It may not be the most groundbreaking role Ronan has ever played, but it isn’t trying to be.
For those who love a dark British comedy, you can’t go far wrong with this addition to the genre.
Bad Apples premiered at the BFI London Film Festival. There is currently no UK release date.
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