TIFF 2025 Review: Bad Apples – “a wild ride.”

Courtesy of TIFF

Bad Apples is a wild ride; one of those movies where bad decisions lead to more bad decisions.  But then, in this film, perhaps the bad decisions lead to good outcomes.  Director Jonatan Etzler‘s English language debut is unexpected, shocking, funny, and satirical.  And like most good satires, it stems from a little (apple) seed of truth.  It’s one that parents, teachers and in fact anyone who has dealt with a small child running uncontrollably around a restaurant can relate to.

Saoirse Ronan plays Maria, a woman who has dreamt of being a teacher since she was young.  Yet, she’s finding out the profession is not what she expected.  This is due to one disruptive student in her class, Danny (Eddie Waller, who has an epic death stare).  Danny is the epitome of a bad apple, with violent outbursts and actions that take Maria’s attention away from her other students and causes her more anxiety than a little deep breathing can fix.  Maria looks on at other classes with envy.  They seem so peaceful and cohesive.  Parents and her fellow teachers blame her for not controlling this problem child, but he’s just, well, a monster.

So, when an incident at the school finally causes bodily harm, and an altercation takes place, Maria makes a decision that will change the course of her and Danny’s lives.  What she doesn’t predict is that once Danny isn’t in class, how much her students will be able to excel.  Even she is thriving, a large source of stress at school is gone.  A string of bad decisions leads to good outcomes.  Bad Apples asks just how far one might push the limit when the actions of one influence the outcomes of many.

Bad Apples is so much more than just a twist on the trolley problem, however.  An unexpected delight at the Toronto International Film Festival, Etzler’s sophomore feature is full of shocking moments, black comedy, as well as ethical dilemmas.  At the centre of this, alongside some excellent writing from Jess O’Kane (based on the novel De Oönskade by Rasmus Lindgren) is a riveting performance from Saoirse Ronan, the likes of which we haven’t really seen before.  Bad Apples asks her to stretch her comedic chops in a way that we perhaps best saw in Lady Bird, all while providing the depth of an emotionally connected performance.  There is a closely framed shot close to the end of the film where her character just goes through it, and I’m still thinking about it.  She truly is one of the best actors working today, and this film adds another fascinating role selection to her growing resume.

One of the main things that makes Bad Apples work so well is its ability to keep the audience sympathetic to Maria the entire way through, despite her actions.  Yes, this does come down again to Ronan being just so darn good, but the filmmaker is also great at providing the audience with markers to keep each character relatable.  Eventually, you even have some sympathy for Danny, especially once a true master manipulator is revealed.  There are some good twists here.  Try not to read too much about it and just enjoy the ride.

Just who is the bad apple the title refers to? That might be up for debate.  What isn’t are the merits of this film, which in a roundabout way is really an ode to hard-working teachers, many of whom I’m sure will find some recognition here.  Whether this film ap-‘peels’ to you (sorry) is maybe a commentary on how dark your mind is willing to go.  Based on the audience I saw it with, that’s pretty dark! It played exceedingly well to the crowd here.  Regardless, Bad Apples is a film that is sure to stir up some conversation, as some of the best films are apt to do.

Bad Apples had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival September 7, 2025.  For more information head to tiff.net