There are films which can be tame — after which there are films like Bad Apples, a movie so off-the-wall and wild that it doesn’t ask us to placed on seatbelts earlier than hitting the gasoline. With a premise that includes a major college trainer, Maria (the at all times distinctive Saoirse Ronan), locking her most troublesome scholar, Danny (Eddie Waller), in her basement, the movie, directed by Jonatan Etzler from a screenplay by Jess O’Kane, is without doubt one of the greatest darkish comedies I’ve seen shortly. It’s additionally one that’s surprisingly thrilling in its execution.
Maria is careworn in school. On a category journey to a cider-making facility, Danny throws a shoe within the conveyor belt filled with apples. It’s this scene that opens one of the crucial delightfully unhinged movies of the 12 months. We instantly relate to Maria’s frustration and tiredness; she’s in a state of affairs the place she’s meant to take care of the children, however a disruptive scholar makes that troublesome at each flip. Danny throws issues, slams desks, yells, and curses at academics and college students alike.
Maria asks for assist, however she doesn’t get it. It’s a commentary on faculties which have too many college students to serve and never sufficient sources to do it. Danny’s dad (Robert Emms) works quite a bit and infrequently arrives late to choose him up, and doesn’t reply Maria’s calls. When Maria asks Pauline (Nia Brown), a trainer’s pet obsessive about getting Maria’s consideration, to assist Danny, he pushes her down the steps as a substitute. Maria locks him up in her basement after he threatens to inform everybody she hit him — a misunderstanding, Maria says, however one which units her down a panicked path of dangerous selections.
Dangerous Apples Is A Exact Dramedy Thriller That Will Push Buttons
Regardless of Maria’s actions, she stays a sympathetic character all through. Lecturers can particularly perceive what it’s wish to cope with college students who, it doesn’t matter what you attempt to do, could not pay attention and whose anger points are disruptive. Because the movie reminds us later, there’s a motive for Danny’s conduct, and it makes a superb effort to showcase why Maria and Danny each act as they do. It’s a narrative that can push folks’s buttons — in a great way, because it’s a movie able to be mentioned and analyzed.
It’s additionally a deeply humorous movie. Etzler strikes the precise tonal steadiness to tug this off. I wasn’t anticipating to chortle as a lot as I did, however I additionally needed to cowl my face in sheer horror at Maria’s sticky state of affairs. It evokes a response, no matter what it’s, which makes it all of the simpler. A 3rd-act second brings issues to a head however elevates the state of affairs with out dropping its tonal steadiness. Desperation leads Maria to do issues she doubtless by no means imagined she’d do.
Saoirse Ronan, who’s often in dramatic roles, will get to stretch her comedic abilities to nice impact.
She’s only a common trainer at first who’s attempting her hardest, and we spend money on her story even when her actions develop into indefensible. Saiorse Ronan melts into the function of a drained, overworked trainer. She’s frightened she’s not ok and might be fired. The principal (Raykie Ayola) definitely doesn’t have a lot religion in her.
However one thing in her shifts after locking up Danny, and that shift is noticeable in the way in which Ronan holds herself up as Maria. Her face adjustments; she’s much less haggard-looking, and her eyes are brighter. It’s a refined change, however one which underscores her character’s journey. Crucially, Ronan, who’s often in dramatic roles, will get to stretch her comedic abilities to nice impact.
Whereas Maria has layers, Danny is a bit one-note as a personality. He’s primarily indignant, and there’s a viciousness in his eyes and smile that’s exhausting to shake at occasions. Once we be taught extra about his troubles, there’s a vulnerability there that comes by means of, however it’s tempered by his state of affairs. He can’t absolutely belief Maria, irrespective of how exhausting she tries to assist him. She’s nonetheless his captor, no matter how troublesome he’s been up to now. Eddie Waller imbues his character with a lot rage, however there isn’t that a lot else.
In fact, the narrative needs us to be irritated of Danny, however we begin to really feel horrible for him as nicely, particularly because the narrative ponders his destiny. I solely want he had gotten a bit extra focus. The place issues get a bit extra nuanced is with Nia Brown’s Pauline. The actress is superb within the function and has an expressive face that claims all the things earlier than she commits it to motion. Her scenes with Ronan are a number of the better of the movie, with Brown being an sudden scene-stealer within the latter half of the movie.
Dangerous Apples is daring, creatively dealing with Maria’s state of affairs because it reaches sudden heights. The movie is genuinely humorous, and the forged is as much as the duty because the story balances impending penalties for Maria’s actions and gasp-inducing comedic satire. Does one dangerous apple spoil the entire barrel? Dangerous Apples definitely thinks so.
Dangerous Apples premiered on the 2025 Toronto Worldwide Movie Pageant.
Bad Apples
- Launch Date
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October 9, 2025
- Runtime
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99 minutes
- Director
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Jonatan Etzler
- Writers
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Jess O’Kane, Rasmus Lindgren
- Producers
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Paul Wiegard, Charles Moore, Judy Counihan, Kristian Brodie, Paul Grindey, Philip Knatchbull, Oskar Pimlott