Watching BAD APPLES was the most fun I have had in a movie so far at the Toronto International Film Festival. This dark comedy is entertaining, hilarious, and you will never guess what’s coming next. Let’s be real, Saoirse Ronan always delivers…but she is especially a riot in this one. I’ve seen other critics describe the film’s tone as part ELECTION, part MISERY, which is pretty spot on. Because of all of the surprising turns, it’s best that you go into the movie knowing as little as I did (which was basically nothing). And on that note, I will try to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible. But I won’t blame you if you want to stop reading now, see the movie, and come back when you have experienced the fun yourself.
Maria (Ronan) is a primary school teacher, who is frustrated that her classroom is continuously disrupted by her foul-mouthed, violent student, Danny (Eddie Waller). No matter what she tries, Danny refuses to behave, creating havoc for the rest of his classmates. Maria sees her colleagues have idyllic classrooms, where the children are able to learn in peace and she wants that for herself. She begs leadership to put Danny in a special program, but they refuse. It isn’t until Danny physically assaults the teacher’s pet, Penelope (Nia Brown), that the school finally takes action and suspends him.
This suspension comes at an opportune time for Maria as she and the school are getting inspected the next day. Maria is excited that her problem child will be out of the classroom, but is worried when she finds out Danny’s dad hasn’t answered the school’s calls to acknowledge his son’s status. So Maria takes it upon herself to drive to Danny’s house to inform them in person of what happened. But, unsurprisingly, nothing is ever that easy and Maria quickly finds herself in a situation she cannot get out of.
This film’s success is based on Saoirse Ronan’s ability to make a pretty terrible character actually likable. Even in Maria’s darkest moments of the film, I hate to admit that I felt bad for her and found myself starting to make excuses for her actions. I was finding ways to justify some wildly unhinged decision-making and even rooting for Maria to succeed. Maybe that says more about me than I would like to admit, but I cannot imagine any other actress in this role and I was happy to see Ronan exercise her comedic chop. Nia Brown also deserves major props for really digging into Penelope’s manipulative side; she goes toe-to-toe with Ronan during the third act in scenes that are the best in the film and will make you laugh out loud.
Some may say BAD APPLES metaphorically jumps the shark at the end, going a bit too far off the rails of reality. But the very premise of the film challenges you to jump in the deep end with Maria from the beginning. Without getting into spoilers, I like that at each possible turn, writer Jess O’Kane never takes the easy way out. Just when you think the film may end in a predictable manner, she takes another swerve. O’Kane’s script swings for the fences, reemphasizing on one hand what one bad apple can do to a classroom and on the other, what happens to a child when a family and the larger community ignore them.
By the end of the film, you’ll understand why the film’s title BAD APPLES is plural. At the beginning, you think this story revolves around one rotten apple spoiling the bunch (Danny)… but by the end, it becomes clear that there is more than just one. There are many “bad apples” spoiling the community; no one is in the right. And that is what makes this film so fun. It is an entertaining crowd-pleaser that you are going to want to discuss with your friends the second you walk out of the theater. I’m excited to add this film to my list of underrated gems to recommend to people looking for an entertaining watch.
My Review: A-
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