Bad Apples, the "deliciously dark" comic thriller starring Saoirse Ronan, has unveiled its must-see trailer ahead of its theatrical release later this year. And, after already being branded a "knock-out" by critics, we think it could be a success.
The film is based on Rasmus Andersson's 2020 novel De oönskade (The Unwanted), and is set in a primary school, where Maria (Ronan) teaches. She does her best to inspire her pupils, but one unruly student, Danny (Eddie Waller) thwarts her efforts.
In a bid to improve her class and save her own career, Maria ends up accidentally locking the misbehaving pupil in her own home. She tries to rectify the situation, but the class begins to flourish as a result, leaving her in a dangerous predicament.
Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 – including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV
Written by Jess O'Kane and directed by Jonatan Etzler, the comedy-thriller is due to be released in cinemas in September, and we now have our first-look as the Academy Award-nominated Ronan undertakes a very different role.
The clip shows Maria becoming overwhelmed by Danny's antics, which affect the other pupils. In a twist, she spots him outside of school late at night, with the situation spiralling as he trashes her home.
What to Read Next
From there, she locks Danny in a room in her house, with a search party soon being assembled to find him. Though his fellow students don't seem to miss him, will Maria feel guilt over her actions?
In addition to Ronan and Waller, the cast for the highly-anticipated film includes Jacob Anderson, Sean Gilder, Reiki Ayola, Robert Emms, Kerry Howard, Danny Iqbal, Nia Brown and Joanna van Kampen.
Bad Apples premiered at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last September, and has been lauded by critics thus far. On Rotten Tomatoes, it currently has an impressive approval rating of 83% from 36 reviews.
Related: The Housemaid is the ideal Friday night watch after surprise streaming release
"This is a consistently engaging, funny film, one that should provoke conversations not just about the systemic problems in education but how they reflect everything around them," opined RogerEbert.com, while IndieWire dubbed it "deliciously dark".
"Etzler wields the film's urgent satire like a scalpel, precisely cutting away at all the lies we so easily find ourselves telling that mask the darker truths about who we are," noted TheWrap, while AwardsWatch called it "outlandish" and a "knock-out".
Bad Apples is scheduled to be released in cinemas on 18 September.
Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.
The new edition of Living Legends, celebrating the global phenomenon of BTS, is here! Buy this ultimate fan guide in newsagents or online.
Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
