Bad Apples (2025 film)
| Bad Apples | |
|---|---|
 Teaser poster | |
| Directed by | Jonatan Etzler |
| Screenplay by | Jess O'Kane |
| Based on | De Oönskade by Rasmus Lindgren |
| Produced by | Oskar Pimlott |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Nea Asphäll |
| Edited by | Robert Krantz |
| Music by | Chris Roe |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Republic Pictures FilmNation Entertainment |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 101 minutes[1] |
| Countries | United States United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Bad Apples is a 2025 British comedy thriller film directed by Jonatan Etzler in his English-language debut and written by Jess O'Kane, based on Rasmus Andersson's debut novel De Oönskade. It stars Saoirse Ronan, Jacob Anderson, Rakie Ayola, Robert Emms, Sean Gilder, and Kerry Howard.
Premise
Maria (Ronan) is a teacher finding her class of ten year-olds disrupted by one unruly pupil.[2]
Cast
- Saoirse Ronan as Maria
- Eddie Waller as Danny
- Jacob Anderson as Sam
- Rakie Ayola as Sylvia
- Robert Emms as Josh
- Sean Gilder as Frank
- Kerry Howard as PC Williams
- Euan Shanahan as PC Chadwick
- Jaye Jacobs
Production
Pulse Films produced the Jess O'Kane film adaptation of the Swedish-language book by Rasmus Lindgren with Swedish writer/director Jonatan Etzler onboard to make his English-language debut.[3] Saoirse Ronan signed on to lead the cast in October 2023.[4]
Principal photography began on March 19, 2024 in Bristol.[5]
Release
In June 2024, Republic Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film.[6]
Bad Apples premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival 7 September 2025.[7][8] It is also selected to compete in the Official Competition section of the 2025 BFI London Film Festival for the best film award and have screening on October 9, 2025.[9] The film is scheduled to be released theatrically in the United Kingdom and Ireland on September 4, 2026.[10]
Reception
Pete Hammond for Deadline writes that it took him a while to realize that the film was "really a very, very dark comedy."[11]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 10 critics' reviews are positive.[12] On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the film holds a score of 71/100 based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[13]
Accolades
| Organization | Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | 27 September 2025 | New Directors Award | Jonatan Etzler | Nominated | [14] |
| BFI London Film Festival | 19 October 2025 | Best Film | Bad Apples | Nominated | [15] |
References
- ^ "Bad Apples (15)". British Board of Film Classification. June 26, 2025. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ White, James (October 31, 2023). "Saoirse Ronan To Star In Satirical Thriller Bad Apples". Empireonline. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (October 30, 2023). "Saoirse Ronan Set For Jonatan Etzler's Satirical Thriller 'Bad Apples'; HanWay Launching Sales On Pulse Films Pic". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ Moriaty, Aoife (October 31, 2023). "Saoirse Ronan to play stressed out primary school teacher in her next big film role". Buzz.ie. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ Calnan, Ellie (March 19, 2024). "Saoirse Ronan satire 'Bad Apples' filming in UK". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Clarke, Stewart (June 15, 2024). "Republic Pictures Picks Up Saoirse Ronan Comedy 'Bad Apples' & Spyglass' Horror Rom-Com 'Heart Eyes'; Dan Cohen Unpacks The Strategy At The Paramount Label". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "Bad Apples". TIFF. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 21, 2025). "TIFF Galas & Presentations: World Premieres 'Good Fortune', 'Nuremberg', Sydney Sweeney Pic 'Christy', Angelina Jolie 'Couture'; North American Debuts Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein', Dwayne Johnson 'Smashing Machine'". Deadline. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
- ^ Tabbara, Mona (August 21, 2025). "'The Testament Of Ann Lee', 'Bad Apples' among BFI London Film Festival 2025 competition lineup". Screen Daily. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ "All Future Releases". Film Distributors’ Association. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ Hammond, Pete (September 6, 2025). "'Bad Apples' Review: Saoirse Ronan In Very Black Comedy About Teacher Who Holds Unruly 10-Year-Old Student Captive In Her Basement – Toronto Film Festival". Deadline. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ "Bad Apples (2025) | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "Bad Apples Reviews". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ SSIFF. "San Sebastian Film Festival". sansebastianfestival. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
- ^ "The BFI London Film Festival lifts the lid on the titles for its 69th edition". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. September 4, 2025. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
External links
- Bad Apples at IMDb