Saoirse Ronan delivers a career-best performance as Maria, a desperate teacher employed by a woefully underfunded school, in this jet-black comedy. Newly single, scraping by in a run-down house and constantly undermined by her colleagues, schoolteacher Maria is rapidly approaching breaking point. When an unruly pupil continues to push boundaries – and her patience – a split-second decision sparks a chain of events that raises uncomfortable questions about responsibility, authority and the limits of patience. German director Jonatan Etzler holds a mirror up to the contemporary British school system, hilariously cutting through issues around care and discipline with a some surprising and shocking twists. With an excellent Ronan, supported by a standout cast that includes Jacob Anderson and Rakie Ayola, Bad Apples seamlessly blends satire, suspense and social commentary to ask how far any school would go to maintain an outstanding score from Ofsted. Rogan Graham, Film Programmer A Paramount Pictures International release. Screen: NFT4. Screening details: Audio description headset; Descriptive subtitles (open captions).
