Saoirse Ronan takes on a darkly comic role in the upcoming film about a teacher who kidnaps a student. Bad Apples, a pitch-black comedy about a primary school teacher, now has a digital release date.
Directed by Jonatan Etzler and written by Jess O’Kane, the film follows a teacher who struggles to regain control, leading her into an irreparable situation. Republic Pictures and Paramount Pictures have announced that Bad Apples will be available to buy or rent digitally on November 3, 2026.
Saoirse Ronan’s teacher finds herself in an increasingly impossible situation
In the movie, Ronan stars as Maria, a primary school teacher who wants to inspire her class of 10-year-olds. Danny, an unruly student, repeatedly derails her efforts. When the school offers little support, Maria makes a series of questionable choices.
After an altercation, Danny is knocked unconscious, which prompts Maria to take him home. She eventually locks him in her basement. Danny’s disappearance raises concern among his family, classmates, and school staff while Maria keeps quiet.
The classroom changes in his absence. The other children begin to thrive without Danny’s disruptive behavior, and staff and parents notice the improvement. This creates a conflict, as the community wants Danny found and brought home safely, while Maria is left to deal with a decision she cannot easily undo.
As Danny remains missing, Maria continues trying to keep her actions hidden while adjusting to the unexpected calm in her classroom. The contrast drives the film’s uneasy humor, asking viewers to consider how far an overwhelmed teacher might go when the systems meant to help her fail. Saoirse Ronan’s performance moves between guilt, frustration and determination.
Bad Apples premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year. The supporting cast includes Eddie Waller, Nia Brown, Jacob Anderson, Rakie Ayola, Robert Emms and Sean Gilder. Anderson plays Sam, Maria’s former partner. Etzler directed the film from a story he developed with O’Kane, who wrote the screenplay based on Rasmus Lindgren’s novel De Oönskade.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
