Parents' Guide to Bad Apples

This satirical thriller will appeal to those with a taste for pitch-black comedy that gradually chips away at ethical boundaries. Bad Apples is the first English-language feature from Swedish director Jonatan Etzler and was inspired by Danish writer Rasmus Andersson's novel "De Oönskade" (roughly translated as "The Unwanted"). It exists in a space of murky morals, but those who enjoy the film will rejoice as they're pushed further into "Oh, no they didn't" territory. Viewers are invited in to relate and sympathize with some pretty questionable behavior, and who you root for shifts as the movie goes on. Some might even feel a level of respect for manipulative school girl Pauline (Nia Brown), who'll stop at nothing to get what she wants—mostly to sing songs in public—and proves a real force to be reckoned with. Waller shines as Danny, a "troublemaker" who becomes increasingly sympathetic as the adults around him fail him more and more. Ronan is reliably strong, and her subtle looks and gestures are particularly well-suited to the dark humor here. You can see the shift from idealism to desperation as she struggles to keep control of the kids, and small touches like correcting the spelling of an expletive-laden tirade reflect the impossible situation she finds herself in. There are a lot of issues that could have been explored in more depth—the struggling education system, sacrificing an individual for the sake of the rest, etc.—but perhaps it's refreshing that the movie skates along the surface and concentrates instead on its dark humor and the crossing of boundaries that aren't always so black-and-white.