Jonatan Etzler on Scandi Influence and Mischief in TIFF, San Sebastián Hit Bad Apples

Swedish filmmaker Jonatan Etzler (One More Time) makes his English-language debut with the high-octane dark comedy Bad Apples, starring Saoirse Ronan. Premiering at TIFF and opening the New Directors Competition at San Sebastián, the film has drawn acclaim for its acerbic humor, twisted plot, and unpredictable characters.

At the center of the story is Maria (Ronan), a teacher pushed to her breaking point by Danny, the class troublemaker whose feral rage turns her life upside down. After a brutal assault on the star pupil, Maria will go to extraordinary—and increasingly mischievous—lengths to ensure Danny is absent for an upcoming school audit. “We had a really good reception at TIFF, most people seemed to really like it. I felt like in San Sebastián, it was possibly even better. They responded very well to the cheekiness of it,” Etzler told Variety.

Ronan delivers a layered performance, portraying Maria as the embodiment of meekness and temperance who slowly unravels under pressure. Adapted by Etzler and Jess O’Kane from Rasmus Lindgren’s debut novel De Oönskade, Bad Apples combines Scandi sensibilities with a playful, darkly comedic tone, creating a story where nothing is quite as it seems.

With its mix of suspense, satire, and mischievous energy, Bad Apples positions Etzler as a filmmaker to watch on the international stage.

Read the whole article on Variety.