Saoirse Ronan has taken on a challenging new role as a teacher with a dark side in the upcoming film Bad Apples. The 31-year-old actress was the first choice for director Jonatan Etzler, who expressed his excitement when she agreed to portray Maria, a teacher who makes a grave mistake by locking an unruly student in her basement. This marks Etzler’s first venture into English-language filmmaking.
In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Etzler shared his enthusiasm for Ronan, stating, “Saoirse was my top choice. We sent it to her and within a week, she responded, which was great.” He emphasized her eagerness to take on a role that deviates from her typical portrayals of good-hearted characters, noting, “I think she was very keen on playing an unsympathetic character.”
Ronan’s decision to embrace this morally ambiguous role stems from her desire to explore new facets of her acting. Etzler pointed out that in her acclaimed role in Lady Bird, Ronan’s character exhibited unsympathetic traits at times, but nothing compared to the gravity of Maria’s actions. “She said, ‘Yeah, in Lady Bird, she jumped out of the car. She didn’t lock up a child in her basement,’” Etzler recounted, highlighting the complexity of the character.
The film is adapted from Rasmus Lindgren’s debut novel, De Oonskade, and follows Maria as she grapples with the challenges of handling a difficult pupil, leading her to make a series of poor decisions. These choices culminate in the accidental kidnapping of the child, dubbed a “bad apple.”
Despite the severity of Maria’s actions, Etzler insists that the character is not entirely unsympathetic. He remarked, “I don’t think it’s black and white at all. What she does is obviously unsympathetic when she locks up Danny in the basement, but I think that’s also one of the reasons I wanted Saoirse because the audience would follow her on the journey a lot longer than with anybody else.”
Ronan’s ability to blend humor with an unsettling portrayal is something Etzler admires. He described her as “one of the greatest actors of her generation,” capable of infusing her characters with both relatability and eccentricity. “She has a great comedic quality and a sense of finding the weird mannerisms that she could make fun of. She made Maria feel both normal and also a bit weird,” he added.
As the film gears up for its release, Ronan’s performance is highly anticipated. Bad Apples aims to challenge viewers’ perceptions of morality and empathy, showcasing a character who, despite her drastic actions, remains compelling. Ronan’s willingness to step outside her comfort zone promises to deliver a thought-provoking experience for audiences worldwide.
