*Bad Apples* is a black comedy-horror satire about Maria, an idealistic primary-school teacher whose class is disrupted by a violent pupil, Danny. After accidentally rendering him unconscious, she imprisons him in her basement, and the class improves dramatically, but the film’s implausibility and uncertain satire weaken its impact.

The review argues that the film is neither shocking nor consistently funny enough to justify its increasingly laborious premise. It questions practical details of Danny’s captivity and contrasts the film’s restrained approach with more disturbing captivity horrors, while praising Saoirse Ronan’s compelling performance. *Bad Apples* opens in UK and Irish cinemas on 18 September.