Saoirse Ronan’s Bad Apples drops new trailer ahead of 18 September UK release

Paramount Pictures unveiled a new trailer for Bad Apples in July, confirming that the dark comedy thriller starring four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan will open in UK and US cinemas on 18 September, following an acclaimed festival run last autumn.

TL;DR

• Paramount released a new trailer confirming Bad Apples opens in UK and US cinemas on 18 September.
• Ronan plays a primary school teacher who locks a disruptive pupil in her basement.
• The film holds an 83% critics’ score after stops at Toronto, San Sebastián and London.
• The BBFC has rated the film 15 for very strong language and strong injury detail.

What the new trailer for Bad Apples reveals

The trailer leans into the film’s tonal swing, moving from ordinary staffroom comedy to something far darker, according to Empire. Ronan plays Maria, an idealistic primary school teacher whose class of 10-year-olds is disrupted by one especially foul-mouthed pupil, newcomer Eddie Waller as Danny.

After an altercation leaves a classmate injured, Maria makes a rash decision that spirals into something close to a hostage situation, per Empire’s coverage of the footage. The rest of her class begins to thrive once Danny is gone, complicating any easy path back to normal.

From Toronto premiere to festival darling

Bad Apples premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025, then played San Sebastián, the London Film Festival and AFI Fest. Actor Jacob Anderson joins Ronan on screen, alongside Rakie Ayola, Robert Emms, Sean Gilder, Kerry Howard and Nia Brown.

Reviewers praised Ronan’s performance and the film’s child actors, according to MovieWeb, which also reported that some festival critics found the ending and the film’s apple-heavy metaphor overplayed.

83% Critics’ score across 36 reviews Source: Rotten Tomatoes

UK release date, certificate and where to watch it

Bad Apples opens nationwide in UK cinemas on 18 September, distributed by Paramount Pictures UK. The British Board of Film Classification has rated it 15, citing very strong language and strong injury detail, according to Picturehouses.

Though Maria’s story is set in Somerset, principal photography took place in Bristol.

Jonatan Etzler’s English-language directorial debut

Director Jonatan Etzler makes his English-language debut with Bad Apples, working from a screenplay by Jess O’Kane that relocates a Swedish novel’s setting to southern England. Etzler previously directed One More Time.

Bad Apples joins a crowded 18 September lineup

Ronan’s film will not have UK screens to itself that Friday. Resident Evil also opens in UK cinemas on the same date, while Guy Ritchie’s crime drama MobLand returns for its second season the same day.

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Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed September 5, 2026.