Bad Apples

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird, Little Women) is brilliant in a sharp, darkly entertaining thriller-comedy that incisively exposes conformist morality and collective hypocrisy.

Maria (Ronan) is a dedicated middle-school teacher doing her utmost to inspire her class, but her efforts are constantly undermined by Danny, a disruptive and aggressive student. Left to handle the situation on her own, Maria accidentally ends up imprisoning Danny in her basement - and is startled to discover how harmony suddenly flourishes in the classroom, to the delight of both staff and parents. With biting humor and urgent contemporary relevance, Swedish director Jonatan Etzler (One More Time, Badaren) lays bare how swiftly our ideals can be abandoned when comfort and consensus are at stake.

• Tobias Åkesson