Saoirse Ronan embraces complex role in ‘Bad Apples’

Saoirse Ronan, known for her role in Little Women, played an unusual and darker role in her new film the Bad Apples.

The film’s director Jonatan Etzler revealed that she was his first choice for the lead role in his English-language debut and was thrilled when she agreed to take on the role of Maria, a teacher, who locks an unruly child up in her basement.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said, "Saoirse was my top choice. We sent it to her and within a week, she responded, which was great."

He added, "She really wanted to meet, and she was so keen on doing it because it’s not her usual character to play — she’s been playing a lot of good-hearted people. I think she was very keen on playing an unsympathetic character."

Talking about how the Oscar nominee approached the role, Etzler continued, "I talked to her about it, and I said, ‘Yeah, but your character in Lady Bird was a bit unsympathetic at times.’ And she said, ‘Yeah, in Lady Bird, she jumped out of the car. She didn’t lock up a child in her basement.’ I think she was happy to do this part."

The movie is adapted from Rasmus Lindgren’s debut novel De Oonskade, it follows Saoirse as the teacher who is struggling with her job due to one difficult pupil, or bad apples. As a result, she makes several terrible decisions, culminating in accidentally kidnapping him.

The Bad Apples was released on September 7