West country-set dark comedy Bad Apples opens in UK cinemas today after filming on location in Bristol, Bath and Somerset with Film Office support.
The film stars four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan (The Outrun, Brooklyn) as Maria, a primary school teacher doing her best to inspire a class of 10-year-olds but stifled by one unruly and chaotic student. With her career in question and the child’s behaviour spiralling, Maria makes a series of questionable decisions that lead to her accidentally taking and locking this “bad apple” in her home. She tries desperately to backtrack, but when the class starts flourishing and the staff and parents are thrilled with the improvement, she finds herself in a very complicated predicament.
Sets for the film’s cellar scenes were built at The Bottle Yard Studios, where the production team was based. Bristol Film Office supported filming at locations including a property on Grove Road in the Bristol suburb of Coombe Dingle, which provided the backdrop for Maria’s home, a supermarket and garages in Whitchurch, South Bristol, and the woods and carpark area around St Bernadette’s Old Boy’s RFC in Bamfield.
Producer Oskar Pimlott (American Honey) says: “It was brilliant to be based out of The Bottle Yard Studios for the duration of the production of Bad Apples. The location was ideal for the exact mix of geography and locations we required for the shoot, as well as all the studio work we did as we also had to build a large basement set. I’m excited to return there for the next opportunity we have to shoot in Bristol.”
Co-Producer Ben Greenacre (The Forsytes, The Outlaws), who lives in South Bristol, says: “Bristol and the surrounding area has had a brilliant reputation for a long time now as a great place to film. When people film here they always want to come back again. From The Bottle Yard Studios to the many great locations to film at on its doorstep, there are just so many options open to you.”
Bad Apples (images ©Pulse Films)
School scenes for ‘Ashton Brook Primary School’ were filmed at the old Bath Community Academy (formerly Culverhay School) and the former Bruton School for Girls site in Somerset. Filming also took place Cider factory scenes were shot at Showerings Cider Mill in Somerset, and a farm in Shepton Mallet also hosted filming.
Written by Jess O’Kane and directed by Jonatan Etzler, Bad Apples is a provocative, satirical comedy that deliberately leans into challenging themes, exploring what happens to people when they don’t fit into the boxes that society requires them to, and what sacrifices people might be willing to make in pursuit of a greater good. Describing it, Saoirse Ronan says: “It’s really holding up a mirror to society, to humanity. What is good and bad?”
The cast also includes new talent Eddie Waller making his professional acting debut, young actress Nia Brown making her screen debut, Jacob Anderson (Timestalker, Game of Thrones), Rakie Ayola (Kaos, Black Mirror), Robert Emms (Chernobyl, Andor) and Sean Gilder (Slow Horses, The Gold).
Bad Apples is produced by Pulse Films (part of Vice Studios) and Hanway Films. It opens nationwide in UK cinemas on 18th September, distributed by Paramount Pictures UK.