Review of 'Bad Apples', an exercise in provocation that's effective but harmless

Jonatan Etzler's first English-language film, "Bad Apples", raises the question of how we should deal with the world's "bad apples" that prevent us from taking care of others. The film focuses on a high school teacher who decides to kidnap what is probably the world's most evil student. Throughout its development, the work attempts to get the viewer to empathize with the protagonist and her actions. The film delights in convincing us that there is a simple answer to this moral dilemma, only to leave us exposed when we begin to sympathize with the extreme solutions the teacher proposes. The review describes "Bad Apples" as an exercise in provocation that is effective in terms of superficial impact but ultimately harmless.