BAD BEHAVIOUR -- Jennifer Connelly’s Dark Dramedy Is a Tonal Mismash

Review by Cole Groth

Jane Campion’s daughter, Alice Englert, is throwing her hat into the ring with her directorial debut, Bad Behaviour. Starring Jennifer Connelly as a former child actress unraveling under the pressure of her past life and strained relationship with her daughter while on a spiritual retreat, this film is a tonally confusing mess. With spots of humor and drama that feel too sharp around the edges, this might be a worthwhile watch for the ridiculousness alone, but not one that’s ultimately worth your time.

Decades ago, Lucy (Connelly) found success as an actress in a kids’ show. She grew up with immense pressure from her demanding mother, and as the years progressed, she had a daughter and formed a turbulent relationship with her. Now seeking some sort of enlightenment, she goes on a retreat with a cast of other emotionally stunted individuals. Half of this film is about the retreat, and half of it is about the results. The two halves of the film play out very differently, with the first being an overbearing fever dream of a dark comedy and the second a more understated drama. Both halves work on their own but clash as a whole.

Englert’s direction and script leave a lot to be desired. I found myself questioning every scene in what should’ve been a more straightforward film simply because none of these characters act like human beings. They’re dealing with intense issues such as parental abuse, suicidal thoughts, and intense anger, which get comically played up to a middling effect. Even if you can accept that these are the behaviors of people in real life, this is still a weird watch because almost every character is unlikable in their own special way.

Even if the script isn’t great, the actors do their absolute best. Jennifer Connelly offers a stellar performance as the lead character, paired nicely alongside Englert, who also stars in this as the daughter, Dylan. Their relationship is crucial to the film and something that doesn’t come together until the second half. Ben Whishaw plays a bizarre cult-leader-type character, and one of the biggest crimes this movie has is not leaning into his character enough. When the film suddenly rips us from the first half and tosses us into the second, it instantly becomes a weaker film overall. In search of an emotional core, the film loses the bite that makes it worthwhile to begin.

There’s a particular type of charm in the emotional moments of this, even if they cut into some of the comedic elements. Connelly perfectly demonstrates a woman who seems horrible to the world around her, harboring deep trauma. As she quickly falls apart, her transformation is difficult to watch and fascinating. It makes me wonder if this should’ve been more of a straightforward drama or not because if it drops the bizarre freakouts and comedy, it loses what makes it unique, but it would’ve been a damn solid exploration of a former child actress.

Bad Behaviour is a big swing and a miss from Australia’s latest nepo-director, but it’s at least charming in its moments of silliness. If you think that Connelly loudly shouting, “I did not poop!” while swaddling herself like a baby sounds like something interesting, then you might enjoy this. The insufferability of these characters will make or break the film for most people. By the film’s conclusion, however, the film has lost so much steam that you might only remember the stupidity or the cruelty of each individual in this. There’s merit to be found in this, but it’s buried under so much nonsense that discovering it will only be fun to a few.

Bad Behaviour is now in theaters and on VOD.

Rating: 2.5/5