Bad Behaviour (2023)

Bad Behaviour is the kind of off-kilter, sharply observed dramedy that sneaks up on you—funny in the way real life can be funny, and quietly bruising when it turns the mirror back on its characters. Jennifer Connelly is mesmerizing as Lucy, a woman chasing “enlightenment” with the same restless hunger that once made her a star, and the film lets you feel every flicker of need, pride, and vulnerability beneath the surface. Alice Englert’s writing and direction are ambitious and unusually intimate, balancing spiritual satire with a tender, turbulent mother-daughter dynamic that keeps the story emotionally grounded even when the vibe gets strange. It won’t be for everyone—if you prefer neat arcs and big catharsis, this may feel prickly—but if you like character-driven films that take risks and trust their actors, it’s absolutely worth the trip.

Bad Behaviour is aiming for a sharp, awkwardly funny character study about a washed-up former child actor chasing spiritual reinvention while her relationship with her daughter frays in real time. The problem is it often feels like two half-formed movies stitched together, with a tone that wobbles between satire and drama and never fully commits to either. If you need a clear narrative drive, sympathetic characters, or a payoff that makes the meandering feel purposeful, this can come off unfocused, tedious, and oddly messy. That said, there are flashes of bite in the retreat scenes and a willingness to sit in discomfort, so if you enjoy prickly, off-kilter indie vibes more than plot, you may still find something to chew on.