Bad Behaviour (2024) | Film Review

When we first meet Lucy (Jennifer Connelly), it seems as though she is focused on her own path towards enlightenment. Lucy is a bit erratic as she listens to self-help audio, but it turns out she is searching for deeper meaning, steering herself into a wilderness retreat called the Loveland Ranch. All signs point to an entertaining romp through a bit of hippie therapy. Alas, that is not the story Bad Behaviour is telling.

On the flip side of Lucy’s journey is her daughter Dylan (Alice Englert, who also wrote and directed the film). On a film set in New Zealand, Dylan battles her own demons as she develops a doomed relationship and avoids her mother’s voicemails. These are two women at vastly different moments in their lives.

“Don’t hope! BE.”

Ben Whishaw’s Elon is a cultish freedom whisperer who spouts melancholically sporadic advice such as this about as frequently as Lucy rolls her eyes in snarky disdain. It turns out, Lucy is not quite as ready for a heightened reality as she had hoped. Especially after being constantly annoyed by a younger attendee in Beverly (Dasha Nekrasova), a model with seemingly nothing to worry about, yet constantly struggles with her own existence as she worries about losing her youth. Tensions elevate, and it soon becomes obvious what the title of Bad Behavior refers to as the film hits its midpoint.

Bad Behavior is a tale of two identities. Dylan is the daughter who makes a few mistakes that take her on a path back to her roots of sorts. Though Alice Englert delivers a sound performance, this is also the least interesting of the dueling stories. Dylan, as a character, simply seems young and unassuming, taking chances where one shouldn’t, which is the epitome of anyone in their 20s. Therefore, whenever we veer back to Dylan’s arc, Bad Behaviour is a far less interesting ride.

Whenever Lucy is at the forefront, this film comes alive. Jennifer Connelly is an absolute force in a dizzying performance of snark, joy, rage, and a host of other emotions. Connelly gleefully carves away the enigmatic layers of Lucy’s psyche and keeps this train on the tracks even when the screenplay seems to lose its footing. There are moments of explosive emotion coupled by quiet reflection, and all are exposed by Connelly’s vastly undermatched performance.

Alice Englert has an eye for character pieces. Though the script could have used a bit finer tuning, the evidence is quite clear she understands the complexities of examining the human condition. The film has its share of missteps, but Bad Behaviour clearly demonstrates Englert’s future as a filmmaker, and once again, why Jennifer Connelly remains one of the best actresses in the game.