Forbidden Fruits (2026) – Review and Summary

Forbidden Fruits knows what it takes to become a cult classic, but if that seems to be the goal from the get-go, does it deserve that title?

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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“Forbidden Fruits” Film Details

  • Director(s): Meredith Alloway
  • Writer(s): Meredith Alloway, Lily Houghton
  • Based On Work By: Lily Houghton
  • Distributor: IFC Films
  • Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 43 Minutes
  • Public Release Date (In Theaters, Early Screening): March 25, 2026
  • Genre(s): Comedy, Horror, Young Adult
  • Content Rating: Rated R
  • Primary Language: English
  • Images © of / Courtesy Of IFC Films

Movie Summary

Free Eden is the hottest store at the mall. The Fruits work there, Apple, Cherry, and Fig, and a young girl named Pumpkin wants in. But, whether it is to transition away from her food court job, to be amongst the elite at the mall, or a reason beyond money or access to cute clothes? Pumpkin’s smirk only hints at the answer.

Cast and Characters

Apple (Lili Reinhart)

  • Character Summary: The Queen Bee of Free Eden, Apple is someone known for being intense, hot, and dangerous, but despite the mixed reactions, she has a loyal friend group.

Cherry (Victoria Pedretti)

  • Character Summary: Cherry, in Apple’s words, is a mess, and because she recognizes there are things she can improve on, she gives a lot of her power to Apple. She tries to be sober and work on what Apple thinks are her character flaws, but she has her weaknesses. Some of which no amount of guilt or shame will keep her from.

Fig (Alexandra Shipp)

  • Character Summary: Fig is perhaps the most normal one in the group. Yes, she knows nearly every State bird, but she is also just a nerd. A fashionable nerd, but genuinely the only one in the group who has plans outside of working for Free Eden until they no longer fit their aesthetics.

Pumpkin (Lola Tung)

  • Character Summary: Pumpkin is the new girl, who is very close to her mom, and appears innocent. However, while she doesn’t have a dark side, she is capable of being sneaky and mischievous.

Sharon (Gabrielle Union)

  • Character Summary: Sharon is the manager of Free Eden, whom Apple hates, mainly because she and her girls are doing most of the work.

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

Some Characters Are Distinct And Memorable [83/100]

One thing which is undeniable about Forbidden Fruits is that there is/was a desire to have its characters be easy to remember, and distinct enough to not just know them because you’re a fan of the actress, but also could enjoy their character. Apple’s intensity and secrets have the capability to draw you in, and Reinhart uses every bit of intensity in her look to craft a character who could bore a hole through you if she stares long enough.

Then, when it comes to Cherry? What Victoria Pedretti does with her performance helps push past some of the criticism we have below. Is Cherry someone who seems oversexualized, a bit of an airhead, and desperate to please Apple to the point of handing over her autonomy? Yes. But Pedretti has this knack for finding the funny and the heartbreak in such a character.

Note, the writing does give her the foundation to do so, but you can easily imagine another actress sticking with the dark comedy themes. All the while, not really diving into what it means for Cherry to feel like she has no one but her friend group. Never mind that Apple is her best friend who is invested in her, not just using Cherry to feel powerful.

I would even go as far as to say that Pedretti’s performance, especially one mirror confession scene, got me a bit teary-eyed.  

On The Fence

Fig [74/100]

Shipp as Fig, admittedly, isn’t as strong as Apple or Cherry. There isn’t the same presence, notably lines, or even potential of depth. You do get that Fig has aspirations beyond working at the mall. But, does this help eek Fig to not feel like a token Black girl in the movie? Not really.

Which is a shame since, in Shipp’s filmography, Dude specifically, there are examples of how to make it clear a character does have a different experience than their friends, without making their whole identity about being different. And with Fig, you can get the sense she was held back, compared to the others, because there was a lack of desire to explore her life beyond a possible boyfriend and future academic pursuits. Because that would require acknowledging she is a Black girl, in the Dallas, Texas area, working in a shop where most are affluent, White, and with all her friends being White girls, what that experience is like.

The Ending and The Mid-Credit Scene [71/100]

Sharon is a character whose face we don’t see for the majority of the movie, and when she is revealed in the mid-credit scene, the details of her character almost feel like they come out of nowhere. Pair that with how the film ends, and it presents the idea that if Sharon weren’t played by Gabrielle Union, the mid-credit scene could have and should have been cut.

Is this to say it took away from the ending? No. But the ending itself isn’t that satisfactory either. It’s bloody, with the type of gore expected for a finale, but it feels violent for the sake of compensating for a story that was starting to dwindle. It was an alarm clock to give the film some shock, shake up its audience, so if they felt a lull or if multiple parts of the film were weak, they would talk about how it ended more than what they were iffy on. But I don’t think it worked well.

It’s The Kind Of Weird Which Feels Too Intentional [75/100]

Have you ever watched a behind-the-scenes video focused on someone trying to go viral? When it comes to Forbidden Fruits, it can feel like the type of movie that wants to be cool, has indie horror-esque vibes, and credentials, but it does too much that is easy to compare. Now, don’t get me wrong, I get it is a satire. However, it doesn’t push itself hard enough.

For example, it is easy to compare this film to Mean Girls. Apple’s relationship, and persona, feels Regina George coded, Cherry is an amalgamation of Karen and Gretchen, and Fig, she gives Cady vibes. If you have watched a group of four young women, it’s easy to see where inspiration may have been lifted from. But, you can tell there is a desire to make it so it is darker than Mean Girls, in the realm of the original The Craft, and have some form of originality, but it’s missing something. It wants to be weird enough to earn its place amongst films watched over and over, with a cult following – but it doesn’t feel earned.

Yes, as noted in the highlights, the characters can be distinct, memorable, even likable, but I wouldn’t say they hold much in the way of complexity. With only being told in snippets each character’s life outside the mall, or even before the mall, for the most part, the characters seem almost like the clothes they sell. Things may appear revealing, perhaps even trendy, but not made to be appealing past a season.

Overall

Our Rating (75/100): Mixed (Divisive)

Forbidden Fruits is a bit lopsided but made with good intentions. This helps drive its stronger aspects, like Apple and Cherry. However, between the fumble with fig, how it handles its ending, and this sense that wants cult status without being uniquely weird enough to earn it? It is not for everyone.

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.