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Fresh is the kind of film which will make you double back on its description for you clearly weren’t paying attention when reading its synopsis.
| Director(s) | Mimi Cave |
| Screenplay By | Lauryn Kahn |
| Date Released | 1/21/2022
3/4/2022 (Hulu) |
| Where To Watch | Film Festival (Sundance Film Festival) |
| Genre(s) | Crime, Drama, Horror, Romance, Young Adult, LGBT |
| Duration | 114 Minutes |
| Content Rating | Rated R |
| Noted Cast | |
| Noa | Daisy Edgar-Jones |
| Steve | Sebastian Stan |
| Mollie | Jojo T. Gibbs |
Film Summary
Noa is over dating. Swipe culture has led to nothing but wasted time, and the idea of getting to know people through vapid questions has long lost its appeal. So when Steve just approaches her in the supermarket one night, this is refreshingly different. Add in he is funny, romantic, and of course, Noa’s best friend wants to meet this man. However, everything happens so fast that by the time Mollie meets Noa, it is when the façade is gone.
Cast & Character Guide
Please Note: This is not an exhaustive list of every cast member.
Noa
Swiping has led to nothing but dissatisfaction for Noa, and after a terrible first date, where she had to pay and the dude took all the leftovers? It killed her idea of romance. But, with Steve meeting her while on a grocery run, Noa feels different. She feels excited and even hopeful. But, as a reminder to always have your friends vet someone you’re interested in, when Noa meets the real Steve, she ends up right back where she started.
Steve
Steve’s charm makes him seem almost too perfect. Which, as Noa learns, this plastic surgeon is truly too perfect to be true.
Mollie
Mollie is Noa’s best friend who is queer and very interested in meeting Steve to see what the hype is about. Too bad it doesn’t happen under better circumstances.
Other Noteworthy Information
- Reason(s) for Film Rating: Blood, gore, gun violence, cursing, drinking, nudity
Review
Highlights
It Will Catch You Off Guard
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If you just glanced at a few photos and grazed over the synopsis, you may think this is simply a romantic comedy about a girl who hates swipe dating (relatable) and who is giving up on romance. Well, reading is fundamental, and I would even add films like this are why trailers are a terrible invention. For as Steve reveals who he truly is, it leaves you a bit confused and shaken to the point of having to pause the movie and double-check what the hell you bought a ticket to see.
In the best way, might I add.
On The Fence
It Goes Far Enough, But Not As Far As It Could, Or Maybe Should Have Gone
Once the film switches up on you, it gets gruesome, but it doesn’t go as far as it could. It doesn’t go deep into the psychological element of Steve’s betrayal and the long-term damage that does, beyond the physical. I’d even add that it doesn’t go into Steve’s psyche much for you to understand how he is capable of what he is doing. Rather, it mainly focuses on the shock of what he is doing, throws in some satanic imagery, which goes unexplained, and that’s it.
It’s almost as if Steve being a person with a unique taste, is supposed to be good enough for you. So, why would you need explanations or any sense of depth? Which makes you wonder, was this film meant to lean more towards the expectations of a horror movie, where it is about the violence and gore, and everything else was secondary, if not an objective at all?
Overall
Our Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing)
If you like the idea of watching a worst-case scenario dating situation, Fresh is for you. Now, does it go as far as it could in instilling fear, like Get Out or fellow 2022 Sundance film Master? No. But, for those who love that the horror genre gives them a safe space to live out a frightening scenario, Fresh is worth seeing.
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