Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan team up for a very dark look at dating relationships and what’s on the menu for dinner. Here is Fresh (2022) Movie Review.
Fresh (2022) Movie Review
Fresh is a 2022 American comedy thriller film directed by Mimi Cave. It stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan.
The horrors of modern dating are seen through one young woman’s defiant battle to survive her new boyfriend’s unusual appetites.
I’ve got to be pretty vague on a lot of this because this is the best approach from an unknown perspective. It begins with a mild commentary on the online dating scene and then transitions into something much darker where they examine greed, desire and even privilege.
Daisy Edgar-Jones as Noa is relatable and sympathetic because of how she trusts and longs for connection. When the story transitions and she has to become resourceful, she pulls it off very convincingly and in a way that makes us wonder if she’s just playing along or maybe she’s genuinely taking part.
Sebastian Stan is doing his best to show that he can be more than just Bucky Barnes from the MCU. I mean, when you combine this performance and Fresh with his role as Tommy Lee and Pam and Tommy, that one is also on Hulu. This helps him to step out and embrace a much more complex character named Steve.
Steve is surprising at times and I love how in a weird way, he’s also longing for connection just like Noa, and he’s also searching for someone who understands his worldview.
This movie is almost two separate stories that are then smashed together. The first is the dating journey of Noa as she tries to find somebody who’s normal and a good companion. Then after Noa and Steve meet and then go on some dates, the entire tone of the story shifts gears and becomes a very suspenseful and anxiety-filled, visceral horror.
And the transition isn’t out of the blue in the sense that we can see something shift, I mean, even though it happens very quickly and then we know we’re not in Kansas City.
And the second half of the film is twisted and disturbing not only from the actions and the imagery, but also just the concept alone. It’s pretty messed up.
Now there are some parts that are brought to light in the second half of the film with some imagery and short sequences of random people. Now for these, even though there’s a very brief explanation of them and their role, I felt that there was more in the story that could have been examined when it comes to this portion, especially as it could become a very powerful social commentary.
The movie is just short of 2 hours long and there were points that I felt a little bit at the time. Now some of that could have just been from the discomfort of those situations that we’re watching, but there are story arcs that take us on some small tangents. Those tangents really are necessary though to make the story feel whole.
In addition to our two leads, Noa has a best friend played by Jojo Gibbs. And I loved what she brought to the story because in a tale of modern dating where the main character is maybe a bit too laissez fair with her actions, she needs a best friend who’s going to shout some wisdom at her.
Plus, Jojo T. Gibbs character of Mollie typically says a lot of what we as the audience are yelling at Noa through the screen. Now I mentioned how the horror in this is visceral and there are some points in this it could make you throw up a little bit in your mouth.
And there were a couple of movies this year at Sundance. This one included where the horror and the Gore ventured into almost being grotesque.
I remember watching these and happened to just really put our plates down and stop eating for a bit because my mind was making what I saw on screen just feel way too real.
I loved how tense the climax of this guy. There were some heart pounding moments and while I expected some of the situations that were happening, there were then a few that came out of the blue and were pretty great surprises.
The sequences were able to successfully build good anxiety because of the urgency that the story creates for our characters.
And one thing I really enjoy about seeing movies at Sundance is that typically before a film starts, there’s a brief interview with the director so we can get into their mindset and get some background on the film.
Now for fresh, the director is Mimi Cave, and this is her first feature-length film that she’s directed and she’s got a bunch of shorts, but I really want to see what is next for her because she came out of the gate with this one super strong.
So overall, fresh is a twisted take on dating and relationships. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan create some compelling chemistry that then transforms into something twisted and dark.
The suspense and tension are effective and then when combined with the visceral imagery, they all work together to make a pretty messed up horror.
Now I do wish there was a little more focus on a couple of the elements if the intention was to include a social commentary. But even without that, this is still a satisfying watch that also might make you win.
There’s sex nudity, a ton of profanity, and some brutal violence.
I am going to give Fresh (2022) 4/5.
Has this one been on your list to check out? Let me know what you thought of it if you get to see it.
Guys thank you so much as always for reading the review of Fresh (2022). See you next time.
Fresh (2022) Movie Trailer
Here is the trailer of the new American comedy thriller film, Fresh. This movie is now available on Hulu in the US, but is it something you should watch? Check out its trailer.
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