Director Mimi Cave’s feature debut Fresh is a clever cut of social commentary that starts off sweet and quickly turns sour. The film’s initial moments function as a well-executed rom-com starring a dejectedly single Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) who suffers an unyielding series of encounters encompassing the worst aspects of modern dating. When a meet-cute at the local grocery story with the charming Steve (Sebastian Stan) leads to a fledgling romance, the film takes a distinct turn, as Noa’s newfound love interest turns out to harbor some darker intentions than he initially lets on. About 30 minutes into the film, the opening credits finally roll, and we’re off, taking a morbidly comedic turn towards the truly unsettling.
Without giving away too many of the gory details, though the title and locations of the film more than hint at what’s to come, the more squeamish among us may want to switch things off after the first act, as the film has a propensity for showing instead of telling.
Fresh is beautifully shot by cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski and has some truly audaciously entertaining scenes. Edgar-Jones and Stan are deviously entertaining in their performances and the film is also buoyed by a strong showing from best friend Mollie (Jojo T. Gibbs), who thankfully is allowed to take on a more fleshed-out role than typical. Indeed, the film suffers most when Mollie’s narrative takes a back seat for much of the latter half, an issue overall as it loses a bit of steam in that portion. Cave and writer Lauryn Kahn are less concerned with their metaphorical messaging than they are with creating shock value, and while Fresh isn’t particularly nuanced in its commentary or analysis, it’s certainly a distastefully amusing romp. R, 114 min.
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