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Now, I went into watching Fresh without actually knowing anything about it as I had randomly spotted it on Disney+ and decided to give it a whirl, and I sure am glad I did not know anything about it, and in this review I won't be giving the big spoiler away, even though chances are you probably know what it is anyway.
But that also makes it hard to write about important aspects of the movie as well, and when you have seen it, you will know why, but I am going to keep this one spoiler free.
Fresh aims to follow in the footsteps of movies such as Get Out in highlighting the horrors that modern dating can bring, and the influence of that movie is clear when watching Fresh, but if you're up for a wild horror comedy that will make you feel both creeped out and entertained at the same time, then read on.
The film blends dark, satirical humor with a touch of romance and keeps you glued with its twists and features a great soundtrack with some quite ironic songs, this movie certainly does a lot of things right, and it is not until 30 minutes or so into the movie the opening credits actually roll, and this is intentional.
Up until this point you think you are watching a rom-com and that first act really does set it up nicely for what is to follow, and the twist is what makes Fresh so darkly entertaining, where you go from one mindset regarding the film into a completely different one when the second act starts, and it is quite brilliant.
The movie follows Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) as she navigates the challenges of online dating, and the film starts with her on a first date with a guy named Chad, (Brett Dier) who likes to ramble about how women aren't as feminine anymore, and when Chad tries to kiss Noa, she declines, which in turn makes Chad react with some passive aggressiveness.
She then meets a guy named Steve (Sebastian Stan) while grocery shopping, and he comes across as funny, kind, and caring, and he's a plastic surgeon too, apparently, so Noa agrees to give him her number and they start dating, but Noa's best friend, Mollie (Jojo T Gibbs), is worried because Steve isn't on any social media, and that's a red flag to her.
But Noa is ever so charmed by his old-fashioned ways and things progress quickly, and Noa agrees to go on a weekend trip with him (Why??), but first, they need to stop by his house.....
Daisy Edgar-Jones excels as Noa, who brings the character to life without reducing her to a mere victim, and her the 2 main characters chemistry remains strong throughout the film and Noa's questionable yet understandable decisions make her a very intriguing character to watch,
But it is Sebastian Stan playing Steve, who deserves much of the credit for his over-the-top, often hilarious performance, where his twisted obsessions drive the plot, and the movie forward.
I have read and heard some people say the movie goes on too long, running in at nearly 2 hours, but honestly, I did not feel this, the pacing was excellent and I never felt bored or dis-interested.
The film provided about just the right amount of horror without it being horrifying considering the subject matter, with a lot of the horror being formed in the viewers mind rather than playing out on the screen.
I will admit to not entirely liking the ending, it was a bit too straight forward and maybe it is just me, I would have liked to have seen more happen, it was very formulaic, and that one final twist at the end would have made it epic. (Though kudo's for the fuck this shit line and arc).
With that said, I enjoyed the movie as a whole, and while the influences of certain films are obvious at times, it is definitely worth a watch still and one I recommend highly, and also a film that is worth a second watch to catch all the subtle clues that are thrown in once you know everything.
[Fresh on IMDB] [Where to watch Fresh]
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