Fresh

8/10 - Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, and Jojo T. Gibbs all turn in solid performances in this unique, wonderfully weird, slightly repulsive, and entrancing horror comedy (with a fantastic payoff) that is perfect for fans of fellow Searchlight release, Ready or Not.

Fresh depicts the horrors of modern dating seen through one young woman's defiant battle to survive her new boyfriend's unusual appetites. This movie goes pretty off the rails and for good reason. Writer Lauryn Kahn is no stranger to rom-coms having several flops in the past. For this feature, she toys around with the horror genre to give a unique perspective both taken literally and metaphorically. The first 30-minutes are setup like a pleasing romantic movie. I quite enjoyed that beginning. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan have a cute relationship and great chemistry, which lasts throughout. After that first half hour, the movie starts to pick up and show a darker side. In fact, the opening credits don't happen until then. What comes next is absurd and chilling. Without Mimi Cave's direction, her feature debut fun fact, I doubt the movie would work. She makes this both an uncomfortable and entertaining watch all together. Her techniques may not all be foreign to the horror genre and it definitely can be predictable at times, yet I feel she pulls it off.

I mentioned our two leads before, and they get even better as the movie progresses. Edgar-Jones gives a fully committed performance proving once again she's a great newcomer within the past few years. I really liked her character and how she's able to pull of a good performance to please others in the most desperate of times. Sebastian Stan does well in this role and is completely mesmerizing. Once this hits Hulu in March, there are going to be a few meme-able moments with him and quite the talk surrounding his character. Another good performance comes from Jojo T. Gibb's as the friend trying to piece this mystery together. There's a couple characters that make their entrance but feel like they serve no purpose once they get their time to shine. In the climax, I expected more from them but their works are easily resolved. And the movie ends abruptly if you ask me. As a whole, the runtime is close to two hours. It overstays its welcome with scenes that go nowhere and a few missing pieces never to return to. As much as I liked the beginning, I feel as if that could've been chopped down some even though the half hour mark throws you in for a loop. Not everything is entirely new and it could be better, but the performances and Mimi Cave's work pulls it together. This will for sure gain a cult following in the future and connect with some in such a way. I can't say it all worked for me, it's a bit messy and too long, but still a solid watch.

I must admit that I was initially intrigued by the synopsis for this 2022 thriller titled "Fresh" from writer Lauryn Kahn and director Mimi Cave. However, I hadn't heard about the movie prior to sitting down to watch it, so I wasn't sure what I was in for here. But with it being a new movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I opted to give the movie a viewing.

And while the concept idea behind "Fresh" certainly was interesting or fresh, pardon the pun, then it was a movie that was oddly bland and generic. Sure, there were aspects to the storyline that had weight and leverage to it, but overall, then the movie was just lacking spice, pardon the pun.

Sure, it was a fun jab at today's meat market with the dating apps and services, I get that, but at the same time the movie was just a bit too generic and predictable.

"Fresh" has a relatively small cast ensemble, but I will say that the actors and actresses in the movie definitely rose to the occasion and carried the movie quite well. It was just a shame that they had so little to work with in terms of a properly entertaining and enjoyable script. I was not familiar with the cast that performed in the movie, so that was something that I enjoyed at least.

Visually then "Fresh" was adequate. It is not a gory movie, as director Mimi Cave doesn't delve into the full-blown gore and macabre. Most of the gruesome things are left to the imagination, for better or worse.

I found "Fresh" to be suitable for a single viewing, but that was about it. This is not a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time, as the storyline just simply doesn't have the ingredients to support more than a single serving, pardon the pun.

My rating of "Fresh" lands on a very bland five out of ten stars.

The ending is a bit rushed and the third act is slower compared to the second and first, but with good performances, captivating cinematography and solid direction, Fresh culminates into an enjoyable thriller.

'Fresh' is very good - strong performances and perfectly chosen music are the main reasons for that.

I wouldn't say it's perfect, just because I don't think it nails the split between humour and seriousness but apart from that it's a terrifically made film. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan give excellent showings, while the music throughout is top notch. It's nicely paced and has an interesting story. Definitely one I'd recommend.