Fresh (Movie Review)

Dating is a horror story. We’ve all had a bad date or two. I can’t think of a time when dating didn’t suck. But in the modern world of dating that we live in, the horror is very real. Too often people find themselves in awkward, uncomfortable, stressful, or downright scary situations. Mimi Cave touches on this in 2022’s Fresh  in an over-the-top horror film with a moment or two of comedy. And for the most part, she gets it right.

An often misquoted line from The Handmaid's Tale reads "Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them." While this is not the exact line, the sentiment holds true, and we see this play out during Noa's (Daisy Edgar-Jones) date with Chad (Brett Dier). Chad is a total tool, who has the confidence to chide the way Noa dressed for a cash-only restaurant date. After ignoring all the signs that Noa is uncomfortable with the way the date went, he goes in for a kiss and upon rejection, becomes immediately angry and insults Noa. While Noa may not feel scared of Chad physically harming her at this moment, his sudden emotional switch and choice to insult her as a defense mechanism prove the point that this particular man struggles to handle rejection and potential embarrassment in an emotionally mature manner.

It’s a story we hear time and time again. It’s a story that I, as a woman, have been part of more times than I can count. I related to this scene so hard it made me sad. Luckily, my sadness did not last long, as Noa seemingly walked it off and kept trying to date, no matter how much she hated it. Noa hates dating and I do not blame her. If it’s not men gaslighting her, giving backhanded compliments, or forgetting the simplest of manners like not having a door slam in her face, she’s getting unsolicited dick pics. Dating sucks. But Noa hasn’t fully written off dating—or men—and after a grocery store meet-cute, she gives her number to Steve (Sebastian Stan). Steve is attractive, funny, and slightly awkward; but it’s the kind of awkward that is cute. Their instant connection is endearing to watch. But in the back of my mind, I know it’s too good to be true. This is a horror movie after all.

The feminine touch is easily noticed in this film. I went into Fresh pretty blind. I hadn't watched the trailer--a personal rule--and I didn't know the name of the writer/director. It only took a few minutes for me to think to myself, this has to be done by a woman. The way Noa called her best friend before the date to every action and line of dialogue we got from Chad spelled out a woman’s lived experience. My lived experience. Cave, along with writer Lauryn Kahn, were able to speak to me through this film in a way few horror movies are able to do. I was reminded of Emerald Fennell of Promising Young Woman, but these are different movies with different stories to tell.

I think the less you know going into this film, the better. As I said, I typically don’t watch movie trailers. I think I heard vague murmurings about one of the film’s themes, but that was all. The film is beautifully shot, but I do feel it drags on a bit though in some places. While I love the relationship building we get upfront, we don’t hit the major beats until a half-hour in. I can’t personally point out scenes that felt too long, but I think this could have been a bit tighter. However, any moments of impatience passed quickly and I was sucked back into the unfolding story.

The recent rise in films directed and written by women and non-binary people has been a joy to watch over the past few years. This is Cave’s first feature-length film, and I’m eager to see what we get from her in the future. I’m hoping it will be another horror (or dark comedy thriller as Wikipedia describes this film) but I’ll definitely be watching whatever she does next. Writing and directing aside, I loved Daisy Edgar-Jones and her performance. Her chemistry with Sebastian Stan, despite the 16 year age difference, was believable, and I too found myself charmed by Stan, even when I didn’t want to be. And I wouldn’t dare forget to mention Molly (Jonica T. Gibbs) Noa's best friend, and the type of best friend every strong woman wants in their life. Molly is strong, beautiful, and doesn’t take crap from anybody. She also immediately points out the red flags that Noa glances over about Steve. That’s what I know I want in a best friend, someone who is happy for me, but won’t hold back on telling it straight. It’s a hard world out there and it’s friends like Molly who remind us to stay safe, even when falling head over heels in love.

Fresh is an invigorating film from beginning to end. Just like Noa and Steve, it’s awkward and quirky and that adds to the charm. Now that you’ve had time to fully digest this review, what are you still doing here? Go watch Fresh, streaming right now on Hulu. And men, please think twice before sending an unsolicited dick pic. I feel confident in speaking for all women out there, we really don’t want to see it.