Fresh (2022) Review!!!

Synopsis – The horrors of modern dating seen through one young woman’s defiant battle to survive her new boyfriend’s unusual appetites.

My Take – A highlight of discussion surrounding modern dating nowadays is how both banal and dehumanizing it has become, especially since technology has come into play. Whether it’s the awkwardness of bad dates, the battle of having a simple conversation, or just finding someone who has even the smallest things in common, finding true love has genuinely become quite the struggle for single people.

Joining the ever growing list of films that capitalize on the apprehension and vulnerability that comes with dating is this directorial debut of Mimi Cave, which presents its point of view in both horrifying and humorous ways.

But what makes this film, produced by Adam McKay (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The Big Short) and written by Lauren Kahn (Ibiza), a winner is that despite seeming like an ordinary cautionary tale about the digital dangers that come with looking for love, it shifts in directions absolutely no one could have predicted. Resulting in a unique, wonderfully weird, slightly repulsive, and entrancing feature that is perfect for fans of elevated horror comedy.

Sure, the film will undoubtedly put some viewers off as it does delve into body horror, an aesthetic that doesn’t appeal to many, including myself, but if you are someone who enjoys stories derived from the terrors of real-life anxieties, the film will keep you entertainingly teetering on the edge of intrigue and revulsion, all leading to a fantastic payoff.

The story follows Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a young woman who is constantly struggling with the perils of online dating. That is until she has a chance meeting with Steve (Sebastian Stan) at a grocery store. A handsome doctor who is completely off the social media train, and possess an irresistible awkward charm.

While they continue connecting over the course of a few dates, her life takes a drastic turn when she ignores the red flags and the warnings of her well-meaning friend Mollie (Jojo T. Gibbs), and agrees to run off with him for a romantic weekend getaway where she is forced to survive her new boyfriend’s unusual appetites.

Yes, Steve’s true-self-revelation is a insane, and the opening credits pop up just after the surprise, approximately 30 minutes in. While the first act plays a bit like a traditional rom-com with all the associated romantic awkwardness, the shocking twist shift the story in another direction. And what transpires over the remaining 84 minutes of running time is a provocative, a grotesque feast of insanity and a direct attack on the entitled.

Here, director Mimi Cave delivers an extraordinarily captivating, assertive directorial debut, taking writer Lauryn Kahn‘s original, gruesome screenplay to the next level. While the story may not be entirely original, the way director Cave presents it certainly feels jarringly inventive. Despite the macabre subject matter, the film often employs wickedly depraved humor and sporadically shifts tone, moving from the ghastly to the absurd in a heartbeat. She shrewdly misleads, subverts and destabilizes.

Lauryn Kahn‘s script is packed with sharp critiques about how cruel the world can be, and how women have to keep their personal safety and security at the forefront of their minds in so many situations. Of course, not everyone will turn into Steve but how she highlights the fears that men and women have to find someone and how things can be flipped upside down so fast was brilliant.

It’s downright scary to watch each moment unfold. Most surprisingly in spite of the horrific premise, there is also a comedic mean streak to the film that keeps it from getting too grotesque or grim especially with its portrayal of Steve.

Operating in the familiar charming but menacing mode, Steve is a fully formed amoral monster, but an oddly likable one who dances as he works and likes to banter with his victim. This is the kind of film that is meant to make viewers feel uncomfortable more than frightened, though its subject matter is still the stuff of nightmares.

It’s a stylish genre-blend that actually manages to do both horror and comedy well enough. While the conclusion of the film isn’t as complex and nuanced as the rest of the film, it truly is well-made and genuinely horrifying.

The film is anchored by its two leads, whose chemistry is apparent right from their first meet. Sebastian Stan continues to demonstrate his ludicrous range between this film and the Hulu limited series ‘Pam and Tommy’. With the face of someone who will charm you one moment and attack you the next, Stan’s portrayal of Steve is unnerving and sinister. Even during the setup and misdirection, Stan manages to excellently slip in traces of loathsomeness beneath Steve’s swagger and charm.

Daisy Edgar-Jones continues her streak of breakthrough performances, following the 2020 Hulu miniseries Normal People, and plays the complex part exceedingly well, particularly considering the fact that she must fluctuate between fawning lover and tenacious survivor.

In supporting roles, Jonica T. Gibbs manages to truly distinguish herself, Dayo Okeniyi is immensely likable, while Andrea Bang and Charlotte Le Bon make for a surprise addition to the proceedings. On the whole, ‘Fresh’ is a deliciously creepy horror comedy that is twisted and unsettling.