It’s not every day you watch a love story turn into a woman fighting for her life against a cannibal, but such is the case with Hulu’s new thriller, Fresh.
Fresh follows Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a woman who is unlucky in dating, as most are in the age of dating apps and other modern methods. Enter: Steve (Sebastian Stan), a charming, “not-like-the-other-guys” man who has a meet-cute with Noa at the grocery store, which results in the beginning of their relationship. However, when the two go away together for the weekend, Noa realizes Steve isn’t the man of her dreams – he’s a literal cannibal who is going to keep her locked up and sell her meat to the highest bidders.
Obviously, the premise is unlike most stories, which is definitely a point in favor of the production. The opening date scene with Noa and Chad (Brett Dier) is so well-written. Everything about it is brilliant: the awkwardness of the misogynistic conversation, Chad’s outfit and the separation of the bill and leftovers at the end of dinner.
This is then juxtaposed with the meet-cute between Noa and Steve, which renders audiences incapable of wiping a giddy smile off their faces. It’s clunky and realistic, but still cute and seemingly perfect for Noa. The writing and direction are so perfect with these two scenes.
Additionally, the best part of the film comes from the bait and switch opening credits, which come in about 33 minutes into the film. It brilliantly sets up how the happy, romantic comedy style film you thought you were watching before is not at all what’s to come, and though it took 33 minutes to get there, the real film is now starting.
Another strong point of the film came from the acting. Stan and Edgar-Jones have incredible chemistry, and their dance scene became an automatic trend on TikTok. Stan’s unhinged persona and Edgar-Jones’ desperation in being kidnapped are both unforgettable performances.
However, the gore in the film wasn’t truly believable. When Steve is cutting up the leg meat to serve to others, it very clearly looks like a fake leg. Whether or not it was a budget issue or poor craftsmanship, it takes you out of the movie.
The true point of the film is to illustrate the horrors of modern dating and how women are often survivors of male verbal, physical and mental assault. However, the messaging feels way too in-your-face. The writing and direction doesn’t give the audience a chance to try and critically think for themselves – rather, it spoon feeds the lessons of misogyny and the disturbing nature of dating in the modern age.
The only part that is nice to see is how Noa and her best friend Mollie (Jonica T. Gibbs) are not rescued by Paul (Dayo Okeniyi), a man, but instead have to work to rescue themselves. That’s really key and something I do certainly appreciate about the film.
Overall, though, the film has a unique premise but is more than anything just an acting showcase for Stan and Edgar-Jones, as well as a dream for their fans in terms of thirsty content. Fresh is a fun, energetic and disturbing film to watch and maybe even re-watch, but not if you’re looking for a film to actually challenge the way you critically think.
