Fresh, a 2022 movie described as a black comedy thriller, is the latest addition to the Disney+ streaming service. It follows protagonist Noa, a young woman who is making an attempt at online dating which, as many women will attest to, can be absolute hell. When Noa is approached by Steve, a man who seems to be funny, sweet, charming and handsome, she quickly becomes entangled in a runaway romance that, inevitably for the genre, turns rotten.
Overall, it's a really solid film with a lot of positives. It's always good to see a movie in this genre that doesn't take itself too seriously, while still managing to maintain tension, fear and all the other key elements that mix to make a first class horror. Especially as there's always the risk of falling into parody when comedy is combined with thriller and horror movies. This blends the genres together superbly and the lighter moments don't feel over the top or detrimental to the dark story being told.
2022 Fox Searchlight Pictures
The plot is carefully constructed, entwining the disturbing with the intriguing as the action switches between Noa and her best friend Mollie. While fairly straightforward, this shouldn’t be confused with being predictable as it takes most expectations for the trajectory of Noa and Steve’s relationships and subverts them. One could expect Steve to be the run of the mill stalker that typically pop up in thriller/horror films focused on a female protagonist’s love life. Steve is much more than that and he is brought to life expertly by Sebastian Stan. Similarly, a subplot involving Mollie’s ex-boyfriend Paul is built up to present him as a potential saviour before subverting this idea when he turns out to be a bit more genre savvy than expected. In a sense, Fresh follows a well beaten path only to turn and tread new ground whenever it feels the viewer may be getting too comfortable.
The brief depiction of online dating definitely feels very real, including an appearance by the oh so prevalent 'Nice Guy' type who can quickly become antagonistic when his schtick doesn't pay off. There's also the guy who starts talking dirty and sending dick pics within the first three messages. It's easy to see why Noa throws herself into her romance with Steve and that's true for the majority of her role. Her actions throughout, while not always the best choices, feel grounded in reality and the blurring of lines as she starts performing more morally dubious acts are presented with the right level of emotional conflict.
All of the main characters lend a real strength of this film. Noa and Mollie are both likeable, their friendship is sweet and believable, and the fact that time is spent on both equally means that the viewer ends up genuinely caring about the two of them. Alongside them, Sebastian Stan’s Steve is an antagonist for the books. Throughout the bulk of the movie, he oozes charisma to the point that even when he’s dancing around his kitchen chopping up a human leg, it’s hard to stop liking him. For the first half hour, even though it’s obvious that he’s not as pleasant as he seems (even to those who haven’t watched the trailer), his warmth makes it easy to push aside that knowledge. It also means that when he does lash out, it is so at odds with the rest of his scenes that it can provoke real fear. Fans of the Hannibal TV series will likely be especially appreciative of both this portrayal as well as the back and forth between Noa and Steve.
2022 Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fresh is not a film that has a high number of scares or that is particularly gory, instead its focus is creating an atmosphere of tension and quiet discomfort. Enhanced sound during dining scenes, quick cut images spliced together in a way that turns the stomach and scenes that are slightly at odds tonally with what’s being depicted makes everything slightly off kilter and unsettling. There are also a few small additions seeded throughout which hint at a bigger story, like a message scrawled inside a magazine that raises questions about some of Steve’s past victims. The viewer never sees the extent of the sinister network he’s a part of and it’s intriguing, creating a simultaneous repulsion at what’s happening but also a desire to fall further down the rabbit hole.
Fresh is an excellent film, one that’s definitely worth watching. Horror fans and the more casual viewer alike are likely to enjoy it, just maybe not while eating.