Fresh (2022)
March 5, 2022 2:17 PM - Subscribe

Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) meets the alluring Steve (Sebastian Stan) at a grocery store and -- given her frustration with dating apps -- takes a chance and gives him her number. After their first date, Noa is smitten and accepts Steve's invitation to a romantic weekend getaway... only to find that her new paramour has been hiding some unusual appetites.

Written by Lauryn Kahn. Directed by Mimi Cave. Currently streaming in the US on Hulu.

This horror comedy currently sits at 80% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
posted by DirtyOldTown (15 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
I greatly enjoyed this and it was more horrifying than I expected. Absolute power move that the opening credits sequence starts 30 minutes in. The leads are genuinely charming. Kind of don’t want to say much more about it since it’s so new!
posted by ejs at 11:12 AM on March 6, 2022 [2 favorites]


I had heard that millennials were into eating ass, but I had no idea it was so literal.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:45 AM on March 6, 2022 [4 favorites]


If I have learned anything from watching all of these horror movies, it's that when you take the bad guy down with a solid blow, you do not simply assume he is out and move on to the next thing.

No. You keep at him until his entire head is a mass of bloody hamburger.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:11 PM on March 6, 2022 [11 favorites]


Rule #2!!!
posted by praemunire at 12:55 PM on March 6, 2022 [3 favorites]


I was really waiting for a “eat my ass” line for full circle catharsis. I have to say I just feel nauseous after that though.
posted by Bacon Bit at 12:59 PM on March 6, 2022 [1 favorite]


Anyone else think "horror/comedy" is overstating the comedy?

I'm comfortable spoiling: the baddie is a cannibal. It's understandable if people aren't up for that.
posted by Pronoiac at 5:52 PM on March 6, 2022 [2 favorites]


I enjoy this but it was a rougher ride than I anticipated. I do not remotely believe a bartender in nyc would drive all the way to some location in upstate particularly for someone who just gave him the pouty smile. But I'm willing to wave it away in addition to some other issues for the fun.

The callback to the dress was a nice touch.
posted by miss-lapin at 7:03 PM on March 6, 2022


I'd say the first act plays like a horror comedy, the middle act is grim and largely devoid of laughs, but the ending has laughs again. It's never a knee slapper, though. It's a rough ride much of the time.

When the reveal of the premise came across, the fact that this was written and directed by women was a big factor in why I stayed on board.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:10 PM on March 6, 2022


I do not remotely believe a bartender in nyc would drive all the way to some location in upstate particularly for someone who just gave him the pouty smile

I thought the bartender bit was great. To clarify, he was Mollie's ex who was still hung up on her, not just a random bartender. I also love love loved when he heard the gunshots, realized danger was afoot and noped the fuck on out of there with extreme haste. Really not enough of that in horror movies for my taste.

Add that to the scene where Mollie dispatches a would-be killer with maximum tenacity (going for the "turn them to hamburger" approach I called for earlier) and that was two recurrent horror cliches overturned hilariously.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:20 AM on March 7, 2022 [2 favorites]


I didn't like this at all. Should have noped out when the credits started.
posted by Catblack at 11:08 AM on March 7, 2022


This should really have had a warning. I do not ever enjoy horror or violence towards women, or roofies, etc. At all. Stopped at the discovery of Penny. Really pissed at Hulu; it was tagged as comedy in my feed.
posted by theora55 at 7:08 AM on March 8, 2022


I respect a movie that waits 33 minutes until the title card. Had a similar moment of shocked appreciation when Mandy pulled the same move an hour in. It makes a statement.

I rather enjoyed this and yeah, fair warning, it is far deeper at the horror end of the horror comedy pool. The writer and director being women definitely helps with material where the women are literally meat for male consumption. It's tense and uncomfortable and brutal but not in a way I'd call exploitative. At least by horror movie standards which isn't a high bar to be fair. Aside from the fight at the end, the violence happens off-screen and the one scene with nudity for once actually has a point and isn't for pure titillation. It's not a restrained or subtle film nor do I think it has that much profound to say but it's more interesting and out there than the generic slasher and ghost house stuff being produced by Netflix.

I look forward to revisiting this as a double bill with Raw.
posted by slimepuppy at 12:45 PM on March 18, 2022 [1 favorite]


I feel like the "Fresh" angle was overplayed. Did you see the size of that guy's freezer?
posted by grateful at 1:32 PM on March 18, 2022 [3 favorites]


Really pissed at Hulu; it was tagged as comedy in my feed.

I cannot imagine labeling this as just comedy. Bad call on Hulu's part.

I really did like this though. Villains consuming women's bodies literally works for me at this stage of my life, especially with a satisfying resolution. I think my favorite touch was Steve/Brendan's wife having lost a leg, especially when the reveal of that coming right after her helping with Mollie's capture and before Noa's dinner with Steve where he talks about the deep emotional connection he gets from cannibalism.

Sebastian Stan was excellent in this. Just the right amount of oily charm and terrifying cold-bloodness.
posted by gladly at 9:34 PM on March 19, 2022 [1 favorite]


It looked like it was going to be extremely dark when Noa started talking to Penny. I'm glad it pulled itself back towards a more normal kind of escape horror.
posted by fleacircus at 5:49 PM on November 24, 2022


« Older Mystery Science Theater 3000: ...   |  Saturday Night Live: Oscar Isa... Newer »

You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments

poster