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With romance callously sliced up into right and left swipes, dating has long been an undignified concept in the online world. You could even call it a meat market—sure, it’s a clichéd phrase, but what cliché isn’t rooted in some truth?

In debuting director Mimi Cave ’s entertaining and bonkers satirical horror “ Fresh ,” Noa knows all about the losers on the bland menu of her endless app scrolls—it’s understandable that she has lost her taste for kissing the frogs. Still, our modern West Coaster—charismatically played by “Normal People” breakout Daisy Edgar-Jones —refuses to give up optimism and puts herself out there courageously, scarf-wearing douche-y dudes be damned! It’s through her sweet hopefulness that she passes on countless faux-cool profile photos during one such evening of mindless browsing, and reaches out to someone sporting a cute dog picture as his avatar. But what thanks does she get for her curiosity? Nothing, just a gross dick picture sent by your average creeper.

We get introduced to Noa in a pitch-perfect opening scene during a horrendous date with one of those aforesaid scarf-wearers. A cheapskate (“Bring cash,” he reminds Noa before the date even takes place), Chad chews his noodles while spewing all sorts of stomach-churning vitriol. “You would look great in a dress,” he rudely tells the sweater-donned Noa, putting her down for not being into femininity “like the women of his parents’ generation.” He insults their waitress with blatant racism. He feels entitled enough to grab all the leftovers, not hold the door for Noa (What happened to all that “parents’ generation” talk?) and calls her a stuck-up bitch when his reach for a kiss doesn’t get reciprocated. So can you really blame Noa for rapidly buying into the grand gestures of Sebastian Stan ’s traditional charmer Steve on the heels of this disastrous evening and falling to bed with him?

You can’t—hey, it’s the ever-appealing Stan we’re talking about—but you are allowed to raise a slight eyebrow when this practical woman completely trusts a perfect stranger she only just met at a supermarket aisle, by allowing him to whisk her away to a surprise weekend getaway to an unknown location. Thankfully, her droll, bisexual best-friend Mollie (a terrific Jojo T. Gibbs) who seems to have given up on men completely, has much sharper instincts. No social media footprint? Not even an Instagram page as someone who claims to be a plastic surgeon? To Mollie, these are all red flags.

They will seem shady enough to the viewers too, thanks to Lauryn Kahn ’s zippy script and Cave’s visual language that, in unison, suggest enough of an unease beneath Steve’s casual allure. To the careful ear, “I don’t eat animals” from his lips will ring one or two alarm bells. (Why not just say, “I’m a vegetarian?”) Other clues will hint shades of this mystery man’s unusual tastebuds, too. But it’s not until the title card “Fresh” appears more than 30 minutes into the film that they will be spelled out for all their grotesqueness. (Speaking of late-emerging title cards, if “ Drive My Car ” was a bridge too far for you in that department, wait until “Fresh” sneakily asserts, “Hold my Old Fashioned!”)

While the surprising twist from this point on is what’s sickly fun about “Fresh,” it’s near-impossible to talk about this movie without spoiling it to some degree. So read everything below at your own risk, knowing that your first-time experience with the film will be irreparably altered if you do so. Here it goes: Steve is in fact a cold-blooded liar as well as a cannibal, satisfying the needs of his ridiculously rich human-flesh-eating clientele by selling them processed female meat. Noa is just the latest one of his victims who has taken the bait. But something seems to be different about his approach to her, as she quickly learns through cell-to-cell inmate banter in the ruthless Bluebeard’s dungeon. He seems to actually like Noa, and maybe there is a way for her to use her infectious smile and enchanting femininity to outsmart this serial killer.

I’m making it all sound a lot more serious than it actually is. Know that the irresistibility of “Fresh” lies in the fact that it doesn’t take itself too seriously—all things considered, the film manages to stay light on its feet with its “Hostel” meets “ Ex Machina ” concept, mostly avoiding overt, self-righteous preachiness in its moderately-feminist tale where women’s bodies are perishable commodity. In this regard, Cave and her cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski (a repeat Ari Aster collaborator) offer up a buffet of outlandishly gross but brightly lit visual tidbits of men savoring their pricey meals, keeping the mood nimble and wacky. Still, a huge part of the credit belongs to Stan, who goes all in on a maniacal performance that’s often laugh-out-loud funny, even when the actor leans a bit heavily towards Christian Bale ’s “ American Psycho ” mannerisms on occasion. (Two fiendishly comical scenes accompanied by Peter Cetera ’s “Restless Heart” and Animotion’s “ Obsession ” come to mind.) Gibbs is also the film’s secret weapon—while her character is dangerously close to a stock “supportive black best friend” on the page, Gibbs defies the clichés and claims Mollie as her own.

Still, the interpretation of race in “Fresh” leaves a lot to be desired—there is something to be said about a carelessly privileged white woman dragging her savvy black friend into harm’s way. Also under-explored are the motivations of Charlotte Le Bon ’s Ann—as Steve’s wife (and possibly one of his former victims), this self-interest-focused white traitor clearly feels no responsibility towards her own gender, an idea that Kahn’s script only vaguely teases and then abandons in its untidy (and increasingly gory) final act. But perhaps these are concerns for a meatier film. In the meantime, allow the tongue-in-cheek “Fresh” to satisfy your appetite for a generous helping of heartening sisterhood and eradicate your cravings for a juicy burger, possibly forever.

On Hulu today. 

Tomris Laffly

Tomris Laffly is a freelance film writer and critic based in New York. A member of the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), she regularly contributes to  RogerEbert.com , Variety and Time Out New York, with bylines in Filmmaker Magazine, Film Journal International, Vulture, The Playlist and The Wrap, among other outlets.

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Fresh (2022)

Rated R for strong and disturbing violent content, some bloody images, language throughout, some sexual content and brief graphic nudity.

117 minutes

Daisy Edgar-Jones as Noa

Sebastian Stan as Steve

Jonica T. Gibbs as Mollie

Andrea Bang as Penny

Dayo Okeniyi as Paul

Charlotte Le Bon as Ann

Brett Dier as Chad

• Lauryn Kahn

Cinematographer

• Pawel Pogorzelski
• Martin Pensa
• Alex Somers

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Fresh review – modern dating is hell in sly and gory thriller

Director Mimi Cave makes a ferocious debut with a darkly comic horror about a woman who discovers her new beau has a terrible secret

T here’s a specific cruelty to modern dating, a seemingly unending grind of gut-punching disappointment and hurt, something that’s easily judged and lampooned by those no longer in the game but something that’s really only understood by those still playing. In first-time director Mimi Cave’s rattling debut Fresh, Noa (Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones) is exhausted. In a believably odious first scene first date, she’s informed by her indoor scarf-wearing match that women are no longer as feminine as they should be, in all these comfy over-sized clothes, as he monologues to her about his passion for hot sauce. She leaves with a familiar eye-roll (he calls her a stuck-up bitch, natch) forced back to swiping for love but instead, being met with more unsolicited dick pics. It’s enough to make even the most romantic of romantics admit defeat.

When she meets Steve (Sebastian Stan) in the fresh produce aisle of the local supermarket, she’s caught off-guard by his charm, a handsome, keen and emotionally available stranger who talks as much as he listens. They begin dating and while her best friend Molly (Jojo T Gibbs) is alarmed by his lack of social media presence – a red flag in the 2020s, surely? – Noa allows herself to slowly believe that maybe she’s finally getting what she deserves.

Steve surprises her with a weekend away but first, with traffic shifting their journey to morning, she’ll get to see his place for the first time. Remote and expansive (“This is intimidating,” she remarks), she can’t believe her luck. But after a few sips of an old-fashioned, Noa starts to feel woozy. Before she has time to process, it’s lights out and that’s just the first in a series of nasty surprises.

The believable meet-cute first act takes place entirely, audaciously, before the opening credits, a sweet 30-minute romcom that quickly switches up to reveal something sour, like biting into a succulent peach that’s rotten on the inside. It would be a spoiler, I believe, to detail exactly what the big reveal is although Cave gives us ample warning signs: the title, the location of the initial meet, the references to food … the general nature of it isn’t a surprise but the specifics are, a bracingly nasty rug-pull detailed with chilling normality.

While Fresh can be easily filed a part of the boom in “social thrillers”, exploding post the extraordinary success of Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning Get Out, it’s one of the few that manages to grip us without the use of a heavy hand. What screenwriter Lauryn Kahn and Cave realise is that first and foremost, this is a genre movie, and rather than waste time patting themselves on the back for making clumsy “but this is really about” commentary, they’re too busy trying to make our palms sweat and our pulses race. While some of the plot details might skirt close to B-movie absurdity, Fresh exists in a real world with real people, rules and stakes. So when terrible things happen, we’re not dealing with just a surface wound. Kahn doesn’t take short cuts with her characters who, for the most part, avoid easily written yet hard-to-stomach behaviour.

What might be a little harder to stomach for some though is just how queasily grotesque parts of the film are, whether we see the gore up close or not, but there’s something fitting about just how unapologetically gnarly it all is. Because such in-your-face exposure makes sense here. For many of us, and especially for women, dating apps and dating culture can be violently revealing, exposing people’s worst impulses and most selfish desires, and the film takes particular issue with how women’s bodies are judged, shared and abused. It’s a brutal snapshot but Kahn avoids disappearing into the but-what-next gloom of Promising Young Woman, which left us lost in hopelessness . There’s a similar war being fought here, between violent masculinity and the women trying to survive it, but there’s more to say than just: everyone is the worst. Fresh makes its point without feeling the need to bludgeon us in the process.

Cave, best known for her music video work, keeps us in the moment without drowning us in poppy, over-styled otherness. She’s a deft orchestrator of suspense (expect any wise studio exec to be pestering her agent with calls immediately) but she also wants us to be part of it rather than watching at a distance and so using Edgar-Jones, a warm and empathetic yet spiky actor, is a masterstroke. She plays Noa as many women have to play themselves on the scene: vulnerable to not seem too standoffish to men craving someone to take care of but with enough steel to protect herself if needed. She sells every gruelling beat and her hot-and-cold chemistry with Stan, leaning into his dark side well, is one of the film’s major sources of propulsion.

If the frenzied last act makes a few missteps (some decisions are a little questionable, Gibbs disappears for a little too long and one of the final quips is awkwardly on-the-nose), it’s all so thrillingly edge-of-seat that such quibbles are forgiven. For those who like their dating movies with a bit of gristle, Fresh is a perfect match.

Fresh screened at the Sundance film festival and is available on Hulu in the US on 4 March and on 18 March on Disney+

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Review: Horror gets a complete and undoubtedly satisfying reworking in ‘Fresh’

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There’s something about a horror film that takes pride in being a horror film. “Fresh,” the debut feature from longtime music video director Mimi Cave, knows this and plays with genre in a way that is devilish and delightful — and never from a place of posturing.

Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Noa, a woman who has seen the highs and lows (particularly the lows) of dating, from unsolicited pics of guys’ genitalia to indoor-scarf-wearing Chads . When she serendipitously meets the sincere and charming Steve ( Sebastian Stan ) — in the produce aisle of a grocery store, of all places — things seem almost too good to be true, with her best friend, Mollie (Jojo T. Gibbs), dubiously remarking, “It’s a straight girl’s fantasy come true!”

While the film’s first 30 minutes set up the modern horrors of dating for the 30-something set and the expected redemptive narrative arc, “Fresh” upends itself (and its audience) with a sudden tonal shift that resolutely punctures the story world we knew, setting into motion instead a horror film that confidently refreshes generic conventions.

With a sharply energetic script from comedy screenwriter Lauryn Kahn , “Fresh” willfully borrows from both comedy and horror in a way that destabilizes the use of each. It flirts not only with total disruption of audience expectation, but also with the boundaries of obscenity as it lands beat after beat of light-on-its-feet humor within a story world that is in all ways macabre. As too does its visual style, which is just as playful, amorphous and intentional as its script.

While both stylish and mischievous, it also knows when to pull back, allowing for moments of vulnerability and a chance to sit with Steve’s horrific nature. In comparison to a film like “I, Tonya” (coincidentally another Stan vehicle), “Fresh,” despite its consistent boundary-pushing, knows how to use its visual style and tone effectively. Here, violence against women is not reveled in, or embellished by an all-too-gleeful cinematography, but rather it rejects certain forms of visual spectacle (while leaning wholeheartedly into others) in a way that stands with, even cheers for, its women characters.

While we are absolutely witness to the gruesome and grotesque here — this is certainly not a film for the faint of heart — “Fresh” knows exactly when and when not to push into its own lurid nature. As the film’s final act ramps up, it is aware that its own stakes are too high not to invest full-heartedly in its final girls. Just as the film knows we are able to delight in the comic heights of Stan’s fantastically rendered Steve, it recognizes that we would take even more pleasure in the downfall of such a despicable man.

“Fresh,” without a doubt, has a bounty of vision and personality, but it’s also a wonderful study in an almost rabid compartmentalization in terms of its story world, its characters and its viewers. It asks us to laugh in the most hideous of situations and to humanize the inhumane without losing sight of its own call for not just rightful vengeance but collectivity. It doesn’t just offer up the most palatable aspects of horror as a genre; instead, it pushes it to its limits through a complete, and undoubtedly satisfying, reworking.

'Fresh'

Rated: R, for strong and disturbing violent content, some bloody images, language throughout, some sexual content and brief graphic nudity Running time: 1 hour, 54 minutes Playing: Available March 4 on Hulu

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Daisy edgar-jones and sebastian stan in ‘fresh’: film review | sundance 2022.

Mimi Cave's horror thriller is about a young woman who falls for a dashing doctor only to discover he's hiding a stomach-churning secret.

By Angie Han

Television Critic

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Broken down into its constituent parts, there’s much about Fresh that seems familiar. You might see Promising Young Woman in screenwriter Lauryn Kahn’s scathing commentary on the horrors of modern dating, or Get Out in her shrewd use of horror tropes to amplify them. There are shades of American Psycho in its acid sense of humor, and Hannibal in its taste for luxury.

But director Mimi Cave, in her feature directorial debut, corrals these influences into a film that lives up to its title. If Fresh stumbles on the way to its own finish line, it’s still a hell of a way to launch a career.

Release date: Friday, March 4 Venue: Sundance Film Festival (Midnight) Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jojo T. Gibbs, Charlotte Le Bon, Andrea Bang, Dayo Okeniyi Director: Mimi Cave Screenwriter: Lauryn Kahn

The first act of Fresh plays more or less like a rom-com. Just when Noa ( Daisy Edgar-Jones of Hulu’s Normal People ) decides she’s fed up with dating, she meets Steve ( Sebastian Stan ), a handsome plastic surgeon who shares her taste for Old Fashioneds and dark jokes. (On their first date, they toast ironically to the fact that both of them have dead parents.)

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It may not be true love — Noa declares herself too hardened to believe in such things — but it feels like a genuine connection. So she lets herself indulge in what her best friend Mollie (Jojo T. Gibbs) quite reasonably describes as “the straight girl’s fantasy come true,” and agrees to let Steve whisk her away to a romantic getaway in the woods.

At this point, over half an hour into the 114-minute film, the other shoe drops. The eerie opening credits roll — white text warping over disorienting close-ups of floors, paintings and what looks like pools of fresh blood — and Fresh reveals itself as the horror story it truly is.

Fresh is more fun without spoilers, but it’s not especially difficult to guess what Steve’s terrible secret is. If the wink-wink wordplay in the official plot synopsis doesn’t give it away, Kahn’s script and Cave’s visual approach drop plenty of hints long before Steve comes out with it. It’s a testament to the ballsiness of Kahn’s script, though, that Steve’s sick motives are just the tip of the iceberg. The real narrative shocks lay in how they manifest, and the gruesome consequences that ripple from them.

As Steve, Stan gives one of the most arresting performances of his career. In early scenes, he’s an eminently reasonable romantic lead — the kind of guy you totally believe could get a girl’s number at the grocery store with a cutesy anecdote about Cotton Candy grapes. But it’s when the character’s true nature is revealed that Stan rises to his full potential, channeling Patrick Bateman while dancing to Animotion’s “Obsession” in his kitchen or monologuing to an unfortunately captive audience.

That Edgar-Jones is able to maintain her footing against such unhinged charisma is a feat in itself. Even backed into the most desperate of corners, her Noa projects some inner reservoir of strength and wit that keeps the viewer from ever losing sight of the real hero.

The true star of Fresh , however, is its style — lush, unsettling and precise. Cave’s camera can be a ruthless killer. In keeping with the film’s themes about consumption and commodification, it frequently fragments human bodies into incomplete collections of parts: a mouth wrapping around a morsel of food, fingertips caressing a neck in the shower, legs pounding the pavement during a run.

When it zooms out, it luxuriates in saturated colors and rich textures, often to unnerving effect. Fresh has no shortage of gory, gleefully explicit imagery, but it also throws the viewer off balance in quieter ways. It can provoke queasiness by juxtaposing two strong but clashing colors, or claustrophobia by filling a room with too much of a single shade. Paired with a soundtrack that combines ’80s synth-pop, indie rock and electronica, Fresh is almost overwhelming as a sensory experience.

It’s as a narrative that Fresh falls a bit short. Fresh ‘s central allegory is a clever one, and the horror story that spins out from it never less than gripping. But the film settles for reiterating its core ideas in more and more dramatic terms, rather than deepening or expanding them. Then, just when Fresh threatens to run out of steam, the final 20 minutes devolve into utter chaos — as if, having no idea how to end Noa’s story, the filmmakers threw up their hands and decided to do everything all at once in hopes something would work.

In addition to the protracted violence one might expect from a horror finale, there are screamed insults, multiple chases through multiple sets, one character who knows all too well what happens to horror movie characters in their situations, a different character making exactly the kind of rookie mistake that sends horror fans howling at their screen and a kicker that underlines the metaphor one more time for good measure. None of it is subtle, and not all of it makes much sense. But regarded as a whole, Fresh is a success — a taste of its creative talents’ abilities that leave the viewer hungry for more.

Full credits

Venue: Sundance Film Festival (Midnight) Distributor: Searchlight Pictures Production company: Legendary Entertainment, Hyperobject Industries Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jojo T. Gibbs, Charlotte Le Bon, Andrea Bang, Dayo Okeniyi Director: Mimi Cave Screenwriter: Lauryn Kahn Producers: Adam McKay, Kevin Messick, Maeve Cullinane Executive producers: Lauryn Kahn, Ron Mcleod Cinematographer: Pawel Pogorzelski Production designer: Jennifer Morden Editor: Martin Pensa Music: Alex Somers

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‘Fresh’ Film Review: Sebastian Stan Plays a Mr. Right Who’s All Wrong in Deliciously Creepy Horror Tale

First-time director Mimi Cave takes the audience on an emotional roller coaster, one that’s both thrilling and stomach-churning

This review of “Fresh” was originally posted Jan. 21, 2022 from the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.

It takes a long, long time before the so-called “opening credits” roll in Mimi Cave’s decadently horrifying directorial debut “Fresh.” That’s probably because, as wonderful as the film’s first act is, we ain’t seen nothing yet.

“Fresh” begins with the latest in what seems to be a long, long line of crappy online dates for Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones, “Normal People”). She hates the modern courtship process — and with good cause —  but, dang it, it’s the 21st century, and her options seem limited to swiping right and hoping for the best or a lifetime of lousy loneliness.

So it’s something of a shock when she actually meets a real live person, in a real-life grocery store, who shows an interest her and doesn’t seem like a total sack of crap. Steve has great taste in produce (yes, cotton candy grapes are real, and they’re fantastic ) . He’s also got a great sense of humor, and he’s a doctor, and he looks just like Sebastian Stan, so he seems like he might be a winner. He even eschews social media because it’s gauche and he’s oh so romantic and he wants to take Noa on a surprise weekend getaway to a mystery location and…

Whoa, red flags. Red flags! Noa’s best friend Mollie (Jojo T. Gibbs, “Twenties”) almost derails this whole movie when she points out that, in this day and age, not having any way to track a person’s identity online, coupled with a sudden desire to move to what can only be called “a second location,” is extremely suspicious.

But Edgar-Jones and Stan have such palpable, effortless chemistry, and the nimble script by Lauryn Kahn (“Ibiza”) keeps the warning signs tucked so snuggly beneath a weighted blanket of Noa’s relief from humdrum contemporary dating anxiety, that we don’t look down on her for taking a chance and going away with Steve after all. Maybe everything will be fine! Sure, there’s no cell phone service, but — uh-oh, that’s actually never a good sign.

What happens next may be slightly predictable, if only because we’re in a horror movie, but like James Wan’s awe-inspiring “Malignant,” the real surprise doesn’t stem from the plot. Presentation is what counts. Yes, it’s grotesque. Yes, it’ll make your stomach churn. But best/worst of all, Mimi Cave will not stop trying to recapture the early, whimsical romantic connection between Noa and Steve, to the point that the true discomfort comes not from any mangled flesh but from the film’s continued attempts to make nice with a flesh-mangler.

Structurally, “Fresh” has a lot in common with abduction films like “Misery” and “The Human Centipede,” where the villain’s bizarre obsessions drive the story, and mutilation is a natural (albeit terrifying) extension of their pathology. And like many other films which share some DNA with “Fresh,” it’s the villain who takes center stage. We haven’t seen Sebastian Stan operate on this level of camp showmanship since the climax of Renny Harlin’s “The Covenant.” He’s appealing when he takes himself seriously. He’s a movie star when he gets to have fun.

Daisy Edgar-Jones has a more complex assignment. She must endure grotesque indignities while, in defiance of all her better instincts, making nice with a total creep. And the creep is no fool. The only way to convince him that she’s into his bizarre fetishes is to be so convincing that the audience starts to wonder if maybe, just maybe, she actually is. That’s another level of gruesome that “Fresh” throws on the tower of terrors, just in case anyone thought it wasn’t high enough.

Cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski should be a household name by now for horror enthusiasts, having developed morbidly absorbing yet dynamically opposed visions for both “Hereditary” and “Midsommar.” His work in “Fresh” captures the intimate appeal of a romantic comedy, the stark isolation of a kidnapping thriller, and a fantastical representation of gore that tries, in a truly unnerving way, to make it look as appealing as Steve thinks it is. There’s nothing more gross than gross-with-a-garnish.

“Fresh” raises quite a few questions it never bothers to answer, unless of course a sequel is in the cards, but its power doesn’t come from its plot. Like the best first dates, and the best midnight movies, it all comes down to personality. Mimi Cave knows how to captivate and how to repulse, usually at the same time. She knows how to make us laugh and hate ourselves for laughing. “Fresh” is a breakneck emotional roller coaster, and like many roller coasters, it’ll also make your stomach churn.

“Fresh” is now streaming on Hulu.

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‘Fresh’ Review: Sebastian Stan Is Captivating as Charismatic Maniac in Sleek and Stylish Horror Debut

Natalia winkelman.

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Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2022  Sundance Film Festival. Searchlight Films releases the film on Hulu on Friday, March 4.

About thirty minutes into “Fresh,” a deliciously jangly horror movie, the opening credits roll. Up until then, the movie, which premiered in the Midnight section of the Sundance Film Festival, unfolds like an edgy romantic comedy. In the opening scene, Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones, with a bite) shows up for an app date, which turns out to be a dud: A vain cheapskate who’s brusque with the waiter, the guy tells Noa between bites of their meal that her sweater looks shlumpy and a dress would suit her better. Reading the disagreeable signs, Noa bids him a polite goodbye, but not before Mr. Conceited Civility, upon rejection, can shout, “Good luck finding a guy, you stuck up bitch.”

This sort of bait-and-switch becomes a key ingredient in “Fresh,” Mimi Cave’s classy and clever feature directorial debut. Written by Lauryn Kahn, the movie is framed as a parable of the anxieties of modern dating, of how truly impossible it can feel for (straight) women to catch a break. It’s a familiar setup, and one that’s vulnerable to the traps of heavy-handedness and cliche. But unlike recent predecessors — “Promising Young Woman” and the short story “Cat Person” come to mind — “Fresh” doesn’t wholly aspire to be a feminist arrow to the heart of today’s heterosexual dating scene. More so, it uses its central idea as fodder for stylish black comedy. Where “Promising Young Women” tended to feel labored and clumsy, “Fresh” is sleek and nimble, a worthy new entry into the feminist revenge thriller genre.

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Many of the movie’s comic pleasures are thanks to Sebastian Stan , who, invitingly clean-cut and bashful, plays a Texan surgeon named Steve whom Noa meets and exchanges endearing conversation with in an unlikely place: the produce aisle of the grocery store. “I didn’t think people met people in real life anymore,” Noa marvels later, gushing about the meet-cute to her best friend, Mollie (Jojo T. Gibbs). Even so, early dates with Steve go well, and Noa grows cautiously excited. When her new paramour asks for a weekend getaway together, Noa graciously accepts. Has she finally struck gold? It’s here that we reach the opening credits, and the movie spins into nail-biting suspense and terror.

At this point in the movie, Mollie seems to be getting the short end of the stick. Noa’s best (and seemingly only) friend, Mollie is Black and queer, a token sidekick character whose personal life, job, and dating prospects we learn almost nothing about — though we do know that she’s prone to too-loudly encouraging Noa to “get that D.”

But as the story continues, and Steve — no surprise here — turns out not to be the sweet guy he promised, both Mollie and Noa’s characters are given space to deepen. Edgar-Jones, who most notably played Marianne on Hulu’s “Normal People,” is an absorbing screen presence, taking a role that could’ve been played as dopey — the romance cynic who falls for the gentleman — and injecting it with a quiet psychological intensity. Mollie, too, becomes a character to root for independently, which is at least better than only existing as a cheerleader for her sensitive white bestie. In one scene, after Mollie can’t reach Noa for several days, she tells a Black friend that she’s worried but is reluctant to involve police in her search. “Why? She’s white, right?” he jokes in response. Mollie rolls her eyes knowingly.

But as far as performances go, it’s Stan who gets the most time to shine. Dancing around the kitchen lip-syncing to oldie pop songs or just cutting up juicy red meat for dinner, Steve sparkles with smarmy, maniacal energy, like a kind of sophisticated Tyler Durden who’s traded fight clubs for business ventures. He can play the nice guy, but beneath the chivalry he’s hungry for power, and seizes onto it like a snarling dog with a bone.

The movie is also handsomely shot. Settings are depicted in rich dark hues and feature a modern, minimalistic design aesthetic punctuated by slabs of stone and concrete. Cave has an imaginative sense of camera placement, and she’s an expert at inserting ultra-close-up shots at precisely the right moment to induce a laugh, gasp, or shiver. Her camera is always in service of the story, rather than distracting from it with artifice. That’s not to say that there aren’t visual jokes — there are, frequently — but to give them away here would be to spoil the fun.

Except for a couple of on-the-nose lines, “Fresh” wisely chooses show over tell. At the end of the bad-date opening scene, as Noa is walking dejectedly back to her car, she notices a shadowy figure approaching. She fumbles with her keys, hoping to have a form of self defense in case of emergency. Suddenly, the figure enters the light of a lamppost — and is revealed to be a smiling father with his kid in a baby carrier. Sometimes, “Fresh” seems to say, a supposed threat turns out to be nothing. Then again, sometimes it’s not.

“Fresh” premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Searchlight Pictures will release it on Hulu on March 4.

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Fresh Movie Review: A Daring and Stylized Modern Horror Entrée From Mimi Cave

Fresh is directed by mimi cave and stars daisy edgar-jones and sebastian stan.

Review: As the title suggests, Fresh is a surprisingly refreshing and singular entry into the horror genre. A blend of several styles, Director Mimi Cave’s talents are on full display.

One of the big Sundance darlings finally hit Hulu and has been cooking up a storm since its festival debut earlier this year. The Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan -led Fresh , about a grocery store fling (spoilers?) going way, way, way South, delivers a heaping dish of style and flare, even if the tone doesn’t quite match the subject matter all too well.

The casual relationship begins in the produce section at their local market. Steve, an unassuming and non-threatening male, is about as suspicious as his name suggests. His lackluster and frighteningly unfunny jokes eventually win over the mind of Noa, a romantic debating giving up the dating life after a string of poor dates brought on by online matchmaking apps.

As they grow closer, Noa seems to attach herself to the one person that finds life as dark and unforgiving as she does. As for Steve, he’s got different intentions in mind. Those intentions are for his growing human flesh delivery service, a competitor to HelloFresh and other meal kit startups.

Noa quickly learns that this relationship is not cut out to last after a spiked drink and a cleverly designed title sequence nearly 40 minutes into the film. What is up with movies starting to experiment with title sequences these last few months (check out Drive My Car )?

The rest of the film is a cleverly crafted escape thriller – Noa trying to devise a plan to help her fellow inmates out of the lavish and expensive second home that Steve uses specifically for his captives. The house itself deserves a spot in the “Rich House Mount Rushmore”. When I say this house is exuberant and captivating, I mean it calls to the likes of Ex Machina and Parasite .

Noa learns plenty of important life lessons along the way, including how to army crawl along the ground and how the human flesh tastes if cooked to perfection in a pasta dish. I kid, but this is how the movie is presented in terms of mood and tone. It doesn’t take itself all too seriously, for better or for worse.

Fresh is hoping that the handful of side dishes and drinks can carry the weight of a mixed main course. I’m not sure if I can blame it, considering Mimi Cave’s laser focused direction and cinematography from Pawel Pogorzelski ( Midsommar and Hereditary ). It’s a very specific and direct piece of filmmaking that almost feels too clean to be a Sundance film. It never loses touch and always feels like the most pointed aspect of the movie.

Reviews for Movies like Fresh (2022)

With its subject matter, its important to land the tone. Unfortunately, I’m not sure Fresh quite gets there in that sense. At times, it feels too light-hearted and sweet given the fact that Noa is being held captive for her flesh and bones. The curated playlist of tracks and sharp color design make for an invigorating watch, but one that doesn’t seem to mesh well with the stakes at hand. The film knows what it wants to portray, and it also knows how it wants to come off. The problem is that these two philosophies don’t go hand in hand.

At times, Fresh does a nice job balancing these obstacles. The flourishing set design, combined with the performances by our two main leads, do enough to keep you invested in the film, even if it feels too out-of-touch with society itself. But the message is about online dating and the possible harms of investing in faces you aren’t too familiar with, which is a grounded idea and problem. It is a sensationalized feature about an issue that feels quite odd to sensationalize about.

It culminates with a third act that is equal parts run-of-the-mill horror film and dumb character decisions. I guess these two go together considering the countless number of scenes that could’ve been avoided if a character would just “double-tap” the antagonist. It pulled me out of the film and made it feel like it was dragging on a few scenes too many.

In its culminating efforts, Fresh is a pointed vision from a filmmaker I’m excited to see grow and develop after a few projects. I wasn’t expecting this to blow me away, but I was hoping for some neat tricks and thrilling fun, and it delivers that. Combined with its great performances, Fresh is a fun Friday night flick. It doesn’t push the boundaries of the genre, but it does fit itself nice and snug within one.

Genre: Comedy , Horror , Thriller

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Fresh Movie Cast and Credits

Daisy Edgar-Jones as Noa

Sebastian Stan as Steve

Jojo T. Gibbs as Mollie

Andrea Bang as Penny

Dayo Okeniyi as Paul

Charlotte Le Bon as Ann

Director: Mimi Cave

Writer: Lauryn Kahn

Cinematography: Pawel Pogorzelski

Editor: Martin Pensa

Composer: Alex Somers

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Fresh – Hulu/Disney+ Review (5/5)

Posted by Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard | Mar 3, 2022 | 4 minutes

FRESH on Hulu / Disney+ is a new horror-thriller that begins as a classic rom-com. About 30 minutes into the story, things go sideways in the most terrifying way. It’s absolutely brilliant. Read our full Fresh  movie review here!

FRESH is a new horror thriller on Hulu/Disney+ starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan. When the movie begins, it’s a classic rom-com of the best kind. However, that part won’t last long and it only means the terror has an even harder impact when it begins. And boy, does it come swiftly!

This is a feature film debut for director Mimi Cave and I cannot wait to see what she does next. I loved everything from the tone and style of the movie to the awesome soundtrack. In fact, I can’t wait to watch it again.

I only wish I could watch it for the first time all over again, so make sure you enjoy your first time around!

Continue reading our Fresh  movie review below and find it on Hulu in the US and Disney+ everywhere else.

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan shine

Actually, as much as both Daisy Edgar Jones and Sebastian Stan are brilliant in their respective roles, he is actually the one who shines. The trailer reveals very little (and thank the movie gods for that), but it does reveal that he changes along the way.

Sebastian Stan gets to really let his hair down – so to speak. The man is absolutely gorgeous and so amazingly charming as Steve. And then he gets a little crazy but in a very different way than what you might expect. Also, the soundtrack of Fresh  is so awesome and seems to always speak to Steve’s mood.

Daisy Edgar-Jones is a resourceful kick-ass woman who has an amazing best friend in Mollie. She doesn’t take any crap from anyone, but she does want to believe in love. A little too much and too quickly, but hey, that’s what Disney movies have always told women.

This is actually a point in  Fresh , which is very on-the-nose considering that this movie is released on Disney+ worldwide, while it’s released on Hulu in the US.

Also, I should mention that Mollie is portrayed by Jojo T. Gibbs. Her role in this almost reminded me of Lil Rel Howery in Get Out . That best friend who gives you just the right kind of tough love and “ride or die”-energy that you just  know  they won’t give up on you.

Jojo T. Gibbs ( Twenties ) gave off the perfect energy for this character! The same can definitely be said for Dayo Okeniyi ( See ) as the bartender, Paul.

When Rom-Com goes Horror!

Fresh stars Daisy Edgar-Jones ( Normal People ) and Sebastian Stan ( Captain America franchise, The Devil All the Time ) in the lead roles. Both of them are absolutely amazing and come across in the most amazing ways. Each in their own ways as you’ll see.

Please, don’t try to read up on this movie before you watch it. You’ll only be spoiling it for yourself.

In fact, what I will tell you is that the horror-thriller part doesn’t begin until a good half hour into Fresh . When the movie opens, it comes across as a classic (and really good ) rom-com. Then, around the half-hour mark, things take a drastic turn and it’s pure horror territory from there. With some horror-comedy along the way!

Also, the opening credits don’t come until after that half-hour mark. Mainly because  that is when the real story begins. To paraphrase Steve (Sebastian Stan), when Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) asks him what’s going on: “You’re gonna freak out!”

I would definitely have freaked out, but as the audience of this movie, I was absolutely thrilled!

Watch  Fresh  on Hulu in the US or Disney+ worldwide!

Fresh is the feature film debut for director Mimi Cave. She previously directed short films including music videos, beginning in 2014. With this debut, Mimi Cave is off to a stellar start as a feature film director. The screenplay was written by Lauryn Kahn, who had her feature film debut with the Netflix movie  Ibiza  (2018) .

Based on  Fresh  alone, I  really  hope this isn’t the last time Mimi Cave directs a movie based on a screenplay by Lauryn Kahn. The result is absolutely brilliant. This horror gem was produced by Adam McKay and Kevin Messick (via Hyperobject Industries) with Maeve Cullinane ( Succession ) as co-producer.

Also, the gorgeous visuals are by cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski. He also shot the two brilliant Ari Aster horror movies Hereditary and Midsommar , which should give you an idea of the quality.

You should really do your very best to avoid spoilers because this movie will throw you for a loop a few times. Ultimately, the final act is absolutely insane. And it’s simply perfect in so many ways! Fresh premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2022 and holds a well-earned IMDb rating of 7.0 prior to its wide release.

FRESH will be out on Hulu in the US from March 4, 2022. It will be out on Disney+ in other countries from the same date (except in the UK and Ireland where it will premiere on March 18, 2022).

Director: Mimi Cave Script: Lauryn Kahn Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jojo T. Gibbs, Andrea Bang, Dayo Okeniyi, Charlotte Le Bon, Brett Dier

“Fresh” follows Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who 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.

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About The Author

Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!

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After quitting dating apps, a woman meets the supposedly perfect man and accepts his invitation to a romantic weekend getaway, only to find that her new paramour has been hiding some unusual... Read all After quitting dating apps, a woman meets the supposedly perfect man and accepts his invitation to a romantic weekend getaway, only to find that her new paramour has been hiding some unusual appetites. After quitting dating apps, a woman meets the supposedly perfect man and accepts his invitation to a romantic weekend getaway, only to find that her new paramour has been hiding some unusual appetites.

• Lauryn Kahn
• Daisy Edgar-Jones
• Sebastian Stan
• Jojo T. Gibbs
• 520 User reviews
• 202 Critic reviews
• 67 Metascore
• 2 wins & 17 nominations

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• Mannequin Woman

• Shirtless Guy
• (as Carlos Joe Costa)
• Business Man

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• Trivia The title of the movie and intro credits don't appear until 33 minutes into the movie.
• Goofs The shots from the back of Noa in her pink dress show no volume difference in her gluteal muscle masses (buttocks).

Steve : It's about giving. Giving yourself over to somebody. Becoming one with somebody else, forever. And that's... That's a beautiful thing. That's surrender. That's love.

• Crazy credits Opening credits are 33 minutes in.
• Connections Featured in Nightmare on Film Street: Nightmare Alley: FRESH Interview with director Mimi Cave and Writer Lauryn Kahn (2022)
• Soundtracks In Your Arms (uncredited) Composed by Andrea Fodor Litkei and Ervin Litkei

User reviews 520

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• Mar 16, 2022
• How long is Fresh? Powered by Alexa
• March 4, 2022 (United States)
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• Runtime 1 hour 54 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Fresh Movie Review: An Intense Thriller That Subverts Expectations

January 23, 2022 By Ashley Leave a Comment

Debuting at Sundance 2022, Mimi Cave's debut full length film Fresh is an intense psychological thriller that breathes new life into the genre. Take your expectations and throw them out the door, Fresh is just that, a fresh look at a dark and twisted corner of society. 

Fresh Movie Review  2022

Fresh begins like any other romantic comedy, a slightly awkward girl Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is sitting through an awful first date with some guy she matched with on an app. Afterwards she tells her best friend Mollie (Jojo T. Gibbs) she is over the whole dating scene. Cue the cute grocery store meetup with the attractive and charming Steve (Sebastian Stan). They exchange numbers and end up in bed together. When he suggests a weekend getaway she eagerly agrees, not knowing where exactly they are going. They arrive at this secluded house in the woods that conveniently has terrible service. During the first night he spikes her wine and in a fog she passes out. The credits roll and what follows is an entirely different film than the one portrayed in the first 25 minutes. 

Steve has an unusual appetite for women and Noa is his latest catch. As is the audience, because Fresh lures you in and refuses to let go throughout the entire runtime. Cave deftly subverts all expectations, taking a fresh approach to a trope that is well known. She toys with the tone, presenting playfulness and comedy all the while firmly establishing without a doubt that this is a horror film. This is a nuanced look at the perils of modern dating and the fears women face on a daily basis. The result is a chilling and absolutely exciting foray into the war between men and women.

Part of the reason Fresh is so intoxicating are Cave's directions and Lauryn Kahn's clever script. The camera work is dynamic as it seemingly goes rogue like Steve before snapping into a closeup as a reminder that those delightful 80s style montages are not to be trusted. Cave's directing style that feels playful yet sharp pairs nicely with the equally funny and darkness of Kahn's writing. Her humor may seem a bit morbid but the cast delivers it in a way that you cannot help but laugh. The other reason this movie is phenomenal comes down to the main characters. 

Steve is Sebastian Stan's darkest role yet and he delivers a performance that is equal parts terrifying and intriguing. He is so brilliant in this role, easily changing between Steve's charming and sinister sides, it is impossible to look away. Even when the more grotesque moments occur. Edgar-Jones is fierce as Noa who goes from being unsure of herself to formulating a plan to escape the horrific situation she finds herself in. There is a moment when she breaks down, realizing for the first time what happened to her that will take your breath away. Her portrayal of Noa is a layered one and it is impressive the way she keeps the audience and Steve guessing her true motives until she's ready to reveal them.

True there are many elements of this story that are hardly new, but it is the way in which Cave and Kahn present them that is quite surprising and fascinating. Although Fresh  gives into familiar tropes towards the very end, after everything that occurred before that point it still feels honestly satisfying. After all, it is nice to see the women in this genre take back their lives both figuratively and literally from the men who seek to consume them. 

Thankfully, on-screen gore is kept to a minimum, mostly allowing only a look into the final results of Steve's obsession. However, this film could put you off of meat for a while, or permanently. Weak stomachs beware. 

At the end of the day, Fresh is just that, a fresh new romp through an oftentimes worn-out trope. It is deliciously evil, insanely enjoyable to watch as it takes viewers' expectations and turns them on their heads. Fresh is bound to be an instant classic horror film who's greatness future filmmakers will aspire to. After viewing Cave's incredible handiwork here, she is definitely one to watch in the future. 

Fresh premiered at Sundance this week, and is scheduled to be released on Hulu on March 4. It is Rated R or strong and disturbing violent content, some bloody images, language throughout, some sexual content and brief graphic nudity with a runtime of 1 hour 54 minutes. 

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'Fresh,' starring Sebastian Stan, is one of the best new movies on Hulu — here's why I recommend it even if you're not a fan of horror

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

• "Fresh," starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan, premiered exclusively on Hulu on March 4.
• The dark comedy follows Noa (Edgar-Jones) as she navigates the horrors of modern dating.
• Hulu plans start at $7/month for ad-supported streaming, and you can get ad-free streaming for $13/month.

I have a well-documented love for Sebastian Stan's work , so I knew I'd be watching his new movie, "Fresh," no matter what. The Hulu exclusive blends elements of dark comedy and horror to tackle the world of dating.

I'm not typically a big fan of scary movies or gore, so the film's horror elements had me worried. But, after streaming "Fresh," the biggest surprise wasn't its plot twists. What really shocked me was just how much I ended up loving it.

The film focuses on Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a woman who's become fed up with modern dating. She sets up dates using apps and nothing ever comes from it. After meeting Steve (Sebastian Stan) in a grocery store, they hit it off and things begin to move very quickly. From there, the flick goes down some dark and disturbing roads, but it does so with a smart sense of humor.

Check out the trailer for 'Fresh'

"Fresh" tries to do a lot of things at the same time. It's a satire, a dark comedy disguised as a rom-com, and a thriller, with hints of body horror and gore. But, somehow it all works perfectly to create a cohesive movie that clocks in at just under two hours.

The film currently holds an " 81% Certified Fresh " on review-aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and has received positive reviews from critics following its premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Even as someone who typically avoids movies that veer into horror, I absolutely loved the film's darkly comedic vibe.

'Fresh' is an unsettling look at modern dating from the female perspective 

"Fresh" is the first feature film by Mimi Cave, who is best known for her work on music videos. The film follows Noa, a young woman who is tired of online dating. She meets Steve in a grocery store and is immediately charmed by him. She soon agrees to a weekend trip, only to discover that Steve has some unusual appetites. 

To say anymore would be getting into spoiler territory, but the movie goes down a darkly satirical path with a splash of horror.

As Noa and Steve, Edgar-Jones and Stan are a great pair. They have the chemistry required to make their first few interactions believable before the film's central twist, which comes about 30 minutes in. After that, their relationship changes entirely. 

It's not the first time Stan has played a character in a similar vein to Steve, but I'm always impressed with his ability to distinguish his "bad guy" roles from one another. Steve is a well-written, layered character whose intentions are not immediately clear. As the film starts peeling back some of those layers, you realize Steve is not who he initially said he was, and he essentially becomes the film's villain. 

"Fresh" touches on the idea that dating is hard for women, especially in the climate we're currently living in. There's a scene early on where Noa is walking to her car alone with her keys sticking out between her fingers because she feels unsafe after a date. I can't remember a scene in a movie that more accurately captures the feeling I get when I'm walking alone at night. 

I'm also impressed with so many of the movie's technical aspects. Cave's direction really shines, especially in the moments where the film shows restraint. I went into watching "Fresh" with a pretty strong idea of what the movie would be about, and with that came expectations. I think the choice to lean into the horror of the plot without crossing over into gratuitous gore is a bold one, and it works really well.

To me, it feels like the true horror of the movie isn't its gore. Insead, the real horror is found in the film's completely realistic and accurate examination of modern dating. The film uses its horror twist to relate to all-too real horrors women face on a regular basis. By the end of the movie, I found myself thinking about what I'd do if I were in a situation similar to Noa's because of how realistic this seemingly unrealistic plot really is. 

How to watch 'Fresh'

You can watch "Fresh" at home exclusively on Hulu . The movie premiered as a direct-to-streaming release on March 4. 

Plans for Hulu start at $7 a month for ad-supported streaming. If you'd rather skip the ads, you can purchase Hulu's ad-free plan for $13 a month. 

If you're looking for more shows, movies, and live sports, we recommend the Disney Bundle . The package includes Hulu (with ads), Disney Plus, and ESPN+ for $13 a month. That's $8 less per month than if you subscribed to all three individually. 

The Hulu app is available on Apple, Android, Roku, Fire TV, and Xbox devices, as well as most major smart TVs. You can also stream Hulu on web browsers including Safari, Firefox, and Google Chrome. 

The bottom line

With great performances from Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones, a cool soundtrack, and impressive direction, "Fresh" will keep you engaged from beginning to end. There are disturbing elements, but even as someone who normally doesn't gravitate toward horror, I'm glad I gave this movie a chance. In fact, I'm already looking forward to rewatching it. 

If you like thrillers with smart social commentary and a side of dark comedy, I recommend adding "Fresh" to your Hulu watchlist. It's a great addition to Hulu's growing lineup of exclusive movies and it's easily worth the $7 subscription fee. New members can even try Hulu free for 30 days, so you can stream "Fresh" and other films before committing to a subscription.

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Cleverly dark but violent, gruesome horror movie.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

In its own macabre way, this dark horror movie is

Movie plays with conventions of both serial killer

Diversity in gender, race, sexual orientation. Mov

Movie centers on a woman who is taken prisoner by

Man sends lead character a photo of himself touchi

Strong profanity throughout. "F--k" often used. Al

Lead character's cocktail is drugged by villain, r

Parents need to know that Fresh is a 2022 horror movie in which a single woman discovers that the "nice guy" she has started dating is actually a consumer and seller of human flesh. There's considerable violence: After the lead character is drugged, she wakes up chained in a windowless room. When she tries to…

Positive Messages

In its own macabre way, this dark horror movie is a distinctly feminist comment on violence against women and empowerment.

Positive Role Models

Movie plays with conventions of both serial killer horror movies and the dating life in romcoms. Characters -- for all their strengths in figuring out how to fight back -- don't emerge as positive role models.

Diverse Representations

Diversity in gender, race, sexual orientation. Movie plays with horror movie convention of Black characters usually among the first to be slaughtered. Toxic masculinity is a central theme.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Movie centers on a woman who is taken prisoner by a guy she had started dating, chained up with other women who are slowly being cut up, their flesh turned into meat to be consumed by ultra-wealthy men willing to spend a lot to eat fresh human meat. Lead character's buttock meat is removed. Lead character is drugged before being taken prisoner. During oral sex, a man's penis is bitten off; lots of blood and screaming. Characters shot, stabbed, beaten bloody. After discovering she's chained in a windowless room, lead character asks villain if he's going to rape her. Villain shown slicing human flesh from a limb kept in refrigeration, pounding it with a meat tenderizer, eating some; villain later insists that the lead character sample human flesh as a "delicacy." Close-ups of bloody incisions.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Man sends lead character a photo of himself touching his erect penis via direct messaging on a dating app -- also includes sleazy sexts. Passionate kissing between lead character and a man she starts dating -- implied sex when they wake up next to each other while scantily clad. When lead character tells her best friend about the encounter, the best friend says, "Get that d!" Lead character pretends to be romantically and sexually attracted to villain; they passionately kiss and seem to be on verge of engaging in oral sex when movie takes an even bloodier turn. Brief female nudity (buttocks).

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Strong profanity throughout. "F--k" often used. Also "motherf----r" and "c--t." "P---y," "t-ts," "d--k," "s--t," "bitch," "ass."

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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Lead character's cocktail is drugged by villain, resulting in her passing out and waking up chained in a windowless room. Cocktail drinking during a date: Characters shown getting tipsy as they get better acquainted. Wine drinking.

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Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Fresh is a 2022 horror movie in which a single woman discovers that the "nice guy" she has started dating is actually a consumer and seller of human flesh. There's considerable violence: After the lead character is drugged, she wakes up chained in a windowless room. When she tries to fight back, the villain removes some flesh from her buttocks. While seemingly on the verge of engaging in oral sex, a woman bites off the penis of her partner, her face shown covered in blood as the man shrieks in agony. Limbs are shown hanging in meat lockers. The villain is shown tenderizing human flesh and later forces the lead character to try some, since she has feigned interest as a way to try to escape. Besides the cannibalism, there's horror movie violence as characters shoot, stab, and beat each other until bloody. While on a dating app, the lead character is subjected to an image of a man's erect penis, along with creepy sexts. Strong language throughout includes "f--k," "c--t," and "motherf----r." The movie also has implied sex and passionate kissing as well as cocktail and wine drinking. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (6)
• Kids say (14)

Based on 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In FRESH, Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a single woman who's tired of bad dates and creeps on the dating apps. It seems that her luck changes for the better after meeting the charmingly vulnerable Steve ( Sebastian Stan ) at the grocery store. After a date in which they really seem to hit it off, Noa confides in her best friend Mollie that she thinks that she has finally met a great guy, and even tells her that she and Steve are going to go on a weekend getaway. When Steve picks Noa up for the trip, he tells her that they have to stop off at his house first. While hanging out and drinking a cocktail he has made for her, she finds herself getting sleepy and passes out. She then wakes up chained in a windowless room. She soon discovers who Steve really is: a sociopathic cannibal who makes his living selling the meat of living female human flesh on the black market to wealthy men willing to pay top dollar for this "delicacy." Shocked and traumatized, Noa struggles to make sense of her predicament and discovers that other women are also being held prisoner in Steve's house. As Mollie grows increasingly concerned over Noa's whereabouts, Noa must find a way to fight back without incurring Steve's violent and cannibalistic tendencies.

Is It Any Good?

This is a disturbing, dark, and gruesome horror story that keeps the viewer guessing as it plays with the conventions of horror movies and romcoms. Fresh strikes a fine balance between blood and gore, story and message, and unsettling scenes offset by macabre humor. While so many horror movies (and romcoms) lazily plod along down well-trodden paths of clichés and predictability, Fresh reveals itself to be as aware of the tropes as you are (if not more so) and messes with these expectations without being smug about it.

This story of a romcom that goes horrifically and cannibalistically wrong takes an obvious strong feminist point of view as the scares, blood, and gore of the story offer a serious commentary on toxic masculinity and violence against women. The story, acting, and direction keep this message from overwhelming the story through preachiness, and the dark humor helps make the message a little easier to, well, consume. Overall, it's a unique combination of two genres not exactly known for their originality.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the deeper messages behind Fresh . How does the movie use the story to comment on toxic masculinity and violence against women?

How does the movie play with the clichés and expectations of both horror movies and romcoms?

Was the graphic violence excessive, or did it seem necessary both for the story and for the movie's overall message? Why?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : March 4, 2022
• Cast : Daisy Edgar-Jones , Sebastian Stan , Jojo T. Gibbs
• Director : Mimi Cave
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Female actors, Queer actors, Black actors
• Studio : Hulu
• Genre : Horror
• Run time : 114 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : Strong and disturbing violent content, some bloody images, language throughout, some sexual content and brief graphic nudity.
• Last updated : March 21, 2022

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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Solar eclipse 2024: Follow the path of totality

Solar eclipse, everything you need to know about solar eclipse glasses before april 8.

Joe Hernandez

People view a total solar eclipse at from the observatory at Rockefeller Center in New York City on Aug. 21, 2017. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption

People view a total solar eclipse at from the observatory at Rockefeller Center in New York City on Aug. 21, 2017.

The total solar eclipse is this Monday. If you're geeked to see it, you'll want to start getting prepared to do so safely.

One way would be to nab a pair of special solar eclipse glasses and to make sure they're the real deal.

Since it's been seven years since the last solar eclipse crossed the U.S. , here's a refresher on all things eclipse glasses so you can view this celestial event without frying your eyeballs.

Remind me. What's the deal with this total eclipse?

A total solar eclipse — when the moon crosses directly in front of the daytime sun — will appear in the sky on April 8, 2024.

An estimated 31 million people live in the narrow strip of land stretching from Maine to Texas where people will be able to see the total eclipse — when the moon completely covers up the sun. Those outside this "path of totality" will see a partial eclipse, in which the moon blocks anywhere from a little bit to almost all of the sun.

NASA estimates that 99% of people living in the U.S. will be able to see a partial or total eclipse.

For April's eclipse, going from 'meh' to 'OMG' might mean just driving across town

Precisely when you'll be able to see the eclipse — and what kind of eclipse you'll be able to see — will depend on your location and time zone.

Total solar eclipses are rare , and many people in the U.S. will have to wait more than two decades for another. The next total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous U.S. will be on Aug. 23, 2044.

Do I really need eclipse glasses?

If you plan to look directly at the eclipse, yes.

Proper eye protection must be worn throughout a total solar eclipse — except for the roughly 3 1/2 to 4 minutes when the moon fully obscures the sun, a brief period known as "totality." (You will need to take your glasses off during totality to actually see it.)

During the periods before and after totality — and during the entirety of a partial solar eclipse — eye protection is required.

Looking at the sun without proper eye protection for even a short time can harm your eyes and risk permanently damaging your retina, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Some people can even suffer blindness after looking directly at the sun, an affliction known as solar retinopathy.

Tammy Hellinga, left, and Joanne Hostetter prepare Sun Catcher solar eclipse glasses for shipment to customers from the Explore Scientific store in Springdale, Ark., on Jan. 30. Michael Woods/AP hide caption

Specialized eclipse glasses and hand-held solar viewers solve that problem. Their filters typically let through between 0.001% and 0.00005% of visible light, and they can be more than 1,000 times darker than ordinary sunglasses, the American Astronomical Society says .

Can I use something else to see the eclipse?

For sure. You can use a pinhole projector or camera obscura or even a colander to cast an image of the eclipse on the ground or a wall.

What you should not do is try to look at the eclipse through a telescope, binoculars or an unfiltered camera — even if you're wearing eclipse glasses.

And it bears repeating: Your regular sunglasses are not strong enough for eclipse viewing.

OK, I'm sold. Where can I get a pair?

There are plenty of eclipse glasses available for free or sale in person and online, but experts are urging people to source glasses carefully and beware of fakes .

Rick Fienberg, project manager of the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force, says counterfeit eclipse glasses began appearing on the market just before the 2017 solar eclipse.

"[W]e didn't know who was making them, and we didn't know if they were safe," he told NPR via email.

The AAS issued a warning, and Amazon temporarily pulled some eclipse glasses from its website.

For this year's eclipse, Fienberg says, his group has had time to request testing information from many manufacturers. But he adds that some sellers of bogus eclipse glasses now fraudulently use the name or design of other companies.

Shots - Health News

Watching a solar eclipse without the right filters can cause eye damage. here's why.

There's a list on the AAS website of recommended eclipse glasses and other solar viewers that are made by reputable companies and safe when used properly.

Still, beware: Narrowing your choices to products that say they comply with the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard for eclipse glasses may not be enough, the AAS warns, since some vendors have falsely advertised that their untested glasses meet the standard. The AAS suggests avoiding buying products based solely on price from Amazon, eBay, Temu or other online marketplaces.

You may not have to do any shopping yourself, though. More than 13,000 public libraries across the U.S. are handing out 5 million eclipse glasses for free, so check with your local branch.

How can I make sure my eclipse glasses are legit?

The first thing to know is that you shouldn't test your eclipse glasses against the sun, just in case they're unsafe, according to NASA Goddard .

Instead, hold them up to a bright lamp or flashlight. The lit bulb should be invisible or very dim through the eclipse glasses, and you should not be able to see the glow around it.

Scenes from the rare 'ring of fire' eclipse

"The way I like to think about it is if I put on the glasses and I can see anything that's not the sun, then they're not dark enough," Angela Speck, chair of the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told NPR. "That's a quick and dirty way to kind of judge it."

If you're planning to use an old pair of eclipse glasses, experts recommend checking to make sure they don't have any scratches or damage.

Want to see how a solar eclipse alters colors? Wear red and green on Monday

But if for some reason you can't get eclipse glasses before the big event, Speck suggests trying one of the other methods astronomers suggest for viewing the eclipse, like a projector.

"There are alternatives to looking through the glasses, and it would be a shame to miss this for fear of hurting your eyes," she said.

Nell Greenfieldboyce contributed reporting.

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• solar eclipse