Fresh is a 2022 comedy thriller film directed by Mimi Cave, in her directorial debut, from a screenplay by Lauryn Kahn. It stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2022, and was released on March 4, 2022, on Hulu by Searchlight Pictures. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
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Movie info
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.
- Rating: R
- Genre: Horror, Comedy, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
- Original Language: English
- Director: Mimi Cave
- Producer: Adam McKay, Kevin J. Messick, Maeve Cullinane
- Writer: Lauryn Kahn
- Cast: Sebastian Stan, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Andrea Bang, Charlotte Le Bon, Brett Dier, Dayo Okeniyi, Jonica T. Gibbs, Sunghee Lapell, Alina Maris, Jojo T. Gibbs
- Release Date (Streaming): Mar 4, 2022
- Runtime: 1h 54m
Critic reviews for Fresh
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 81% of 180 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7/10. The website’s consensus reads, “As gripping as it is upsetting, Fresh makes a provocative meal out of the horror of modern dating.”
Comically twisting the source genre away from the concept of the Final Girl, Fresh celebrates female camaraderie, resourcefulness, and good humour in the face of monstrous behaviour. Full Review | Original Score: 4/5
Tara Brady – Irish Times
It’s as subtle as a sledgehammer, but Fresh’s audacious storytelling, full-throated performances and accomplished direction make for a tasty, wildly entertaining concoction. Full Review | Original Score: 4/5
Sophie Butcher – Empire Magazine
As a statement of intent from two emerging filmmakers — this is Kahn’s second feature script — Fresh makes a potent impression. It’s stylish and smart where it counts, even if it occasionally veers into the unnecessarily didactic. Full Review
Richard Lawson – Vanity Fair
To frame it in Fresh’s own language, all we get here is a single bite — not the whole steak. Full Review | Original Score: 2/5
Clarisse Loughrey – Independent (UK)
The whirr of subplots also resembles an over-extended tasting menu. Too many dishes fly by; the evening starts to feel like a long night. Full Review | Original Score: 3/5
Danny Leigh – Financial Times
This movie will not be to everyone’s taste. But it is well made, well acted, and has clever, surprising twists towards the end. It marks the debut director as a filmmaker to watch. Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5
Stephen Romei – The Australian
I really dug this. It is twisted, ambitious, and cool. Full Review
Christy Lemire – FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
Writer Lauryn Kahn and director Mimi Cave have constructed a playful and captivating horror story bolstered by solid performances that does, at times, feel pretty fresh. Full Review
Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya – Autostraddle
About 30 minutes into the film, the opening credits finally roll, and we’re off, taking a morbidly comedic turn towards the truly unsettling. Full Review
Adam Mullins-Khatib – Chicago Reader
Call it Fifty Shades of Grey with Tabasco sauce. Full Review | Original Score: 4/4
Rex Reed – Observer
A lightweight fun dating satire for people who love the grisly stuff. Full Review | Original Score: 3/5
Radheyan Simonpillai – CTV’s Your Morning
The most surprising thing about Fresh is that, given the audacity of the concept, the filmmakers pull it off. Full Review | Original Score: 3/4
James Berardinelli – ReelViews
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. Full Review
Sarah-Tai Black – Los Angeles Times
Like a lot of movies these days, Fresh feels like it was conceived through its themes first and then written to bolster those ideas, rather than from the perspective of character or story. Full Review
Alison Willmore – New York Magazine/Vulture
The irresistibility of Fresh lies in the fact that it doesnt take itself too seriously — all things considered, the film manages to stay light on its feet with its Hostel meets Ex Machina concept. Full Review | Original Score: 3/4
Tomris Laffly – RogerEbert.com
Splatter movie, satire and slapstick come together and at last you can laugh. How sweet it is. Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5
Sandra Hall – Sydney Morning Herald
Cave takes a light touch with the gore in this film, but she uses it to pointed affect. Unfortunately, Fresh ditches that ambiguity in favor of an otherwise straightforward survival plot that suffers in its inability to examine its characters too closely. Full Review
Tasha Robinson – Polygon
Fresh wants to do and say everything. Full Review | Original Score: A
Amy Nicholson – New York Times
Fresh” is a reminder to everyone fed up with the horrors of modern dating that things could be much, much worse. Full Review | Original Score: B
Adam Graham – Detroit News
A balm to any singleton that promises to turn you off online dating and red meat forever. Full Review
Chandler Levack – Globe and Mail
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