From time to time you stumble across a movie you have heard
very little about. This is very rare, as most trailers today show nearly the
entire movie. Fresh was something I was glad
I knew next to nothing about.
Fresh begins by following Noa, a young woman who is struggling with modern dating. We see her using an app and going out with a guy who reminds her three times the restaurant they are going to only takes cash. While on the date, he comments about her appearance multiple times and then is a jerk when she tells him no, thanks to a second date. After venting to her best friend, she randomly meets a guy while grocery shopping. He seems really nice, is a doctor, and looks just like the Winter Soldier, so she gives him her number.
They head out for dinner, have a lovely time, and after a few
dates, she decides to be adventurous and go away for the weekend with him. Mollie, the aforementioned best friend, cautions
against this idea and does some surface digital stalking, but learns very
little about this Steve. Steve takes Noa
to his gorgeous home with the promise of heading out on the next day and things
take a turn from there.
Written by Lauryn Kahn and directed by Mimi Cave, this movie
was surprising, funny, and deeply dark and twisted. It takes the horrors of modern dating to a
new level, and definitely made me tell my best friends we needed a code phrase
so that if someone else takes my phone and is texting from it, they would know it
wasn’t me and would immediately send help!
The movie is short and quick with a dark and moody look and the cast all
help elevate the story.
Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Noa with a relatability that was key for the role. Noa feels like everybody’s friend, either you or someone you know. You begin the movie feeling for her as she struggles through terrible dates and end the movie cheering for her as she takes control of her situation – and maybe decides that being single is the very best thing ever.
Sebastian Stan continues to be weird and excellent in everything he does. Steve comes off as so charming and trustworthy at first, but if you pay attention, he is throwing little red flags in there all over the place. “Who have you told about me?” Come on Noa – read between the lines!
As with any dark comedy, the best friend does get the scene-stealing moments and Jojo Gibbs as Mollie certainly steals some here. She figures out very quickly that Steve is not what he appears to be and is the one who discovers his plans, but then also falls prey to them, allowing Noa to be the hero of the story.
Dayo Okeniyi plays Paul, Mollie’s former hook-up who is a bartender at one of the places Steve and Noa had a date. I really appreciated how the movie set up the potential for him to be the hero to save the day, but really it was the women who rescued themselves at the end.
Andrea Bang from Kim’s Convenience (watch all of that on
Netflix if you have not already) plays Penny, who helps Noa figure out what is
going on and how to deal with it.
Charlotte le Bon plays Ann, who is Brendan’s wife and accomplice. She does such a good job that you almost want to know a little more about her character - but it works just fine knowing almost nothing.
Overall, I highly recommend checking this out, it is weird and funny and upsetting and dark. Definitely a hard R, with a few really gross moments, but a great ending. It is always good to see the bad guys get what is coming to them!
8 out of 10
And not to worry - if Steve creeps you out too much in this, you can always re-watch Falcon & Winter Soldier on Disney+ for some Bucky palate cleansing.
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