Modern dating can be hell. Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) knows this firsthand as she seems to swipe right on nothing but losers. Then she bumps into the charming Steve (Sebastian Stan) at a grocery store. The adorable meet-cute sets up a recipe for love until Noa discovers Steve harbors unusual appetites that will challenge her survival. Fresh takes a literal approach to the meat market woes of modern dating, though it’s more familiar and tonally uneven than its title implies.
The title card takes roughly forty minutes to arrive in director Mimi Cave‘s feature debut, written by Lauryn Kahn. Up until this point, Fresh plays like a charming rom-com that highlights its most significant strength in leads Edgar-Jones and Stan. There’s an easy chemistry between the pair, making their characters winsome straightaway. Cave also takes the time to present just how nightmarish it is on the dating scene long before Noa falls into true terror. The affable and seemingly grounded Steve is a rare diamond in the rough compared to previous matches.
Once the truth about Steve gets unveiled, Fresh shifts into a promising horror-comedy that puts its lead in the same conversation as the likes of Patrick Bateman. But despite a few key moments that allow Stan to cut loose, pun intended, Cave struggles with tone. The pitch-black humor only occasionally enters the equation, and, despite the delicious premise, the horror gets too restrained. Keeping so much earnest focus on Noa, who in turn keeps her emotions guarded, means that her long game in plotting a way out of her predicament contradicts and undermines many attempts at humor. Emphasis on long; the pacing starts to sag in the second act as a methodical psychological game plays out, and the stakes seem to diminish.
Supporting characters defy logic for the sake of the plot, putting themselves in harm’s way despite knowing better. It all builds to a messy and familiar finale. Even still, the allegorical messaging still works, even if heavy-handed, and much of that belongs to just how much we root for Noa. Edgar-Jones makes for one endearing protagonist, and her brand of vulnerability offers up an atypical horror heroine that’s infectious. She holds her own impressively against Stan’s charisma, which somehow creates a sense of cheery optimism despite his character’s carnivorous, dastardly red flags. He sells Fresh’s intent and messaging, even in its narrative shortcomings.
Daisy Edgar-Jones appears in FRESH by Mimi Cave.
While the tone and story threaten to fall through Cave’s grasp, the direction and stylistic flourishes shine. Especially when it comes to food, there’s an elegance on display that would make the likes of gourmand Hannibal Lecter nod in approval.
The core concept and stellar leads make Fresh a fun enough time, though it overstays its welcome by revisiting its metaphors instead of deepening them. The reluctance to fully embrace its horror and humor lessens its impact. In the end, this charming meat-cute whets your appetite with a delectable first course of allegory, style, and great characters. But it leaves you unsated when it comes to horror or the lively pitch-black humor it sporadically teases.
Fresh releases on Hulu on March 4, 2022.
