Fresh (2022)

A refreshingly unpredictable and off-kilter debut feature from director to watch Mimi Cave, Fresh is a horror hybrid with killer energy and memorable lead turns from its main duo Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan, as the two play their parts in a depraved and gripping tale that refuses to play to convention as Edger-Jones Noa finds herself in a whole new world when she begins dating Stan's charismatic doctor Steve.

Best suited for viewing with as little knowledge as to the content as possible, even if there must be a warning that Fresh is a very mature and unashamedly bloody film from the Disney catalogue, Cave's film acts as a confident example of a debut film as you're likely to see in 2022 and as the film lulls you into a nice sense of security in its opening 30 minutes before its credits hits and true nature becomes apparent, Fresh never lets up on a wild journey that will have you gasping, laughing and contemplating outcomes until the finale concludes.

Examining modern dating trends and hot topic issues without every forcing them into the narrative or hammering us over the head with them, first and foremost Cave is determined to create an energetic and gripping film and her work with screenwriter Lauryn Kahn is a sight to behold as the two talented minds join together a genre mash-up that expertly balances romance, comedy, horror and thriller tropes into one cohesive package that gives Marvel veteran Sebastian Stan another solid indie role and Daisy Edger-Jones a significant moment amongst many upcoming efforts that is likely to see the actress become the next big thing in Hollywood.

Having similar traits to Carey Mulligan's recent turn in the well-received Promising Young Woman, Edgar-Jones is a revelation here as Noa and after years of strong work in notable TV shows, Fresh marks a career moment for the performer whose likely to shoot way up the pecking order in 2022 on the back of this and soon to be released products such as event series Under the Banner of Heaven with Andrew Garfield and high profile adaptation feature film Where the Crawdads Sing.

Moving brilliantly between vulnerable, in charge, determined and trodden down, Edgar-Jones owns the entirety of Fresh from its humble beginnings through to its unforgiving end and even if some may find the subject matter of Cave's film too hard to bare, it's likely the can't turn away from it performance of Edgar-Jones will win over viewers who normally may not partake in such delicacies as Fresh places before them.

Final Say -

Sometimes hard too stomach, Fresh won't be for everyone but it marks a significant moment in the soon to be superstar life of Daisy Edgar-Jones and directional career of Mimi Cave, as the two combine to create one of 2022's most unexpected gems.

4 wise bartenders out of 5.

For more reviews check out Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

Fmovies: Fresh depicts the horrors of modern dating seen through one young woman's defiant battle to survive her new boyfriend's unusual appetites. This movie goes pretty off the rails and for good reason. Writer Lauryn Kahn is no stranger to rom-coms having several flops in the past. For this feature, she toys around with the horror genre to give a unique perspective both taken literally and metaphorically. The first 30-minutes are setup like a pleasing romantic movie. I quite enjoyed that beginning. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan have a cute relationship and great chemistry, which lasts throughout. After that first half hour, the movie starts to pick up and show a darker side. In fact, the opening credits don't happen until then. What comes next is absurd and chilling. Without Mimi Cave's direction, her feature debut fun fact, I doubt the movie would work. She makes this both an uncomfortable and entertaining watch all together. Her techniques may not all be foreign to the horror genre and it definitely can be predictable at times, yet I feel she pulls it off.

I mentioned our two leads before, and they get even better as the movie progresses. Edgar-Jones gives a fully committed performance proving once again she's a great newcomer within the past few years. I really liked her character and how she's able to pull of a good performance to please others in the most desperate of times. Sebastian Stan does well in this role and is completely mesmerizing. Once this hits Hulu in March, there are going to be a few meme-able moments with him and quite the talk surrounding his character. Another good performance comes from Jojo T. Gibb's as the friend trying to piece this mystery together. There's a couple characters that make their entrance but feel like they serve no purpose once they get their time to shine. In the climax, I expected more from them but their works are easily resolved. And the movie ends abruptly if you ask me. As a whole, the runtime is close to two hours. It overstays its welcome with scenes that go nowhere and a few missing pieces never to return to. As much as I liked the beginning, I feel as if that could've been chopped down some even though the half hour mark throws you in for a loop. Not everything is entirely new and it could be better, but the performances and Mimi Cave's work pulls it together. This will for sure gain a cult following in the future and connect with some in such a way. I can't say it all worked for me, it's a bit messy and too long, but still a solid watch.

First of all, there is not a single minute of this movie that would classify it as a comedy. It is a dark and disturbing suspense/horror movie.

I'm not a horror fan, but I liked this one. I had an uneasy feeling throughout the majority of it (you'll see why). The acting was better than most films of this type.

Fresh fmovies. Daisy Edgar-Jones of "Normal People" fame and Sebastian Stan currently portraying Tommy Lee in "Pam & Tommy" have cemented themselves as favorites in my book, so just seeing their names attached to this project turns this into a must-see. Furthermore, the premise description and trailer are respectful enough not to give out spoilers, and instead the movie actually goes out of its way to keep the mystery until about 50 minutes into the story. When it gets going though, it's all silly, full of contrived moments. However, the one specific revenge act is quite satisfying to watch, I must admit. Overall this is a mixed bag, which you can actually follow along by just having it playing in the background while doing something else.

'Fresh' explores one of my greatest fears. Ever since I saw a particular scene in 'Hostel: Part 2' the concept has really bothered me. I won't say what it is because the surprise element is one of the great things this movie has going for it. All I'll say is it bothered me greatly.

This film works on every level. If it was just a straight up love story, I would've loved it. A love story with a very dark twist though - brilliant. The characters are what sell this. They are given such great dialogue to work with that you can't help but love them.

I've found that when a film has the class and audacity to start its opening credits over 30 minutes into the runtime (see also 'Drive my Car') it is almost always a good sign. It's a sign that the film isn't playing by the rules. Nothing is off the cards and anything could happen at any time. I love that.

I can't remember the last occasion the runtime of a movie went by so quickly. I loved every minute of this film and can't recommend it highly enough. 9/10.

Just as she tires of the dating scene, a woman meets her ideal man ... but he only wants her for her body.

Latest episode in the Canadian (and French) obsession with body horror. It's an aesthetic that doesn't happen to appeal to me - each to his own - but when it manages to reveal something about life I'm all ... pierced ears.

This opens as a well written rom-com, with a long prologue nicely observing a bad date and the gallows-humour shared by veterans of the dating-trenches. Then it all goes wrong as we plunge in to the psycho-captivity of a serial killer, which leads to a pretty bland sequence of events.

The production is stylish, performances good, and the music interesting - sometimes ironic or humorous. A big problem is that the action in the climax is handled ineptly as the actors flounce about to little purpose. But the biggest problem is that it's all one long platitude: through no fault of their own, women are badly treated by men and are entitled to stick up for themselves. And it takes 114 mins to tell us what we knew all along. To make things worse, there's only a vague insight into the killer and the people around him (one of whom appears and disappears without explanation), so the scenario just presents as a flat revenge fantasy. The most intriguing character is the killer's wife, but the reason for her role in the cruelty passes by without a thought.

Watch Eat (2014) instead, a genuine body horror with something to say about craziness.