Fresh is a 2022 comedy/ romance/ thriller starring Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones, written by Lauren Kahn and directed by Mimi Cave, in what is her feature directorial debut. The plot follows Noa, a young woman who is having no luck on the dating scene, but after a charming meet up in a supermarket, gives her number to Steve. From there on, she faces a battle to survive her new boyfriend’s unusual appetites.
For lack of a better word, Fresh is exactly that, by name and by nature. From the very start it has a vibrancy and a polished look to it, which was very impressive for a first time feature director. These visuals combined with the witty, zippy dialogue makes for a very enjoyable ride. It bounces back and forth between black comedy and horror/ thriller throughout, but the tonal shifts don’t come across as messy, they are balanced really well. I got the sense Cave was very aware of what the film was throughout, and it never goes too much into one genre, creating a fun blend.
Cave gives us just enough time with the characters, to figure out who they are, what they are like etc, so that when the twists and turns occur, they do make a genuine impact. Daisy Edgar-Jones is excellent, providing a real relatability and humanness to anchor the story, while Sebastian Stan seems like he’s having so much fun in his role, and while I don’t want to say much about it as to avoid spoilers, their chemistry works brilliantly throughout.
I would definitely recommend going into Fresh knowing as little as possible, as there are audacious twists and turns throughout what I found to be a demented but delightful experience, and I’m certainly excited for whatever may be Mimi Cave’s second feature.
Also- the opening credits don’t come in for 33 minutes, no idea why but I really liked that bold choice, and the title drop was very cool.
CinemaStance 