Movie Review: Fresh

If you have the luxury of not knowing anything of significance about the plot of Fresh before pressing play, take advantage of it. The turns Fresh takes both in terms of genre and actual subject matter are more rewarding if you haven't been exposed to any of the marketing material (with the exception of the mercifully vague trailer) or read the official synopsis that appears on Hulu's site/app. The people responsible for the ad campaign did a poor job of obscuring the surprising hook of the film that's revealed at the end of the first act and really should've taken advantage of its status as a streaming exclusive release that isn't going to net Disney any money and embraced a strategy that relied more on ambiguity.  

Regardless of your knowledge of its premise ahead of time, the primary appeal of Fresh comes from its ability to spin a pretty routine setup (Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan play two people who start dating shortly after having a flirty chance encounter-only to see their relationship quickly take a harrowing turn once a dark secret comes to light) into something that's pretty subversive and entertaining. Mimi Cave-who makes her directorial debut here-wastes little time showing off her confidence and fearlessness as an artist by delivering a film serves as a blunt allegory about the horrifying nature of dating (particularly for women) as well as an unnerving, sometimes deeply funny thriller that has a lot of fun toying with the viewer's expectations. While a couple of narrative dice rolls that don't quite pay off (a potentially fascinating subplot involving a minor character that doesn't get the attention it deserves and everything in the final 15 minutes outside of the perfect final shot) and its refusal to lean further into the more macabre elements of the plot that brought out the gallows humor that is at the center of most of the best scenes prevent Fresh from ascending to its fullest potential, Cave's ambition and wit along with the layered, charismatic performances from Edgar-Jones, Stan and Jonica T. Gibbs makes this a strong inaugural effort that should generate a lot of excitement for whatever she tackles next.      

Grade: B