Hulu’s newest film features Sebastian Stan as the most charming man with a taste for something more sinister. The Mimi Cave-directed feature Fresh follows one woman’s descent into love, and the true terror that comes with getting to really know someone.
Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Noa, a young woman who is understandably tired of the disappointment of dating apps and the humdrum of bad first dates. That’s until she meets Steve (Stan) in the aisle of a grocery store. Alluring and charming, Noa quickly falls head over heels for the romantic doctor. However, when the two jet off to a weekend getaway, Noa realizes her paramour has been hiding some dietary preferences. Enter: The implied cannibal storyline. The trailer reads like a run of the mill rom-com meets American Psycho.
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The rest of the cast is rounded out by Jojo T. Gibbs (Electric Easy), Charlotte Le Bon, Andrea Bang, and Dayo Okeniyi. The screenplay for Fresh is written by Lauryn Kahn, who made her feature writing debut in 2018 with Netflix’s Ibiza. The film is produced by Adam McKay and Kevin Messick.
In his review of the film following its debut at Sundance Film Festival, A.A. Dowd writes:
“Were it made 15 years ago, Fresh would probably adhere to the nastier conventions of the so-called torture porn movement. One could certainly imagine a revolting Eli Roth take on this premise. Cave approaches it from a more empathetic, darkly comic, and empowering perspective—a fine angle of attack, though the messy climax privileges scoring audience satisfaction points over suspense or narrative logic. In the end, the film seems borderline skittish about following through on the full queasy horror of its conceit. But there is something fiendishly clever about the way it eventually lends the irritating mundane requirements of dating—small talk; the obligation to present a certain attractive version of yourself—life-or-death stakes. And the performances are strong. Stan, especially, unlocks a casually menacing charm he’s had little opportunity to deploy before now.”
Fresh arrives exclusively on Hulu on March 4.
