Analogy horror has to walk a fine line between hitting us too hard over the head with its message. Fresh, a story that explores how awful dating is for women, takes it pretty close, but the deft hands of writer Kahn and director Cave make it work in surprising ways. It is about exploitation and the literal consumption of women in a culture that commodifies female people. Sometimes it goes right up to the line "come on give me a smile" but it always manages to tell its story with a cleverness that makes it an intense experience.
Fresh keeps most of its gore off screen, the hint of what's going on being far more disturbing than seeing it. Being successful where films like the Saw franchise fail, Fresh keeps it all in our heads and that makes it even more intense. Fresh intentionally subverts the horror tropes, every now and then falling into them a little (why don't they just make sure he's dead the first time they get a chance?) but mostly successfully play with them in ways that show us they know what they are doing. There are moments when a black man coming to the rescue backs out, because he knows how these things play out for characters like him.
Fresh is billed as a horror comedy and it lives up to this, keeping the comedy subtle and not absurd but finding some real moments of humour. The balance of this is handled very well. The film will make you laugh but almost in spite of yourself.
Stan truly stands out, not playing his character as a monster (which he is) but as the idealized every man that the monsters of the world are. His non-Marvel roles have been fascinating as if he's trying to do whatever is farthest from his best known character. He nails it. The entire cast is strong, including Edgar-Jones in a break out performance.
Fresh will make you uncomfortable, it will also make you laugh, and it will chill you. It is a smart and upsetting film.
Fresh
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jonita T. Gibbs
Director: Mimi Cave
Writer: Lauryn Kahn
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