I was reluctant to watch FRESH this weekend but glad I did. For me, horror films are like comfort food. I can raise my blood pressure by worrying about other people for a bit, then return to my own life’s pressures.
When I turned on FRESH, I immediately thought, “ugh, not another dating movie.” But after seeing Sebastian Stan’s performance in PAM & TOMMY, I wanted to give it a chance. I’m happy to report there’s enough “meat” to this flick, and there’s a reason it’s certified “FRESH” on Rotten Tomatoes.
So why is FRESH so frighteningly delicious? It’s because of three things:
1. It’s a buffet of horror movie cliches yet somehow adds a “fresh” take on the genre. The less you know about this tasty horror wonderland, the better. But the more you know about the horror survival genre, the more rewarding your dining… I mean, viewing experience will be.
2. Daisy Edgar-Jones. Her protagonist role as Noa is splendid. The character arc she serves has been devoured in countless horror films before, but audiences will care about her journey. The empathy of her character oozes into each scene.
3. Sebastian Stan is devilishly delicious as Steve. After playing Bucky in the Marvel universe, he continues to challenge audiences’ perceptions of his persona. Like Noa, this is a character we’ve seen in several horror movies before, but his performance brings something new to it.
I’ve been starving for a good horror film. I’m happy to report that I left FRESH feeling full. This is a lot more than I can say for trash like last year’s HALLOWEEN KILLS.
It’s available on Hulu.
