Mimi Cave’s thriller “Fresh” centers on Noa, who begins dating Steve after accidentally meeting him in a supermarket. Noa’s life takes a terrifying turn when she agrees to go on a trip with Steve to a tourist destination called Cottage Grove. Rather than the grove, Steve takes Noa home, only to reveal the darkest secret about her. The surprising yet engrossing film progresses through the developments in Steve and Noa’s lives as the latter attempts to escape the horrors she encounters. While the film stuns viewers, one has to wonder if the horrific events that unfold in Noa and Steve’s lives have real origins. Let’s find out!
Is freshness a true story?
No, ‘Fresh’ is not based on a true story. According to the film’s screenwriter Lauryn Kahn, the screenplay was conceived based on a desire to write a horror film, with elements of comedy, that depicts “the subconscious way women operate in the world that men men do not know”. Through the character of Noa, director Mimi Cave and Kahn explore the struggles and insecurities women face today. “[The film] is kind of exposing that level of fear of the threats we live with without ever discussing or questioning,” Daisy Edgar-Jones, who plays Noa, joined Kahn in explaining the essence of the film.
Even though the petrifying events that unfold in the film are fictionalized, Noa’s struggles are deeply rooted in reality, especially in the context of modern dating. Cave and Kahn use familiar cinematic tropes to convey the depth and horrors of the same. “[Fresh] is really kind of a classic boy-girl thriller, with a twist and it comments on the perils of contemporary dating,” Cave told Deadline. The atrocities and dangers women face when dating and using dating apps are effectively depicted in the film.
“Fresh” also depicts the disturbing seriousness of the commodification of women’s bodies, perhaps in the most heartbreaking way. Steve and his clients’ cannibalistic obsession with women forces viewers to think about the power dynamics between men and women. Through Steve, a highly masculine figure who cheats, hunts and kills women as a predator, Cave and Kahn impeccably expose the predatory dimension of masculinity. The film offers such a portrayal of gender dynamics through several details, including Steve’s food preferences.
Cave’s film also incredibly explores the nuances of female friendships. “I would also consider [‘Fresh’] a movie about female friendships and kind of a weird coming-of-age movie,” the director told Deadline. “This movie is so many things, but you could say it’s kind of a buddy movie. Their friendship is so amazing and it’s really Mollie’s strength that helps Noa get over what she’s doing,” said added Edgar-Jones in the same interview. “Mollie fills the voids in Noa’s life and stands by her side no matter what her concerns. When Noa has life-threatening issues, she also finds solace in another woman named Penny.
‘Fresh’ is an exciting film that manages to terrify viewers with its chilling take on reality. The film, in its brilliantly crafted fictional horror setting, is a brutally honest portrayal of the reality women face in today’s world.
Read more: Where was Fresh filmed?
