Ah, the perils of modern dating, particularly apps like Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, and so on. The pitfalls are already well-known to those who use them: people don’t look at all like their picture in real-life; they lie about their height; they have the personality of a limp dishrag. The list goes on, but it’s true: dating nowadays occasionally feels like a horror movie, even off the apps.
So, obviously, someone had to make a movie about this sad state of affairs. Enter Mimi Cave, making her directorial debut with “Fresh,” a twisted take on surviving the contemporary dating scene. Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Noa, who, frustrated with her luck on the apps, takes a chance on a hunk she meets while late-night shopping played by Sebastian Stan. What could go wrong, right? Quite a lot, especially if said hunk has some peculiar appetites…
Here’s the film’s official synopsis:
Tired of scrolling through countless apps and sitting through a string of bad dates, a disillusioned Noa is caught off guard by the refreshingly straightforward Steve during her late-night grocery run. Not expecting to find love in the produce aisle, Noa falls hard for the charms of her attractive new suitor, much to the surprise of her skeptical best friend, Mollie. Steve sweeps Noa off her feet and takes her on a weekend getaway, but Noa soon discovers that Steve has been hiding troubling appetites, and her dream weekend quickly turns into a nightmare.
“Fresh” also stars Jojo T. Gibbs, Dayo Okeniyi, Andrea Bang, and Charlotte Le Bon.
Cave directs a script by Lauryn Kahn, best known as part of Adam McKay’s filmmaking troupe. McKay also serves as co-producer on the film.
“Fresh” had its world premiere at Sundance earlier this year to divisive reviews. Lots of critics loved it, but our review (also linked above) torched the thing, so considering it a polarizing film. Audiences may decide for themselves when the film hits Hulu on March 4, courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. Catch the trailer below.