Ever since Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I have been a sucker for anything with Sebastian Stan. So naturally, when I discovered his latest project, I was genuinely excited. That said, I went into Fresh not having watched a single trailer or having read anything about it. Which, in hindsight, was probably a good thing. Because nothing (nothing!) could have prepared me for this.
Fresh tells the story of Armie Hamm… okay maybe not, but it comes pretty damn close! (You’ll understand why in a bit.) The movie essentially follows Noa, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People), who has been having a fair bit of trouble with the online dating scene. After yet another failed date, she bumps into the charming young specimen that is Steve, played by our main man Sebastian Stan. As they begin to get closer, Steve begins to look like the man of her dreams, putting an end to all that exhausting soul searching. That, however, is when things take a turn for the worst. Much, much worse…
This Is Not Just Another Love Story
For the first thirty minutes, you are truly lead to believe that this is yet another sweet, romantic, love story. But you couldn’t be further from the truth. Once you hit that opening title sequence (at the 30 minute mark!), you discover that this story is about to take an incredibly dark turn.
It begins when Steve entraps Noa in the basement of his mansion in the middle of the woods. Yeah, that’s dodgy enough, but hey, it genuinely looked like a fantastic lakeside house! Plus, would you say “no” to Sebastian? I didn’t think so. But I digress. So there she is, handcuffed to a railing in a vast empty room, looking like Steve’s about to have his way with her, in a slightly darker hue of 50 Shades Of Grey, when the ball finally drops. That’s when we discover, that Steve isn’t quite as innocent as he seems. Turns out he’s a doctor who helps supply wealthy businessmen on the black market with… that’s right… human limbs.
Yep, cannibalism folks.
It’s About Cannibalism!
Now I wouldn’t normally recommend a film about cannibalism (there’s a sentence I never thought I’d write) but I would make an exception for Fresh. At first, I was left completely and utterly traumatized from the events of the movie, so much so that I was nauseous for at least a few hours after watching it. Which is an excellent testament to the filmmaking process and hard work by the entire team who made this movie. Visually, director Mimi Cave and cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski, have delivered imagery that I can only describe as, uneasy. With the combination of multiple close up shots of body parts, especially mouths, they set up this tone of just sheer discomfort. And it works so well. All of this leads to an incredible dinner scene in the third act which just amplifies all of the queasiness you’ve experienced so far.
Another testament to the tone of the film boils down to the two main leads, Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones. While I am very familiar with Stan’s body of work, I have only chanced upon Jones in Normal People (which I would highly recommend as well). While she did impress me in that, her work in Fresh was on another level. Her journey from innocent sweet girl, to desperate captive, displays incredible range, from enamour, to fear, to bravery. You can’t help but feel every moment with her. You’ll find yourself yelling at the screen to help her. Even in that moment where she decides to play along with his games, her eyes just tell you everything you need to know, and that isn’t something every actor can achieve.
As for Sebastian. Well, the man can do no wrong. His charm and seductive smile are all he needs to switch between Mr. Grey and Hannibal. The man can seduce any creature that walks, and for this, it works so, so well.
I cannot recommend this film enough. Fresh is a movie rarely seen. Not gory enough to be called a snuff film, yet disturbing enough to not be screened in cinemas. It’s like a car crash. You know you shouldn’t be watching, but you just can’t take your eyes off it. If you are still reading this and are intrigued to watch it, a word of advice. If you have a queasy stomach or don’t do well with blood, perhaps you should give this one a miss. It’s a great film, don’t get me wrong, but it definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
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