Fresh follows Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who meets the alluring Steve (Sebastian Stan) at a grocery store and – given her frustration with dating apps – takes a chance and gives him her number. After their first date, Noa is smitten and accepts Steve’s invitation to a romantic weekend getaway. Only to find that her new paramour has been hiding some unusual appetites.
Fresh is a 2022 American black comedy horror thriller film directed by Mimi Cave, in her directorial debut, from a screenplay by Lauryn Kahn. The film stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan. It is a co-production between Legendary Pictures and Hyperobject Industries; Adam McKay produced the film alongside Kevin J. Messick. Fresh had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2022, and was released on March 4, 2022, via Hulu by Searchlight Pictures.
About the Story
Noa, a woman from Portland, is increasingly disillusioned with online dating and the rude men she interacts with. One day at the supermarket, a man named Steve flirts with her and they exchange numbers. On their first date, the two quickly hit it off and have sex. After several dates, Steve invites Noa for a weekend break away alone with him. Against the advice of her best friend Mollie, Noa agrees to the trip. Planning to travel early the following day, Noa spends the evening at Steve’s luxury home. Steve drugs Noa’s cocktail and she falls unconscious.
Noa wakes up in captivity, chained to the ground. Steve explains that he is a butcher of human meat, which he sells to wealthy clients for consumption and eats himself. They prefer the meat of young women, so he regularly lures and abducts women on dates. He says that he will keep Noa alive as long as possible in order to keep her meat fresh as he surgically removes different pieces of her body. Steve allows Noa to take a shower, but she tries to escape. Steve captures her and harvests her buttocks as punishment. Noa speaks to a woman named Penny who is being held captive in an adjacent room.
Meanwhile, Mollie becomes concerned about Noa’s disappearance and begins investigating with her friend Paul, a bartender who served Noa and Steve drinks on their first date. Searching online, Mollie discovers Steve is actually named Brendan, and is married to a woman named Ann with whom he has children. Believing he is having an affair, Mollie visits Ann and informs her of her suspicions.
During their conversation, Brendan arrives, and when confronted by Mollie denies any knowledge of Noa. As she leaves, Mollie calls Noa’s phone, which begins ringing in Brendan’s pocket. Ann, revealed to be Brendan’s accomplice, knocks Mollie unconscious. It is revealed that Ann has a prosthetic leg and was one of Brendan’s victims before he fell for her.
Noa gains Brendan’s trust by flirting and pretending to be interested in what human meat tastes like. Brendan invites her to dinner and persuades her to taste a lavish meal containing human meat, which Noa pretends to appreciate; she later vomits in her cell. Meanwhile, Brendan takes Mollie away for harvesting. Brendan invites Noa to another dinner, providing her with a pink dress as a gift.
Before dinner, Brendan shows Noa a hidden compartment filled with items belonging to the victims. He feeds Noa breast meat, which Brendan connotes as possibly tasting “familiar.” Noa recognises Mollie’s phone among the stolen victims’ phones. Following dinner, Noa persuades Brendan to have sex with her and let her perform fellatio on him; she instead bites off his testicles. With Brendan injured but in pursuit, Noa helps Mollie and Penny escape from their rooms.
Fresh (2022)
Directed by: Mimi Cave
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jonica T. Gibbs, Charlotte Le Bon, Andrea Bang, Dayo Okeniyi, Brett Dier, Alina Maris, William Belleau, Lachlan Quarmby, Arghavan Jenati
Screenplay by: Lauryn Kahn
Production Design by: Jennifer Morden
Cinematography by: Pawel Pogorzelski
Film Editing by: Martin Pensa
Costume Design by: Christina Flannery, Athena Theny
Set Decoration by: Stephanie Ajmeria
Art Direction by: Steve Scott, Sarah Stapleton
Music by: Alex Somers
MPAA Rating: R for strong and disturbing violent content, some bloody images, language throughout, some sexual content and brief graphic nudity.
Distributed by: Hulu, Disney+
Release Date: March 4, 2022
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