Released on Mar. 4, 2022, “Fresh” twisted viewers’ ideas of modern dating into a disturbingly thrilling experience. While the first 30 minutes of the film go along with the characteristic story of an average rom-com, it soon breaks loose into a complete frenzy of gore.

Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) has been searching for a good boyfriend for a seemingly endless amount of time. Whether it be through dating apps or random recommendations from friends, none of these guys seem to be all that they were built up to be. While shopping for groceries, Noa meets Steve (Sebastian Stan), a guy who appears to be perfect in every way. After a few dates, she swiftly falls in love. Noa’s best friend, Mollie (Jojo T. Gibbs) warns her that Steve is simply too good to be true, but Noa ignores her friend’s warning and continues to fall deeper and deeper in love with Steve. He soon invites her to spend the weekend with him in a nearby vacation town, and she happily agrees. Steve’s harmless nature starts to slip as they arrive at his house to spend the night before leaving. An alarming secret is unraveled, and Noa has to fight to survive the insanity of her new boyfriend.

In a world where horror movies are sometimes labeled to have cheap scares and surface-level plots, “Fresh” stands out with its commentary on modern dating and the feelings that many go through while trying to find a loving partner. By forming an entire plot out of a common yet niche fear of the modern world, it bridges the gap between the horror elements of the story and the real-life elements. This also helps audiences connect with Noa because of her realistic and relatable character. By adding these real-world flares, “Fresh” makes itself stand out from other horror-thrillers, therefore gaining more attention from viewers. 

On top of this, oddly-placed yet nuanced comedy is utilized to add a self-aware aspect to the film. Hidden jokes about the sudden switch of pace let audiences know that the writers were aware of the stereotypical horror themes that the film includes. The character of Steve was also written to be overly masculine and eccentric, with a character similar to that of Patrick Bateman from “American Psycho.” This added hilarity also adds juxtaposition to the comedic scenes compared to the gory horror scenes.  

While this film often claims that it is not for everyone, horror and non-horror fans alike can enjoy this film if they are up for some gore and thrills. “Fresh” is currently streaming on Hulu, and because it is one of the new Hulu Original films, it can be watched on the service indefinitely.