**Do yourself a favour and watch this movie as blind as you possibly can. A lot of the enjoyment of this movie is derived from not knowing what you're getting yourself in for and having the movie unfold the way the creators intended.**

Like many modern horrors, Fresh wears its subtext on its sleeve. What begins as subtlety makes way for literal "bashing-over-the-head" message delivery and I can't help but feel the movie suffers for it after all the goodwill it builds in the front half. The core idea here is very original (dare I say, Fresh? heh) and the performances handed in by Stan and Edgar-Jones are sublime. While ultimately I really enjoyed my time with Fresh, a lot of the shine was lost due to contemporary story telling tropes and its overt messaging losing all subtlety following the "reveal". Definitely a good time for those that roll with what Fresh is putting down, but any looking for something extra to ponder on will probably be dumbfounded by how clear and lacking-complexity the underlying message here is. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it though, this is exactly the kind of oddball, original horrors that I love and wish were made more often; I just need that one extra layer that was missing here to push it to a higher score. I'll give it an 8/10 on here because I can't give it a 7.5. But it's definitely closer to an 8 than a 7. Also special shoutout to the soundtrack, it was just jam after jam. Will be on my Spotify for the coming week.

Spoiler filled ramblings of thoughts about the plot below!

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[spoiler] I really enjoyed how the movie was framing the literal commodification of the female body. Past the usual sexualisation and profiteering from the female form via photos and videos, Fresh captures this in the form of these body parts being removed and sold to the highest bidder. Legs, breasts and ass are all the prominently removed parts from the women we were shown. Additionally, the objectification of women is disgustingly framed to great effect with them shown as literal meat being consumed by wealthy, powerful men. Fresh clearly has a lot to say about all this, and while the message begins well veiled and woven into the idea of the film, by the end we're literally clubbing a woman who stays silent in this system and having the dialogue refer to her as the problem. By that point, you've removed all metaphor and you're just blasting the message directly to the viewer. Please leave at least some room for interpretation, not everything has to be clearly telegraphed at all times! [/spoiler]

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/fresh-spoiler-free-review-sundance-2022

"FRESH is an unforgettably shocking start to another Sundance Film Festival, holding all of the characteristics to end up as one of the absolute favorites.

Mimi Cave delivers an extraordinarily captivating, assertive directorial debut, taking Lauryn Kahn's original, gruesome screenplay to the next level. Sebastian Stan demonstrates his ludicrous range, while Daisy Edgar-Jones gives a breakthrough performance that may warrant a couple of awards by the end of the festival.

With an extremely engaging yet too quick first act, the viewers are immediately grabbed by the endearing love story that slowly builds up to a brutally impactful revelation, leading the movie into a rabbit hole of (in)tense, suspenseful, surprising developments.

The last twenty minutes are the definition of insanity."

Rating: A-

'Fresh' is very good - strong performances and perfectly chosen music are the main reasons for that.

I wouldn't say it's perfect, just because I don't think it nails the split between humour and seriousness but apart from that it's a terrifically made film. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan give excellent showings, while the music throughout is top notch. It's nicely paced and has an interesting story. Definitely one I'd recommend.

Fun! The performances from Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones are probably the strongest things here. Pretty solid body horror, but something in me wishes it was a bit more grimy in sections. Some gutsy stylistic decisions here in the cinematography and direction that I think really pay off and help cultivate a more immersive atmosphere. Adored the opening credits and the soundtrack too!