Daisy Edgar-Jones & Sebastian Stan Ate Down in ‘Fresh’ –– Now streaming on Hulu

We discussed the delicious deets behind the making of “Fresh” with stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan at a roundtable of student journalists from across the country.

By Alejandrina Carpio, co-Edited by Rene Dominguez

Sebastian Stan (Steve) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Noa)

Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

“Fresh” is a film that works best if you go in blind. If you haven’t watched it already and haven’t been convinced by maybe the best-edited trailer I’ve ever seen, keep reading ;)

Mimi Cave’s ravishing directorial debut, written by Lauryn Kahn, is a fresh take on the horrors of modern dating––Tinder, Bumble, ChristianMingle.com––and the terrifying places that a hunger for connection can take you.

The film centers on Noa, played by the lovely Daisy Edgar-Jones, who we meet getting ready to go on a date with a Chad (derogatory)––with his pre-date reminders to bring cash and his stupid little scarf he doesn't even notice grazing his food. Cave’s depiction of this painfully specific bad date in the film’s opening almost needed a trigger warning because of how accurate it was.

One horror story date after another, Noa loses all hope in dating apps and expands her palette to random men she meets at a supermarket. Here our light-hearted rom-com takes off with Steve, played by Sebastian Stan in his Hannibal Lecter era, a hot plastic surgeon and anti-Chad. He charms Noa in the produce aisle, asking for her phone number instead of her Insta––I fear I would’ve also folded and given him my number.

Their relationship gets steamy fast and eventually, Noa agrees to go on a road trip with him (that’s all I’ll say). Of course, Noa’s best friend Mollie, played by the cool Jojo T. Gibbs, raises an eyebrow at the speed at which the relationship progresses and clocks all the red flags Noa ignores.

Yet, with Cave’s delicate but captivating direction, you really can't help but root for Noa and Steve. Intimate close-up shots of glittering eyes, smiles, and curious hands are only intensified by Edgar-Jones and Stan’s fervent chemistry.

Stan spoke on this romance and its development throughout the film at the roundtable, saying, “It does start out one way and it has these romantic comedy tendencies. Then halfway through, when the rug gets pulled, it becomes another thing. But you don’t lose the beginning, and you don’t lose them as characters. Their banter, whatever that connection or dynamic was, you don’t lose it.”

The rug gets pulled about 30 minutes into the film as the opening credits appear––a moment that exemplified Cave’s strong command of the film’s tone. The sharp shift in genre was a needed kick that subverted expectations of the classic rom-com.

Sebastian Stan (Steve) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Noa)

Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

“Ambitious was a word that I thought too. I never read anything like it and so I was kind of thinking how on earth are we going to strike the balance of the tone and how are they going to film it. I was really really curious,” said Edgar-Jones of Kahn’s script.

“Fresh” truly takes us on a wild ride while also exploring the complexities of women’s experiences in a tasteful way. From the commodification of women’s bodies to the societal menace that is Tinder, the film has a lot that it wants to say and opens discourse for these themes without preaching to the audience. It explores the power dynamics of a relationship in a patriarchal society and the literal objectification of women. This is best captured by Steve’s unhinged description of what he sees as the most beautiful part of love: giving yourself up for someone completely, allowing them to have you.

It’s clear that the delectably gripping thrills of “Fresh” were mostly psychological, as much of the horror was delivered from the film’s concept (it involves cannibalism, duh! But nothing will prepare you for the conceptual five-course meal Cave and Kahn served).

“I think she was even careful with the violence of it all. To not overdo it, but to have the tense moments be the more frightening things about it,” said Stan of Cave’s subtly with gore. While red meat and severed body parts do make an appearance, the omission of extensive body horror is what makes the film much more terrifying––I paused multiple times because of what my brain imagined was off-screen. Definitely a conceptual mind-f*ck (pardon my french), especially since the film’s themes and events aren't as far-fetched as some may think.

Cave effortlessly balances difficult themes with thriller and horror elements, injected with breaths of dark comedy. She keeps us in our seats the whole time, shock after shock, but paced incredibly well.

In our interview, Stan expressed his hopes for the film’s audience to leave with awareness. “Certainly about the kind of narratives that we grew up with and how they may or may not influence our decisions when we meet people,” he explained. “We’re just hoping people can understand the undercurrents and the themes of the movie while going on the journey.”

Although at times, the commentary only hit the surface level, “Fresh” is a horror-thriller, not a college dissertation on the implications of consumerism and the commodification of women’s bodies on modern dating. Yet, the fact that it can elicit such ideas and leave them festering on the brain is definitely a win in and of itself. “Fresh” is sure to offer some food for thought.

All Roads Lead to Bestie

In all its twists and turns, “Fresh” always finds its way back to focusing on the experiences of women in our modern patriarchy, whether it’s dating or difficult subjects like sexual assault. In all the possible perils a woman can face, Cave makes it clear that safety can be found in other women most of the time. Noa and Mollie’s relationship highlights the support and strength to work past collective trauma found in friendships between women.

Edgar-Jones expressed her admiration for this aspect of the film’s script, specifically how “it really celebrated female friendships in a way that you don’t always see on camera and really, the true love story is between Mollie and Noa.” She went on to say how “sharing their experiences with each other… enables them to work together to overcome their situation. And I love that, ultimately, they save themselves. They’re not saved. It’s their strength that gets them through and I think that it’s important to celebrate friendships like that on-screen.”

At the end of the day, “Fresh” takes the cake with its carefully plotted unexpected turns and sprinkles of light comedy. It’s a unique thriller that dabbles in social commentary in a “Get Out” (2017) Jordan Peele-esque way, with a dash of “Jennifer's Body” (2009). These juxtapositions make for a super complex and layered directorial debut that has me anticipating what Cave cooks up next.

There’s so much more to say about “Fresh.” I’m dying to talk about it but I don’t want to spoil such a scrumptious film. Rene and I will get into the meat and potatoes ;) of the film in our upcoming zine, The Chick Flick: An Exploration on Femininity in Film!

For now, sink your teeth into "Fresh"... like now... on Hulu <3