‘Fresh’ And Its Feminist Themes

*Major spoilers ahead for Fresh*

Horror has always sought to tackle difficult or taboo subjects in striking, terrifying ways.  And viewing horror media through a feminist lens is an intriguing experience, especially when a film deliberately infuses feminist themes into it. Fresh (2022) is a great example of that and is an effectively unsettling film that’s brought to life by Mimi Cave in her directorial debut and Lauryn Kahn behind the screenplay. It’s a horror thriller that doesn’t sugarcoat anything and is told from women’s point of view.

Fresh (2022) follows a woman named Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) who hates dating apps and gets involved with Steve (Sebastian Stan), a man she charmingly meets at a grocery store. What starts as a romantic weekend at his luxurious home turns into a nightmare when his sinister intentions reveal themselves. Instead of being a regular serial killer without a motive, Steve is a cannibal who kidnaps women who won’t be looked for and sells their meat to the 1%. The twist of Steve being a cannibal is scary, but it’s also a perfect allegory for how men can view women as disposable.

Fresh explores the misogyny and the experiences of women in the dating world, the power of having solid connections with other women, and how women do and are capable of upholding oppressive systems all through a feminist lens.

The first 30 minutes of the film purposefully strike a different tone from the remainder of Fresh. Noa’s apprehension to the strange reality of most dating apps is played realistically. Once she meets Steve/Brendan, it’s very meet cute. Despite the red flags, it isn’t until Noa is finally comfortable at his house that it becomes apparent what’s happening. Noa’s trust in Steve allows her to make grave mistakes like going somewhere without stable cell service, not knowing the address of where she’s going, and not watching Steve as he makes her a drink.

A spectrum of toxic men befall Noa in Fresh.

Noa makes a human mistake, proving that predatory men come in all forms. She didn’t notice the red flags because Steve presents himself as a clean cut, attractive, and charming man who wants to be with her. After a string of duds, Steve is appealing on numerous levels.

It’s not by accident that there are a range of men in Fresh (2022). The first man we meet is the sexist Chad (Brett Dier), who, while on a date with Noa, implies she’d be prettier in a dress. As soon as Noa makes the understandable decision not to kiss him and tells him she doesn’t want to go on a second date, Chad calls her a “stuck-up bitch” before storming off. He falls on the spectrum of toxic men who act like they’re nice guys, at least until they’re turned down.

The men that Noa encounters on the dating app are creepy or repulsive because of the unsolicited nudes and inability to have a proper conversation. And then along comes Steve, who Noa meets at the grocery store, with a Fresh Meats sign cleverly in view, leading them to go out on a date.

Steve’s immediate ability to charm Noa and present himself as a man worthy of getting to know is sinister. He sees Noa as meat from their first encounter and later sleeps with her because she interests him. What Steve does is horrific on another level in comparison to the creeps trying to get into Noa’s pants. Fresh presents the varying levels of misogyny and the insidiousness of sexism in even the small, every day scenarios.

Another man, who Noa doesn’t encounter onscreen all that much, is Paul (Dayo Okeniyi), her queer best friend’s ex fling. Paul is kind and helpful when Mollie (Jonica T. Gibbs) seeks out his help because he was Noa and Steve’s bartender on their first date. Paul does find Steve’s house and almost intervenes near the end, only to drive off when he hears gunshots.

Internalized and complicit misogyny runs deep. 

It’s important to note that Paul is a Black man who wouldn’t typically survive these films. His character is important because he’s not forced to be a trope, and his driving off allows the women to take back their power and save each other and themselves.

Before the finale of the film and after Noa is drugged and chained up in a deceptively well-decorated room, it becomes a deranged game of survival. One failed attempt at escape lands Noa in the position of having her literal ass taken away from her. Steve’s idea of punishment is taking away pieces of her, lending to the symbolism of cannibalism being about ownership and power in the world of Fresh.

Later on, Mollie finds Steve’s other home, which he shares with his wife Ann (Charlotte Le Bon) and their children, and is kidnapped as a result. This results in her having her breasts taken away from her by Steve. Rather than trying to stop Steve and help Mollie find her best friend, she aids him in kidnapping Mollie. The example of women upholding oppressive systems comes into play with Ann. Even while it’s hinted that she was initially one of the women Steve kidnapped, she’s part of the problem.

Final girls work together in a moment of catharsis. 

It’s clever to have Mollie kill Ann before she can kill Noa, as her failure to help Mollie gets her killed. There’s something so profoundly sinister in the act of the other women being complicit in misogynistic systems. Ann is not allowed to get away with being complicit anymore, which isn’t always manifested in reality. This is why horror movies like Fresh (2022) are crucial: they give us catharsis or comfort in their feminist triumphs.

Fresh’s third act works best for viewers who love the idea of final girls not needing anyone but each other. Noa uses Steve’s attraction to her to gain the upper hand during their final dinner. She puts on the pink dress (harkening back to what her horrible date from the beginning said) and tells him everything he wants to hear. Feigning desire, Noa gets her revenge by mutilating Steve’s genitals in an act of female fury. Noa had pieces of herself taken away, so now Steve gets to know how it feels in a very violent way.

Therefore, the idea that Noa, her fellow kidnapping victim Penny (Andrea Bang), and Mollie kick Steve’s ass during the climax of the film is deeply satisfying. Instead of leaving each other high and dry, they work together collectively and save each other.

It could have been so easy to become the new Ann for Steve in order to survive. Meanwhile, Noa choosing her friends and agency is powerful messaging. Especially since Noa and Mollie’s best friendship is the core connection of this film. Their friendship plays into the power of having solid and steady connections with other women. And they don’t always have to be romantic to be noteworthy. In the end, friendship beats selfish motivations and a misogynistic operation run by a delusional man.

Fresh (2022) is an exceptional horror thriller in the modern age, and its themes are woven in so intricately, prompting new discoveries upon rewatch. If you want to watch a horror film written and directed by women, with strong performances and a killer soundtrack, Fresh is a solid pick.

Fresh (2022) is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.