Fresh

Noa is exhausted by endless dating app swipes and the small talk that follows. A grocery store meet-cute with an awkwardly charming man named Steve seems like a real break. After a brief chat in the produce section, she gives him her number, drawn by his tentative warmth and odd humor. They set up a date that starts light and easy, with laughs and a sense of possibility. Yet Steve’s fixation on the perfect match and his quiet insistence on keeping things tight begin to feel off. What seems like a simple connection quickly tightens into something tense and uneasy, foreshadowing that not everything is as it appears.

Directed by Mimi Cave and written by Lauryn Kahn, Fresh is Cave's feature debut. The story grew from an original screenplay and explores the uneasy line between charm and danger in dating, pairing Daisy Edgar-Jones with Sebastian Stan in a tense, character driven thriller.

Box office numbers are modest with a limited theatrical run before streaming. It found a solid audience on digital platforms and through word of mouth, contributing to a growing reputation among horror and thriller fans as a sharp commentary on dating life.

Fresh sparked conversations about dating culture and boundaries, offering an unsettling look at desire and surveillance in the age of apps. Its striking visuals and dark humor became talking points online, with scenes circulating in memes and discussions, shaping how audiences talk about thrillers built around relationships.

Critics generally praised Daisy Edgar-Jones's performance and the film's tense premise, while some felt the second half wobbled. The movie probes power dynamics, consent, and consumer hunger, using dread and wit to critique loneliness and the commodification of connection. Its tonal shifts between cringe comedy and suspense land for many, though a few viewers find the middle act less sharp.