Honestly, if you haven't seen the 2022 movie Fresh yet, you’re missing out on the exact moment Daisy Edgar-Jones proved she wasn't just "the girl from that one sad book show." Most of us knew her as Marianne from Normal People—stoic, upper-class, and constantly breaking our hearts. Then she shows up in a grocery store produce aisle, flirting with Sebastian Stan over a bag of cotton candy grapes.
It feels like a rom-com. It looks like a rom-com. But then the opening credits don't even roll until thirty minutes into the movie. That’s when the "meat" of the story actually starts.
The Reality of Modern Dating (And Its Literal Butchery)
Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Noa, a woman who is basically all of us. She’s tired. She’s swiping through dating apps and getting sent unsolicited photos that nobody asked for. When she meets Steve (Sebastian Stan) in real life, it feels like a miracle. He’s charming. He doesn’t have Instagram. He’s a doctor.
Of course, the "unusual appetites" mentioned in the film's logline aren't about him being a picky eater.
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Most viewers go into Fresh expecting a standard slasher, but what Daisy Edgar-Jones brings to the role is something way more calculated. Noa isn't just a victim. Once she wakes up chained to a floor in a remote mansion, the movie shifts from a horror flick into a high-stakes chess match. Steve is a butcher who sells human meat to the 1%. He harvests it from women he keeps alive in his basement to ensure the "product" stays fresh.
It's gruesome. It’s disgusting. But the performance Edgar-Jones delivers is what keeps it from becoming just another "torture porn" movie. She has to play a character who is acting. To survive, Noa has to convince a sociopath that she’s actually falling for him—even after he’s surgically removed a piece of her.
Why Daisy Edgar-Jones Made Noa Different
Usually, in these types of movies, the "final girl" survives through pure luck or a sudden burst of adrenaline. Noa is different. She uses the very thing that made her miserable in the dating world—the performance women often have to put on to keep men happy—and turns it into a weapon.
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- The Manipulation: Noa realizes Steve is a narcissist. She starts asking him questions about the meat. She pretends to be curious. She even eats a dinner he prepares (which, yeah, is exactly what you think it is) just to gain an inch of trust.
- The Chemistry: You can’t talk about Fresh without mentioning the "Le Jardin" dance scene. It’s eerie because Daisy and Sebastian actually have incredible chemistry. Watching them dance together while you know he's literally eating her peers is a level of tonal whiplash that few actors could pull off.
- The "Smile" Motif: There’s a line men often say to women: "You should smile more." Director Mimi Cave flips this on its head. By the end of the film, when the power dynamic shifts, that phrase becomes a chilling callback.
What Most People Miss About the Ending
The finale of Fresh is a chaotic, bloody mess in the best way possible. After Noa lures Steve into a false sense of security (and quite literally takes a bite out of him), she manages to free the other captives, Penny and Mollie.
But here is where people get it wrong: they think this is just a revenge story.
It’s actually a story about the failure of the "knight in shining armor." Throughout the movie, Noa’s best friend Mollie (played by Jojo T. Gibbs) is the one doing the real detective work. She tracks Noa down while the police and other men in the story are essentially useless. There’s even a character named Paul who hears gunshots at the house and just... drives away.
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The movie ends with the women standing over the bodies of their captors. It’s not a man who saves them. They save each other. The very last shot of the film is a text message from a "nice guy" Noa went on a date with earlier, asking for a second chance. It’s a pitch-black comedic reminder that even after surviving a literal cannibal, the "mundane" horrors of dating are still waiting.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Rewatch
If you’re going back to watch Fresh on Hulu or Disney+, keep an eye on these specific details that make the Daisy Edgar-Jones performance even better:
- Watch the eyes: In the scenes where Noa is flirting with Steve after being captured, Edgar-Jones does this tiny "flicker" where you can see the disgust behind the smile for a split second.
- The Soundtrack: Pay attention to the 80s power ballads. They aren't just for vibe; they represent Steve’s outdated, commodified view of romance.
- The Wardrobe: Noa starts the movie in oversized, comfortable clothes. When she’s "on display" for Steve, she’s put into a bright pink dress. It’s a literal representation of her being dressed up like a piece of meat.
Daisy Edgar-Jones has since moved on to massive blockbusters like Twisters and prestige dramas like Where the Crawdads Sing, but Fresh remains the most daring thing she’s done. It’s a movie that asks: how much of yourself are you willing to give up to find "the one"?
Next time you're browsing for a thriller, skip the standard slashers. Revisit this one. It’s smart, it’s nasty, and it’s a masterclass in how to play a "victim" who refuses to stay one.