Here's how that one dance sequence from the movie Fresh was the perfect salt bae on a well-cooked meat platter. Also, spoilers if you wish to watch the movie.
One genre of movies that always makes up our watch-list regardless of our mood is rom-coms. Everybody loves a good romantic comedy with a main character who has lost their trust in love until they meet a special someone and find their happy ending. But what makes these even more interesting is when we are served with a twist. Guess what! Fresh is the perfect rom-com for anyone looking for a gut-quenching twist. The ending of the movie may not be perfect but it seems like a happy one. And today we'll discuss one of the scenes from the movie.
About the movie:
Directed by – Mimi Cave Written By – Lauryn Kahn Cast – Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jonica T. Gibbs, Charlotte Le Bon, Andrea Bang, Dayo Okeniyi Where to watch –DisneyPlus Hotstar
Fresh follows Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a young woman who, despite her best efforts, continues to strike out with finding her soulmate, or any decent guy for that matter until she finds Steve and her world turns upside down.
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Noa is every modern woman, struggling to find love even while living in a pool of dating apps. We know the struggles of being on these apps only to match with someone who comes off as a butthole in real life. The same happens with Noa which is also one of the reasons why she has lost all her faith in her dating life. Her date at the start of the movie is someone every woman might have come across at some point in their life. Considering how low and disappointing her dating life was, meeting the handsome-looking Steve in the grocery store was enough to bring back all her hopes. But obviously, this dream glass is shattered in the second half when she finds out his truth. Which, spoiler alert, is not good.
The scene that takes the cake or should we say 'steak,' has to be the dance sequence at the end of the movie. Besides it is not just a dance, it was a scene that serves as a full circle to Noa's character and we love that. For anyone who hasn't seen the movie, it looks like a dream. It's what we all want right? To go on a date with the person you like and have a chance to slow dance with them at the end of the date. But here, the things that led up to the moment, were not entirely merry.
We have seen characters breaking into a dance sequence in the past with each holding a very important role in the storyline. It either shows the character's state of mind at that moment or their general true personality. And these are not like the ones in Bollywood where the protagonists randomly break into a dance while being teleported to a beautiful location. These sequences mean a lot to the story. Be it Vincent and Mia matching steps in Pulp Fiction or Nathan in Ex Machina tearing up the dance floor. These scenes have changed the way we look at how a small dance scene adds to character development. Mimi Cave does the same by adding a small portion of Steve and Noa grooving after their date in this movie.
The sequence comes at a very crucial point in the film. A time when Noa is well aware of what's happening to her, from discovering that her friend is also stuck with her and that she is just another victim who has the luck to have an upper hand. It is her last desperate effort to make Steve believe that she is falling in love with him and that she understands why he does what he does. The dance is all about small steps and matching each other's energy. But what makes it interesting is when they get synchronized at a point and that makes up for the gruesome end of the movie. Both believe that they have the other under control and sway to 'Endless Summer Nights.' We get to see a juxtaposing of feeling accepted and terrified. Steve who always looks charmed in the musical moments, enjoys having the chance to share it with Noa here. And we almost forget all the horror that happens before and after the scene.
The dance may have significance but what also holds a real meaning in this scene is the pink dress that Noa is wearing. It is the storyteller's way of culminating what the entire film is talking about. The dress is something that was gifted to her by Steve but it somehow makes it a full circle for Noa. As we had seen at the start of the film when she is on a date with Chad, he comments on how she would look better in a dress. It is an image of what society expects of a female. The feminity, the always so perfect, understanding aspects that are always expected of her. In an interview, the actors also recalled how the dress never had a wrinkle and was always steamed between each take. It also highlights the wide concept of the serial consumption of female bodies in today's society which remains to be the main point of the movie. And the mid-end credit aerial shot of rich old men having their dinner shows us how there are many sick-minded people who are still out there, with many women yet to be rescued or discovered.
Fun Facts:
Fresh is Mimi Cave's directorial debut movie
The movie had its virtual premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 2022 in January before it was released on Hulu
Here's a small audition tape Sebastian Stan shared with director Mimi after signing up for the movie.
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