by Josh Sewell
Forbidden Fruits
(Rated R for strong violent content/gore, sexual content, nudity, language and brief drug use. Opens in theaters on March 27.)
Horror flicks have experienced a creative resurgence over the past decade or so. However, like other genres, we’ve also experienced our fair share of sequels and retreads. Thankfully, Forbidden Fruits, a horror comedy from writers Meredith Alloway (who also directed) and Lily Houghton opening this weekend, understands the difference between loving homage – with its clear nods to Heathers, The Craft and Mean Girls – and total ripoff.
The film boasts a stellar cast of young actresses on the precipice of superstardom, and they all get plenty of opportunities to shine thanks to the clever premise and a razor-sharp screenplay. The story primarily takes place within the confines of a Texas mall, where clothing store employee Apple (Lili Reinhart) is part of a secret witch cult with her coworkers Cherry (Victoria Pedretti) and Fig (Alexandra Shipp). However, when new hire Pumpkin (Lola Tung) joins the group, a series of bizarre events forces the women to confront their inner darkness.
Forbidden Fruits is based on Houghton’s epically titled play Of the woman came the beginning of sin and through her we all die, which helps explain the deliberately claustrophobic settings. Because the characters are stuck at work together – or trapped within the confines of other mall locations like the food court – they’re far more likely to annoy each other faster or escalate small squabbles into life-or-death battles.
The leads’ chemistry is the film’s biggest selling point, though Pedretti gets the most comedic moments, as well as a truly moving backstory. I genuinely don’t understand why the actress, who blew me away in Mike Flanagan’s Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, isn’t a giant star already.
She, Reinhart, Tung and Shipp all get plenty of entertaining stuff to do in such a funny, sexy, smart story that satirizes toxic girlboss culture and the modern tendency to weaponize therapy-speak. As a nice bonus, Alloway also incorporates an amazing soundtrack with nostalgia-heavy bangers from the early 2000s.
Finally, while the flick leans more toward comedy for most of its runtime, it goes full horror in the final act, with some truly gnarly gore and a pitch-black ending. What a fun surprise.
Grade: B+
They Will Kill You
(Rated R for strong bloody violence, gore, language and brief sexual content/nudity. Opens in theaters on March 27.)
Zazie Beetz is another frustrating example of a talented, beautiful actress who should be a massive star by now, but she hasn’t found the right project to launch her onto the A list. Don’t get me wrong, she’s been a big part of several critically acclaimed and financially successful television shows and movies, including Atlanta, Deadpool 2 Joker, Bullet Train, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die and the criminally overlooked Nine Days.
Unfortunately, her roles in those films weren’t substantial enough to help her make the next leap in her career. She has another well-deserved chance with this weekend’s horror/comedy/action hybrid They Will Kill You – she’s even the lead! – but she’s hamstrung yet again because of a bland, derivative screenplay from director Kirill Sokolov (making his American directorial debut) and co-writer Alex Litvak. Oh, well… at least it should serve as another stepping stone for her.
Beetz plays a desperate woman who accepts a mysterious job as a maid in a luxurious New York City high rise. However, she quickly learns a terrifying truth: the building is home to a Satanic cult whose residents (played by Patricia Arquette, Heather Graham, Tom Felton and Myha’la, all wasted for the most part) plan to make her a human sacrifice. Now she must use all her unconventional talents to survive the night.
Despite action hero skills and the ability to instill a ridiculous story with unexpected pathos, Beetz can’t save They Will Kill You from being a tired pastiche of other, better films. Sokolov and Litvak are clearly taking inspiration (both creatively and technically) from movies like Evil Dead 2, John Wick, Kill Bill and – most obviously, since its sequel just hit theaters last weekend – Ready or Not. Not to mention the visual language of video games that permeates practically every frame.
My eyes were never bored, but my brain definitely wandered. That’s because the film never settles on a tone (scary? campy? heartfelt?) that fits, no matter how many it tries.
Forbidden Fruits
(Rated R for strong violent content/gore, sexual content, nudity, language and brief drug use. Opens in theaters on March 27.)
Horror flicks have experienced a creative resurgence over the past decade or so. However, like other genres, we’ve also experienced our fair share of sequels and retreads. Thankfully, Forbidden Fruits, a horror comedy from writers Meredith Alloway (who also directed) and Lily Houghton opening this weekend, understands the difference between loving homage – with its clear nods to Heathers, The Craft and Mean Girls – and total ripoff.
The film boasts a stellar cast of young actresses on the precipice of superstardom, and they all get plenty of opportunities to shine thanks to the clever premise and a razor-sharp screenplay. The story primarily takes place within the confines of a Texas mall, where clothing store employee Apple (Lili Reinhart) is part of a secret witch cult with her coworkers Cherry (Victoria Pedretti) and Fig (Alexandra Shipp). However, when new hire Pumpkin (Lola Tung) joins the group, a series of bizarre events forces the women to confront their inner darkness.
Forbidden Fruits is based on Houghton’s epically titled play Of the woman came the beginning of sin and through her we all die, which helps explain the deliberately claustrophobic settings. Because the characters are stuck at work together – or trapped within the confines of other mall locations like the food court – they’re far more likely to annoy each other faster or escalate small squabbles into life-or-death battles.
The leads’ chemistry is the film’s biggest selling point, though Pedretti gets the most comedic moments, as well as a truly moving backstory. I genuinely don’t understand why the actress, who blew me away in Mike Flanagan’s Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, isn’t a giant star already.
She, Reinhart, Tung and Shipp all get plenty of entertaining stuff to do in such a funny, sexy, smart story that satirizes toxic girlboss culture and the modern tendency to weaponize therapy-speak. As a nice bonus, Alloway also incorporates an amazing soundtrack with nostalgia-heavy bangers from the early 2000s.
Finally, while the flick leans more toward comedy for most of its runtime, it goes full horror in the final act, with some truly gnarly gore and a pitch-black ending. What a fun surprise.
Grade: B+
(Rated R for strong bloody violence, gore, language and brief sexual content/nudity. Opens in theaters on March 27.)
Zazie Beetz is another frustrating example of a talented, beautiful actress who should be a massive star by now, but she hasn’t found the right project to launch her onto the A list. Don’t get me wrong, she’s been a big part of several critically acclaimed and financially successful television shows and movies, including Atlanta, Deadpool 2 Joker, Bullet Train, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die and the criminally overlooked Nine Days.
Unfortunately, her roles in those films weren’t substantial enough to help her make the next leap in her career. She has another well-deserved chance with this weekend’s horror/comedy/action hybrid They Will Kill You – she’s even the lead! – but she’s hamstrung yet again because of a bland, derivative screenplay from director Kirill Sokolov (making his American directorial debut) and co-writer Alex Litvak. Oh, well… at least it should serve as another stepping stone for her.
Beetz plays a desperate woman who accepts a mysterious job as a maid in a luxurious New York City high rise. However, she quickly learns a terrifying truth: the building is home to a Satanic cult whose residents (played by Patricia Arquette, Heather Graham, Tom Felton and Myha’la, all wasted for the most part) plan to make her a human sacrifice. Now she must use all her unconventional talents to survive the night.
Despite action hero skills and the ability to instill a ridiculous story with unexpected pathos, Beetz can’t save They Will Kill You from being a tired pastiche of other, better films. Sokolov and Litvak are clearly taking inspiration (both creatively and technically) from movies like Evil Dead 2, John Wick, Kill Bill and – most obviously, since its sequel just hit theaters last weekend – Ready or Not. Not to mention the visual language of video games that permeates practically every frame.
My eyes were never bored, but my brain definitely wandered. That’s because the film never settles on a tone (scary? campy? heartfelt?) that fits, no matter how many it tries.
Grade: D+
Home Entertainment Spotlight
Zodiac Killer Project
(Not rated. Now available on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD.)
Filmmaker Charlie Shackleton attempted to make a true crime documentary about a patrolman’s effort to catch the infamous Zodiac Killer, but the project quickly fell apart, leaving him with fragments of the unfinished film and time to ruminate on the popular genre. The result is a not-quite-doc that deconstructs our culture’s obsession with serial killers and the stories we tell about them. Bonus features include Shackleton’s Q&A from the Chicago premiere; director “uncommentary” track; full B-roll reel; theatrical trailer; and more.
Home Entertainment Spotlight
(Not rated. Now available on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD.)
Filmmaker Charlie Shackleton attempted to make a true crime documentary about a patrolman’s effort to catch the infamous Zodiac Killer, but the project quickly fell apart, leaving him with fragments of the unfinished film and time to ruminate on the popular genre. The result is a not-quite-doc that deconstructs our culture’s obsession with serial killers and the stories we tell about them. Bonus features include Shackleton’s Q&A from the Chicago premiere; director “uncommentary” track; full B-roll reel; theatrical trailer; and more.
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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