Forbidden Fruits is The Craft by way of Heathers and Mean Girls. A razor-sharp, millennial witch movie that’s as vicious as it is wildly entertaining.
Director Meredith Alloway delivers a film you didn’t know you needed until it fully sinks its teeth in. Co-written with Lily Houghton, the script is tight, confident, and makes excellent use of its 1-hour, 43-minute runtime, never once losing momentum.
But let’s be real, the cast is what makes this thing sing.
Lili Reinhart leads the charge as Apple, the Regina George–esque queen bee of a mall-dwelling coven, delivering one of the best performances of her career. There’s a monologue that absolutely tore the roof off the Paramount Theatre. Reinhart is magnetic, cruel, and completely in control. Alexandra Shipp brings a grounded depth to Fig, while Victoria Pedretti, as Cherry, steals the show entirely. Pedretti is unhinged in the best way. She hilarious, chaotic, and impossible to look away from.
The film follows Apple and her coven who happen to be the most desired, feared, and idolized clique in the mall. Everyone wants in. Everyone wants to be them. Enter Pumpkin (Lola Tung), a pretzel shop employee who knows exactly how to get Apple’s attention with her favorite cinnamon pretzel. What starts as calculated social climbing quickly spirals into something much darker, as Pumpkin’s true intentions begin to surface. And she’s not the only one hiding something. Beneath the glossy surface of this sisterhood lies something far more dangerous.
The initiation sequence is a standout, and from that moment on, the film tightens its grip. There’s a constant sense that something isn’t quite right and when the turn comes, it hits hard.
Cherry may be labeled the group’s “ditzy” member, but she delivers the film’s biggest laughs, balancing absurdity with just enough unpredictability to keep you on edge. Meanwhile, Fig’s quiet dissatisfaction adds another layer, hinting at the emotional cost of belonging to a sisterhood that demands everything.
Produced by Diablo Cody, Forbidden Fruits has all the makings of a cult classic. It’s stylish, mean, funny, and unexpectedly brutal, featuring some of the most memorable kills in recent horror.
This is a film that knows exactly what it is and fully commits. It’s about power, popularity, and the price of entry, and it never pulls its punches. Easily the most fun I’ve had in a theater all year.
Rating: ★★★★★
Forbidden Fruits had its world premiere at SXSW on March 16 and will release in theaters on March 27.
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Seth Fox, widely known online as AccordingtoSeth, is a pop culture commentator and entertainment writer with a passion for movies, television, and gaming. Long regarded as the go-to source for recommendations among friends and followers, he’s now turning that lifelong enthusiasm into a professional career in entertainment media. A fan of all genres with a special love for horror, Seth enjoys spotlighting everything from spine-tingling scares and edge-of-your-seat thrillers to underrated hidden gems. Through thoughtful commentary, exclusive interviews with actors and directors, and coverage of the latest entertainment news, he aims to help audiences discover their next favorite watch.
Forbidden Fruits Review
Forbidden Fruits Review