In her feature directorial debut, Meredith Alloway captures an aesthetic comparable to Tina Fey’s “Mean Girls.” But instead of being headed by The Plastics, who run a high school in suburban Illinois, Alloway’s film stars The Fruits, who run a shopping mall in Texas.
“Forbidden Fruits” follows four young women who work at a mall store, secretly running a witch cult in its basement after hours. The narrative begins to unfold when Fig (Alexandra Shipp), Cherry (Victoria Pedretti), and the coven’s ringleader, Apple (Lili Reinhart), welcome a new hire, Pumpkin (Lola Tung), putting their sisterhood to the test.
Reinhart, Pedretti, Shipp, and Tung all deliver standout performances in their respective roles, successfully portraying best friends who keep the audience guessing about who to trust. Reinhart is especially fun to watch as Apple, leading her co-workers in feminist rituals with a sharpness and wit that commands the screen. Tung is also brilliant as Pumpkin, sneakily working her way up the ranks to fulfill her ulterior motives by befriending each Fruit to learn their weaknesses.
Influencer-turned-Gen Z fashion icon Emma Chamberlain makes her acting debut in the dark comedy as Pickle, a former Free Eden employee and Fruit who has become unstable after a hex cast gone wrong. Although Chamberlain’s blond wig isn’t nearly as good as Rachel McAdams’ for Regina George, the YouTuber’s light blue babydoll dress—reminiscent of that of the twins’ in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”—really sells the unsettling nature of her character.
As advertised, the film is equal parts comedy and horror. Its most comical bits come from Apple’s absurd rules about what the Fruits can and can’t do with men, including one where they’re only allowed to communicate with boys using emojis. We see this in action between Fig and her secret boyfriend, Norman. That said, much of the film’s 103-minute runtime is set up for a payoff that doesn’t fully materialize until its mid-credits scene. Still, “Forbidden Fruits” leaves you wanting more, teasing the possibility of an entire cinematic universe.
Featured Photo Credit: IFC Films
Taylor Graham is a student at Columbia University, majoring in Film and Media Studies with a minor in Political Science. She has reported for numerous publications, including the Valencia Voice, Glitter Magazine, and Heritage Radio Network, and is currently the 150th Arts and Culture Editor for the Columbia Daily Spectator, one of the oldest college newspapers in the nation. With a passion for storytelling in the digital age, Taylor covers all things entertainment, from film and television to media and pop culture, interviewing professional actors, musicians, and content creators alike. When she’s not writing her next film review or feature story on an emerging artist, Taylor can be found playing tennis, reading literary fiction, or thrift shopping in NYC.