Forbidden Fruits

Grade: B-

Forbidden Fruits has been described as The Craft by way of Mean Girls and Heathers. It is the third film in a row I’ve seen that uses graphic, grisly violence for laughs, making me wonder what that says about our current culture. The gore element takes a while to enter the picture. Up until then, you might think you were watching a dark comedy about a clique – late 90s, Miramax style. It continues to be that, but with bloodiness, all of a sudden.

It’s set in a hustling, bustling mall – an atmosphere I miss both in film and real life. I’m mall about that. We are introduced to three colorful characters, who work at a clothing store called Free Eden. They call themselves the Fruits, as their names are Apple, Cherry, and Fig. While out to lunch, they are approached by an employee of the pretzel place in the food court. They don’t think much of her – but once they learn her name is Pumpkin, suddenly, they deem her worthy of being one of them. They are a coven of witches, conducting nightly rituals in the basement of the store. Pumpkin is cool with it, even after they trick, trap, and lock her in the mall overnight.

The movie lingers in Expositionland for a long time – to the point where I thought “ok, now that we’ve established everything, something needs to happen. This can’t just be all setup.” It mostly is. The tension eventually ramps up once the gore is introduced.

This is based on a play called “Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die.” That phrase appears visually in the movie; you don’t have to be that observant to spot it. I appreciated how the playwright/screenwriter made it easy to keep the Fruits’ names straight. I’ve either never seen – or don’t remember seeing – most of this cast, but they have energy, chemistry, and commitment. My personal favorites were Victoria Pedretti (Origin, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood) as Cherry, and Lola Tung as Pumpkin.

The twist, revealed near the end, comes out of nowhere. I certainly didn’t predict it, much less foresee that there would BE a twist. As unexpected as it is, it makes numerous plot points make sense. I’m not sure we needed the subplot about a former Fruit, but everything else is clarified because of what we learn. The climax is the height of a cheap, schlocky, B-movie feel, followed by an epilogue that suggests the story will continue. Everybody wants to belong to something.

Grade: B-