Forbidden Fruits, 2026.
Directed by Meredith Alloway.
Starring Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Chamberlain, Gabrielle Union, Austin Ball, Charlie Henry Larsen, Siddharth Sharma, Zack Thompson, and Celine Dion.
SYNOPSIS:
At a mall store, Apple leads a secret witch cult with co-workers Cherry and Fig. New hire Pumpkin questions their sisterhood, forcing them to confront inner darkness or meet violent ends.
There are no-brainer comparison points to co-writer/director Meredith Alloway’s campy, coven-satirical brew Forbidden Fruits, which are agreeable but also undersell the fact that this blend of comedic witchy sisterhood and unsolved mysteries has a unique voice and a more modern message to convey.
In what is becoming a much-needed trend, this is also a film with its target squarely on societal performatism, specifically dealing with a particular type of feminism here that started out noble, from a place of sympathetic hurt and betrayal, yet has also morphed into something toxic, controlling, and narrow-minded. That’s also not to say this is an antifeminist screed; it’s also a film that begins with a woman tossing a cup of piping hot coffee into the car beside her to burn the genitalia of the gross man masturbating to her at the stoplight before turning into the shopping mall where much of the story takes place (the film is also based on a stage play by Lily Houghton, assisting in adapting her work), much to our delight and applause for taking action.
Said woman is Apple (Lili Reinhart), a retail worker at a seemingly expensive clothing store dubbed Free Eden who spends extra time after hours inside the establishment with her besties Cherry (Victoria Pedretti, ditzy but cleverly so eliciting laughs) and Fig (Alexandra Shipp, an expert in state birds and all around the smartest one in the bunch) practicing witchcraft and airing out understandable grievances against the patriarchy. To them, it’s paradise. At one point, they drink a concoction from a cowgirl boot plastered with so much decorative jewelry that it looks more like Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet than something someone would walk around in. As expected, the fashion elsewhere, especially in the costume design, equally pops with color and personality, serving both the characters and the concept that this is a store for the wealthy.
Nevertheless, the above occurs during an initiation ceremony for the new recruit, Pumpkin (keeping with the theme of fruits and rounding out the four seasons), played by Lola Tung, an employee at another store who takes a considerable interest in the group. At first, there is plenty of humor at the expense of either dopiness or dedication to Apple, who has apparently picked Cherry and Fig up from rough pasts while trying to keep them on the straight and narrow, away from their vices or anything that could lead to further abuse.
This is amusing while veering hard not only into an “all men are evil” territory, but a step further in that Apple is using this feminism and strict enforcement of sisterhood to maintain misguided control over them in a manner that isn’t healthy and counterproductive to them living their lives. There are rules for joining this coven, one of which is that men can only be texted using emojis; it’s the kind of enforcement that is both silly and drives home how far its leader is willing to go to ensure guys can’t come between them.
Once Pumpkin becomes increasingly acquainted with Cherry and Fig, it also becomes clear that there is an illusion of sisterhood here and that both women are feeling disillusioned by everything Apple is peddling to them. Cherry enjoys sexual company, which is not to say that she is blind to the unfortunate objectification behind many men (she is quite a layered character making it surprisingly pleasant whenever Victoria Pedretti is allowed a sincere moment to balance out the dumb humor), and Fig is ready to enter a relationship with a well-intentioned man after taking steps to ensure a successful professional future for herself.
This engaging social commentary and these contradictions also come into play with the mystery of what happened to Pickle (Emma Chamberlain, the former fourth member of the coven, whose falling out was so tragic and inexplicable that a supervisor (Gabrielle Union) was assigned to oversee this Free Eden. As more about that comes to light, and Apple’s desire to maintain control becomes increasingly unhinged, Forbidden Fruits shifts into ultraviolence. Are the practical effects remarkable? Yes. However, that doesn’t stop it from feeling as if the filmmakers are resorting to a burst of gore that doesn’t feel necessary, but more present to cover up that the entire third act, alongside some other reveals and a disappointing sequel-bait cliffhanger ending and mid-credits stinger, is poisoned compared to the fresh wit beforehand.
The bold social commentary is too sharp to truly taint the fruit, but Forbidden Fruits does get away from Meredith Alloway, who has otherwise crafted an appropriately cruel and devilishly fun takedown of performative culture.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder
