AUDIENCES SHOULD GO BANANAS FOR FORBIDDEN FRUITS
BY HANNAH JAMIESON PHOTO COURTESY OF © IFC
Meredith Alloway’s “Forbidden Fruits” is an adaptation of the play, Of the women came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die, which follows an undercover coven of saleswomen working for Free People. Alloway’s adaptation is similar to the play, with the horror-comedy film following a secretive femme coven as they navigate sisterhood, hexes, and retail.
Each member has a fruit name, and the coven, led by Apple, abides by rules that they believe establish and strengthen the sisterhood. Some of these rules include not ‘dimming each other’s sparkle,’ or only texting men with emojis. Cherry and Fig accompany Apple in scamming people for hundreds of dollars at their store, completing rituals, and confessing to Marilyn Monroe’s spirit after hours. Things get messy when a new member, Pumpkin, gets involved in the clique, and she learns about the coven’s secrets and her predecessor, Pickle.
The film uses strong scenery and vivid imagery to reveal how the cult affects each of the members. While the entire movie is confined to the mall where they work, the ‘paradise’ they create is completely immersive, with draped fabrics, large crystals, and bedazzled cowboy boots in which they complete their hexes. The set design is mesmerizing and makes it worth watching alone.
The casting for this film is brilliant. The film is supposed to portray fierce female dynamics, and the casting director picked some of the strongest figures of the younger generations. Lili Reinhart shines with darker roles, and her dominant lead role was captivating to watch. Victoria Pedretti portrays bubbly Cherry, contradicting her previous roles like Love Quinn in Netflix’s “You,” yet she still delivered the perfect execution of a character vulnerable and susceptible to Apple’s dominance. All of the performances are completely unique to each character and striking in their own regard.
Most contemporary media try to use Generation Z vocabulary or trends, and they often tend to fall short or come off as condescending. The dialogue in Forbidden Fruits included lots of modern vocabulary and mannerisms, and contrary to other modern media, they were pretty spot on. The film fits a queen-bee trope that audiences have seen in movies for decades, like in Mean Girls (2004). While we have seen this trope before, we have never seen it in this witch-like sense and — for what seems like one of the first times — it accurately portrays Gen Z. Performances and dialogues are similar to the movie, Bodies, Bodies, Bodies (2022).
The portrayal of performative sisterhood through the cult and through a horror genre emulsifies the deeper meanings of trust and familial relationships through the film. The extent to which these manipulated women go to cover their tracks or manage their private lives for the rules and their leader is only further exacerbated in their fates — and it’s an applaudable artistic approach on Alloway’s part.
Although the majority of the film is peaches and cream, the ending is rather lazy and feels underwhelming. It’s ultimately wrapped together with a post-credit scene, but with the amount of dedication to the plot and characters, it feels inconclusive, especially for Apple and Pumpkin’s developing relationship throughout the movie. Regardless, the film is still absolutely worth a watch.
