The new movie Forbidden Fruits is one of those movies that you can’t form a solid opinion on. While some may love its chaotic plot, others will completely miss the true meaning behind its over-the-top style.
The film follows a group of girls, all named after different fruits: Apple, Cherry, and Fig, as they induct a new member, Pumpkin, into their sisterhood. After this new addition, secrets are revealed, and viewers watch as the friendship becomes more and more toxic, dramatic and even insane. The movie is not just any regular teen drama. Unexpected storylines involving witchcraft and curses weave their way into the film. If you’re looking for a subtle movie, this is not it. Every emotion is overdone, every conflict feels like the end of the world, and there is enough drama packed into two short hours of film to fuel an entire season of reality TV.
What might surprise the audience is the actors’ exaggerated performances. Despite this choice being annoying in other movies, for Forbidden Fruits, it is a perfect stylistic choice. Nobody is trying to play these characters realistically; instead, they focus on overexaggerating to fully convey the messages of the movie.
The costume design was one of the best parts of the movie. Every character had a distinct look that matched their personality, and it never felt lazy or repetitive. Apple is the queen bee (or head witch) of the group, which was evident through her bold look that stands out. Cherry has playful, skimpy outfits as the character herself is quite ditsy. Fig has a stronger, edgier look to match her confident personality. And lastly, Pumpkin has a sweet and innocent wardrobe to set her apart from the rest of the girls, as she doesn’t quite belong in their cliche. The filmmakers clearly put a lot of thought into making each girl stand out in their own way, which helps when there are so many different personalities constantly fighting for attention.
The movie also does a surprisingly good job of keeping the audience hooked. Even when viewers might not be completely sold on what is happening, the movie draws the audience in and keeps them on the edge of their seats. There are plenty of shocking moments, and the tension builds really well throughout the film. Every bad decision somehow leads to an even worse one, which makes watching the story unravel weirdly entertaining.
Unfortunately, not all of the humor works. The movie tries really hard to use Gen Z slang and terms, but ends up failing pretty poorly. Characters constantly throw around terms like “babe” every other sentence, and after a while, it starts feeling less like actual dialogue and more like a parent trying to keep up in a conversation with their kid’s friends.
The biggest problem, though, is the movie’s ending. Throughout most of the movie, it feels like it’s building toward something interesting. Although there are clear themes about toxic friend groups, fake sisterhoods and social hierarchies, the movie struggles to leave a lasting impression in its finale. The ending becomes frustrating as the downfall of certain characters seems like it’s supposed to reinforce those themes, but many of the major plot twists and reveals end up pulling attention away from them instead. Unfortunately, the final twist especially feels like it comes out of nowhere. It’s not because the twist was just a bad idea, but rather the movie doesn’t really do enough to build towards it. By the end of the film, viewers might understand the plot twist, but struggle to grasp the true message behind it all.
Still, even with those issues, Forbidden Fruits was an entertaining movie. It’s stylish and quirky, which keeps its audience captivated. Although it wasn’t the deepest of movies, it was memorable enough to keep me thinking about it long after the credits rolled.
