LiliReinhart – Credits Rolling

Apple (Lili Reinhart) works at Free Eden with her friends Cherry (Victoria Pedretti) and Fig (Alexandra Shipp). She also runs a secret witch cult in the basement of the mall store after hours. When new girl Pumpkin (Lola Tung) joins the group, the dynamic between the friends changes.

If Mean Girls, Heathers and The Craft had a baby it would be Forbidden Fruits. From the moment I heard about it, I knew I had to add it to my list. It was right up my alley and the cast was banging. Unfortunately it never hit UK cinemas, but luckily I was able to catching it on digital. While it wasn’t as flawless as I had hoped it would be, there was still a lot to enjoy.

As I previously mentioned, the cast was stacked. Reinhart, Pedretti, Shipp and Tung each delivered a unique performance. Each character stood out for one reason or another though I have to say that Reinhart and Pedretti were the main scene stealers. Reinhart was a total badass as the leader of the pack; she had a darkness to her that was peeled away over time and I loved discovering more. Pedretti, on the other hand, was the total opposite. Coquettish and naive, everything from her line delivery to her mannerisms was genius.

The film was so aesthetically pleasing. From the bright bursts of color in the mall, to the eclectic outfits, it was an overload to the senses in the best way possible. The dialogue was snappy and smart. It leaned heavily into a blend of millennial and Gen Z cultural references that worked effortlessly. The soundtrack boasted plenty of girl power pop tunes that only heightened the whole experience.

Ultimately this was a solid portrayal of toxic female friendships. In a world that seems like paradise, it’s clear that there was something lurking in the shadows. As the cracks began to show, the cattier each girl got. The horror element blended well with the comedy and I appreciated that it didn’t try to overtake what the film was trying to say. The singular location of the mall was also a great choice as it gave that locked room feel.

Overall, Forbidden Fruits gets off to a rocky start, but when it finds its footing, it has a lot to say. It’s campy and uneven, but I still really liked it. It kept me on my toes and I honestly did not know where it was going. This will definitely be one of those films that becomes a cult classic in the years to come. It just needs to find its audience.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Netflix’s newest romcom Look Both Ways features Lili Reinhart’s Natalie Bennet who has always stuck close to her five year plan. Graduate college, move to LA with her best friend Cara (Aisha Dee) and land her dream job in the animation industry. On the night of her graduation, she takes a pregnancy test and her life suddenly splits in two. In one scenario, events unfold as if the test was positive where Natalie decides to keep the baby and raise them with the father Gabe (Danny Ramirez). In the other, Natalie does go to LA where she not only lands a great job, but a great guy too.

Now that Riverdale is approaching its last season, it is nice to see Reinhart star in something new. After her first foray into film with Chemical Hearts, I have to say that I enjoyed her in this movie much more. In addition to acting, she also produced the film and you can tell that she gave it her all.

The storyline itself is rather simple and straightforward. There aren’t any special effects or crazy plot twists that occur, but that doesn’t make it boring either. It actually made for a pleasant viewing experience because I didn’t have to pay too close attention and I was still able to follow what was going on. The events that transpired throughout were also realistically done.

But what I liked the most about the film was seeing how both stories, though completely different, did not out-weight one another. Just because Natalie had a baby in one storyline didn’t mean she wouldn’t be more successful or less happy than the storyline in which she went to LA, got a job working for her idol (Nia Long) and met the man of her dreams (David Corenswet). Both had their ups and downs and worked out the way they were supposed to. It was refreshing to have this take portrayed on screen.

If you are looking for a cute and easy going romantic comedy to laze around to one afternoon, I recommend watching Look Both Ways. It’s certainly one of the better films in the genre that I have seen lately.

Rating: ♥♥♥