‘Forbidden Fruits’ Review: Witchy, Witty, and Destine for Sleepover Rewatches

Do we have a new cult classic on our hands? I would say so. Forbidden Fruits follows the fruits, played by Lili Reinhart, Victoria Pedretti, and Alexandra Shipp, as they welcome in a new girl to their coven named Pumpkin, played by Lola Tung. Filled with fun fashion, witchcraft, and witty one-liners, Forbidden Fruits ends up being an extremely charming female-centric comedy. More reminiscent of films like Jennifer’s Body or Sugar and Spice, rather than Mean Girls. The film has some rough edges, but ultimately is a great time. One I could see myself revisiting many times in the future. Read our full review for Forbidden Fruits below. 

This review contains spoilers for Forbidden Fruits.

Admittedly these kinds of campy, female comedies are entirely my thing. I have watched every single film that fits this mold to date, so needless to say Forbidden Fruits was one of my most anticipated films of the year. I am overjoyed to announce that it did not disappoint. I love a female lead comedy that truly feels like it could only be written by a woman. Forbidden Fruits could only be penned by a woman indeed. The screenplay is extremely smart and hyperspecific. The aim is not to be universal, it is to target and satisfy a certain type of person. The best comedies are not broad, they have a specific voice. This film has a voice evocative of Jennifer’s Body, almost to the point where it becomes less original. Yet, that does not make me knock the film much. It succeeds in its attempts to replicate Diablo Cody’s very singular screenwriting sensibilities in a way that felt like true admiration. Forbidden Fruits works because of how committed the screenwriters, the director, and the actors were to the vision, making it work despite some of its flaws. 

Before we get to the flaws though, we need to talk about the four central performances. All of the performances were iconic in their own way, but Lili Reinhart is really the standout. She plays this coven leader, retail master perfectly. Her delivery is perfect and her slow unraveling is so satisfying to watch. She made her character so alluring to the point that I would love a sequel following more of her story. Alexandra Shipp and Victoria Pedretti are also giving it their all in more over the top roles. Pedretti specifically is doing a lot, but it works every time. The only low point is Lola Tung. She is obviously not as seasoned as the other girls, and it weighs the film down after a while. She is almost the lead, but does not have the charm the other girls have to carry the film. Tung does a completely serviceable job, but compared to the other three she is noticeably lesser. 

The only flaws that Forbidden Fruits has are minor and completely forgivable. It is messy at times, with continuity errors that will leave you actively confused. The film has a pretty sizable budget of $80 million, but that might have not been enough. Some of the film looks extremely cheap, but in some ways that adds to its charm. I am happy that most of the budget seemed to go towards the ending gore feast. Victoria Pedretti’s death via escalator was perfectly, disgustingly done. Making it a kill that I will most likely never forget. It is fair to say Forbidden Fruits is messy at points due to the editing issues, but the film is fun, exuberant, dark, and campy in the best way. If you like films like Jennifer’s Body, The Craft, or Mean Girls it is safe to say that Forbidden Fruits will be your exact cup of tea. 

Forbidden Fruits is directed by Meredith Alloway and stars Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, Alexandra Shipp, and Emma Chamberlain. The film was released on March 27.

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