Forbidden Fruits Review: Don’t Bite the Apple

In Forbidden Fruits, Lili Reinhart delivers her best performance yet as a clothing store worker that leads a coven-like girl group all named after fruits.

Whilst the group claims not to have a leader, Apple (Lili Reinhart, of Look Both Ways) is very clearly the most influential. Cherry (Victoria Pedretti, of You) and Fig (Alexandra Shipp, of Barbie) are a little bit scared of her, but newly initiated Pumpkin (Lola Tung, of The Summer I Turned Pretty) can see right through them all. The quartet are known as ‘The Fruits’, because of their fortuitous names, and have similarities to ‘The Plastics’ in Mean Girls. Apple is most like the Regina George of the group, and Pumpkin is like Cady Heron. Pumpkin doesn’t directly try to sabotage Apple like Cady does to Regina, but instead tries to get the other two Fruits to reveal their secrets to her so that the trust circle they have is broken. 

Forbidden Fruits has clear connections to films like Jennifer’s Body, The Craft, Ginger Snaps and more. It adds to what’s been done before in the genre, and it may not be distinctive enough but Meredith Alloway’s vision is there, especially in the visual aspects. It’s one that in years to come will be a staple in sleepover movie nights to those that love this bubblegum aesthetic. But to those that see the slow burn, symbolic witchy-vibes as something that’s not literal enough to grasp, it may be a miss. 

There is something absent from the script that doesn’y give us enough of a backstory of who these characters actually are other than a surface level insight, especially with Cherry and Fig. Even with Apple, there’s a moment where her walls are broken down and she has a brief, intimate moment with Cherry. Is there more to this? Or just built up hysteria in the final act? With all that said, it’s a proud moment to be able to scream from the rooftops that feminist horror is alive and thriving, despite some of the flaws this film has. 

Karim Hussain’s cinematography is what makes the longest lasting impression. His work on Infinity Pool, Possessor and Seance (a film which would be perfect to watch alongside Forbidden Fruits) make him a standout in this genre. Costumes, too, are an important part of the visual identity and Sarah Millman captures each character’s style in the outfits they wear, giving them individual aesthetics that translate perfectly on screen.

The final 30 minutes are what put Forbidden Fruits on the map as a future feminist cult classic. Its consistent slow tension throughout builds up to a phenomenal ending that finally answers the question why Shudder is the streaming platform of choice for the film. All hell is let loose in the mall, finally, and we see a glimpse into what this group of women really are like when you break down their vulnerable layers and pit them against each other. 

Forbidden Fruits will be released in US and Canadian theatres on March 27, 2026. The film is out now in U.K. cinemas.