Forbidden Fruits review: What if The Craft was set in a mall?
Forbidden Fruits is a genre-blending teen thriller that reimagines The Craft in a mall setting, following a clique of fashionable witches known as the Fruits. The film centers on an outsider, Pumpkin, who infiltrates their group but struggles to drive the narrative amid chaotic tonal shifts. While visually bold and stylistically daring, it falters in delivering emotional depth or a coherent message. The movie ultimately prioritizes style and surreal horror over substance, culminating in a divisive and confusing conclusion.
- ▪Forbidden Fruits stars Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, and Alexandra Shipp as members of a witchy mall clique called the Fruits.
- ▪Directed by Meredith Alloway, the film is a screen adaptation of Lily Houghton's play Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die.
- ▪Set in a fictional mall store called Free Eden, the story blends teen comedy, horror, and surrealism with themes of female identity and toxic friendship.
- ▪The film premiered at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival and is now available for purchase on Prime Video.
- ▪A mid-credit scene delivers a major plot twist that undermines much of the film’s established narrative.
Full article excerpt tap to expand
Home > Entertainment > Movies 'Forbidden Fruits' review: What if 'The Craft' was set in a mall? Lola Tung, Lili Reinhart, Victoria Pedretti, and Alexandra Shipp star in this girly, gross thriller. By Kristy Puchko Kristy Puchko Kristy Puchko is the Entertainment Editor at Mashable. Based in New York City, she's an established film critic and entertainment reporter who has traveled the world on assignment, covered a variety of film festivals, co-hosted movie-focused podcasts, and interviewed a wide array of performers and filmmakers. Read Full Bio on April 28, 2026 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Flipboard All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Lili Reinhart, Victoria Pedretti, and Alexandra Shipp play the Fruits in "Forbidden Fruits." Credit: Shudder A messy (but formative) part of girlhood is the reckless appropriation of various trends, traditions, and cultural elements in a haphazard attempt to build an identity. For some girls, this means trading one clique for another, or jumping from band geek to cheerleader. For others, it means dabbling in witchcraft. 30 years ago, The Craft became iconic for a generation of '90s girls who dreamed of power, beauty, and boys. A coven of four teen girls could cast spells and hexes, and the only threat to their power was one another. Now arises Forbidden Fruits, a twisted teen comedy that feels like The Craft with a girly-pop aesthetic. Forget the goth gear and smudged eyeliner. These witches are "mall royalty" who proudly work at a chic clothing store, and when they're not eye-rolling over customers, they're doing racy rituals and swallowing sequins as if they're psychedelics. However, where The Craft became a coming-of-age story and cautionary tale about not being true to yourself, Forbidden Fruits is more interested in gnarly twists than any kind of PSA message. You May Also Like (() => { window.videoEmbeds = window.videoEmbeds || []; let data = {"excoPlayListId":"6824b9518c3807c48181397f","excoPlayVideos":{"601d59ef-0d4e-5ca4-9b28-ade749f574e9":"04JtV6dUEaZk8NpZ32UeQkW","7d817a51-4c8f-4dc7-8228-56aec97b0674":"02V2zuqAJdPLCE4a814I3Bs","8f510f06-2b47-5741-bb6d-758ea6a861be":"02C1sEcuM2Qz2nuC3WLuTxL","fcc4f9ff-b2ae-4427-8767-0e6f2075ee2b":"00oTXI0UteHKFQ1tT7Akm0J"},"title":"","videoPlayerType":"related-contextual","titleOverride":"You May Also Like"}; data.excoPlayListId = '6824b9518c3807c48181397f'; data.excoPlayListVideos = {"601d59ef-0d4e-5ca4-9b28-ade749f574e9":"04JtV6dUEaZk8NpZ32UeQkW","7d817a51-4c8f-4dc7-8228-56aec97b0674":"02V2zuqAJdPLCE4a814I3Bs","8f510f06-2b47-5741-bb6d-758ea6a861be":"02C1sEcuM2Qz2nuC3WLuTxL","fcc4f9ff-b2ae-4427-8767-0e6f2075ee2b":"00oTXI0UteHKFQ1tT7Akm0J"}; window.videoEmbeds.push({ elemId: 'video-container-01KQ9NP5JC2PFS1BG4CHVQNHK8', data: data }); })() Forbidden Fruits is a tale of rotten sisterhood. Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, and Alexandra Shipp play the Fruits in "Forbidden Fruits." Credit: Shudder Helmer Meredith Alloway makes her feature film directorial debut with this screen adaptation of playwright Lily Houghton's Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die. Together they scripted the adapted screenplay, which switches a Free People store for the less lawsuit-inducing "Free Eden." There, a trio of intimidatingly cool girls — known as "the Fruits" — wear daring fashions and…
This excerpt is published under fair use for community discussion. Read the full article at Mashable.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Mashable
