The Wasteland Reviewer

Forbidden Fruits (2026) Written Review

How influential is Mean Girls? This 00s teenage comedy has become one of the most significant and impactful comedies on Millennials. Its influence has expanded into younger generations and influenced younger filmmakers to craft their own stories in the same vein but with a fresh cultural perspective. Meredith Alloway collaborates with Lily Houghton to bring Houghton’s own play to life on screen with Forbidden Fruits. That Mean Girls formula shifts completely into the realm of mall life but with a dark twist…witches and hexes! Forbidden Fruits tells the story of a young woman Pumpkin who finds her way into a secret witch cult with three young women including Apple, the charismatic and enigmatic leader.

How does Alloway bring this film to life? With plenty of energy and personality, that’s how! Forbidden Fruits is a film that runs on vibes. Alloway leans into a visual styling that gives dream or fever dream. The mysterious aura that Alloway creates is quite engrossing and engaging. The film is also filled with plenty of vibrant colors and striking visuals accentuated by the work of cinematographer Karim Hussain. The camerawork is quite sharp and inspired as well as the editing from Hanna Park. There are a few inspired moments of unnerving body horror that really come together due to the sharp filmmaking from this team. The practical effects are quite fun as well as they bring some of the film’s big horror moments to life. With a film about fashion-forward young women, you need some strong costume design and Forbidden Fruits does not disappoint. The film has a brisk pace and a tight runtime as Alloway delivers an engaging experience from start to finish.

How does Alloway and Houghton’s screenplay come to life on screen? The film navigates a variety of interesting themes and motifs along the way. The core of the film is centered around this sisterhood of witches and how group dynamics define the experience. This film explores the challenges of finding a meaningful sense of community without allowing favoritism, toxicity, and jealousy to crumble its foundations. There is sharp and fresh commentary on the cult of personalities with Apple (Lili Reinhart) being the alluring leader of this witch’s coven. The film explores mall culture in a modern context as well which is quite interesting in 2026. The core four characters are fully realized with plenty of personality and dynamics that allow them to stand out in their own way. The core dynamic is filled with tension, conflict, and drama making Forbidden Fruits such a fun and thrilling experience. There are some unexpected twists and turns that keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Along with that, there are some unexpected thematic elements that deepen the experience and some of the character dynamics. Alloway and Houghton deliver a delightfully demented tale with plenty of group drama, bloody body horror, and cultish horror elements.

What is one of the biggest selling points of the film? The central quartet is impressive. Lola Tung makes for a strong protagonist who has a mixture of empathy (especially through her dynamic with her mother), manipulation, and confidence. She brings the right bit of energy for which role she is playing at any moment as well as the place her character is at in her “breaking bad” journey. Lili Reinhart is a powerful force as Apple, the leader of this coven, with plenty of steely cool charisma. But it is when the cracks start appearing that her performance becomes even more impressive. Alexandra Shipp is endlessly charming with plenty of likeability as she brings such a powerful presence and energy to the film. The biggest and most unhinged of the four is Victoria Pedretti who gets to do plenty of fun character work with her aloofness, high pitched voice, and chaotic energy. Her performance is the biggest and flashiest in the best way possible. Throw in a bunch of quite muscular and handsome young men for this crew to flirt, date, and have sex with and you have yourself quite the attractive cast.

Do we have the Gen-Z Mean Girls that creatives have been reaching for? Forbidden Fruit is a wonderfully demented experience all its own. Alloway and Houghton are a wonderful pair that breathe plenty of life and energy into this genre mash-up. This gorgeous quartet is equally talented and delivers an endlessly engaging and enthralling dark horror/comedy. Head to the mall, get a little witchy, and have a thrill with Forbidden Fruits.