Marvel Star’s New Cult Horror Movie Mixes Everything From Mean Girls To American Psycho, Teases Forbidden Fruits Director & Cast

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The new horror film, , initially seems like a fresh take on , but it offers a surprisingly complex story.

The movie, adapted from a play by Lily Houghton (who also co-wrote the screenplay with director Meredith Alloway), takes place in the glamorous Free Eden department store. It centers on Apple and her secret coven of coworkers, Cherry and Fig. Their world is turned upside down when Pumpkin, a cheerful new employee from the mall’s food court, joins their group. As Pumpkin is welcomed in, the coven’s dynamic shifts, and things take a dangerous, violent turn.

Lili Reinhart, known for her role in Riverdale, stars as Apple in the new film Forbidden Fruits. The cast also includes Lola Tung (The Summer I Turned Pretty), Victoria Pedretti (You), Alexandra Shipp (from Marvel films), and Emma Chamberlain. The movie, written by Diablo Cody, who penned Jennifer’s Body, premiered at SXSW on March 16th and has received mostly positive reviews, currently holding an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

To celebrate the film’s debut at the SXSW festival, Ash Crossan from ScreenRant spoke with Meredith Alloway, Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, and Alexandra Shipp about their movie, Forbidden Fruits. When asked about comparisons to films like The Craft and Mean Girls, Alloway happily accepted them, noting that those movies “don’t take themselves too seriously.” She explained that this approach allows Forbidden Fruits to explore its themes in a way that feels both powerful and easy to connect with.

When Lily Houghton and I were writing the script, we started by watching a lot of similar movies, like Jawbreaker. But we eventually decided to move away from that style. We talked a lot about American Psycho, and that really influenced me. Lola hadn’t seen it before, so she watched it too, and I told her she’d enjoy it.

Tung playfully replied to Alloway’s comment, saying she’s turned over a new leaf. She also admitted that working on the set of Forbidden Fruits made her realize how much she enjoys the thrilling aspects of horror – like screaming and being covered in fake blood. The experience gave her a new appreciation for well-made horror, pointing to American Psycho as a prime example – she thinks it’s both a compelling story and surprisingly funny, in addition to being scary.

Alloway built on Tung’s points by referencing a satirical scene from the 2000 film American Psycho. She noted that the character, played by Christian Bale, treats something trivial with intense seriousness, causing the audience to laugh because the characters generally take everything so seriously. This inspired her to emulate director Mary Harron’s approach to capture that same effect, and she also looked to a particular type of colorful horror for further inspiration.

I did a lot of research, watching classic Italian thrillers – especially films by Mario Bava like ‘Torso’ and ‘Blood in Black Lace’. I realized there weren’t many eerie movies that explored a female perspective, and I wasn’t finding the visual references I needed. I also looked at the work of photographer Justine Kurland, who often captures women in evocative settings. Ultimately, I drew inspiration from both those Italian films and Kurland’s photography to help convey the themes of female relationships and femininity in my work.

The Forbidden Fruits Cast Were Thrilled By Their Stylish Transformations

I was a little lost trying to figure out who your character was at first. The wig was a big change, and it took me a moment to realize it was you! Could you tell us who you’re playing – who’s your character, or ‘your Fruit’ as you put it?

Victoria Pedretti describes her character, Cherry, as a Texas native who was raised in a very religious environment. As Cherry grew up, she developed a passion for fashion and relationships, while always maintaining a strong appreciation for women. Cherry is deeply invested in her community and sees the women around her as incredibly beautiful, confident, and powerful. This devotion leads her to potentially suppress parts of herself and readily accept feelings of inadequacy, causing her to prioritize the needs of others over her own. It’s difficult to fully capture the complexity of the character, but Pedretti describes her as enjoyable to play.

Meredith Alloway: No, I love that you kind of went back to the backstory.

Victoria Pedretti: I haven’t done that yet.

ScreenRant asked what the actor enjoyed most about becoming the character, and if there was a specific moment they felt they truly connected with and became the role.

Victoria Pedretti and I were discussing symbolic objects, and it struck me how much wearing Cherry’s period clothing—specifically the bloomers—felt like a turning point. I remember thinking, “How does she carry herself with such confidence in these?” Embracing that challenge and figuring it out really helped me create Cherry’s character.

I’ll never forget when Victoria arrived for her costume fitting. I was in the middle of pre-production, and when I heard she was here, I went to knock on her door. She peeked out, then just ran towards me wearing the bloomers – the actual costume! Seeing her in that outfit, I instantly knew, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s Cherry!’ It was such a powerful moment, and I remember thinking, ‘Yes, we’re really going to pull this off!’ That look, that outfit… it immediately became the iconic hero look for her character.

It genuinely was a strange experience. I recall filming a short video for her where she had me spin around, and I’m usually very private about my body. So, there’s this video of me just turning, and my rear end is visible as I move. I watched it and thought, ‘Wow, who is that person?’ It actually felt empowering.

I play Fig, who’s literally a fig – a fruit! What I love most about her is that she’s different from the other characters, but still manages to belong. My director, Meredith, and I really focused on figuring out who Fig is as a person, outside of just being ‘one of the Fruits.’ We shared tons of ideas and inspiration on Pinterest, but it really came together when we filmed a scene where Fig’s struggling to carry boxes of shoes upstairs in a tight skirt. The way I moved – it was exactly how I would have done it, but it instantly felt perfectly ‘Fig.’ It was a fun, unique, and quirky moment that really captured her personality and how she tries to fit in.

ScreenRant: There’s such a sweetness to her, too.

Alexandra Shipp’s character deeply desires friendship. She’s willing to change herself to achieve that, which is relatable – the fear of loneliness can lead anyone to make questionable choices.

ScreenRant asked about her career choices after The Summer I Turned Pretty. They were curious what led her to pick such a different role next, given how well audiences knew her character in that show.

I’ve noticed, like Lili with Riverdale, that you want each role to be different from the last. I was so thankful Meredith even considered me for this! I play Pumpkin, a new character who’s an acquaintance to everyone but doesn’t have a super close group of friends – her mom is her best friend. She’s an outsider coming into this established group of women, and she’s on a bit of a journey to figure things out. She slowly starts to enjoy the sense of community, something she hasn’t really experienced before, but she’s hesitant to fully believe it could last. I don’t want to give too much away, but she really wants to believe. It was fun to play her because she’s often an observer, quietly taking everything in, which meant I got to watch the other actors – they were amazing! I connected with that part of her. And as the movie goes on, you’ll see she has a bit of a sassy side too.

I felt completely immersed in the movie through the main character’s perspective. We’ve all been in friend groups where we question if the relationships are healthy or if people truly have our best interests at heart. I connected with that a lot and really enjoyed the film. Now, let’s switch gears and talk about Apple.

When I was developing the character of Apple, I had a very clear picture in my mind. I knew from my first meeting with the director that Apple would have red hair and nails, with two nails intentionally kept short – a detail I wanted to leave unexplained. I imagined her as a stoic, almost cult-like figure. I’m naturally very expressive with my hands when I speak, so I consciously restricted that for Apple. I wanted her to command attention without needing to actively engage people with gestures. Her movements are precise and deliberate, and she maintains constant focus – she never lets her gaze wander. Getting her physicality right was crucial, and it took about a week of filming to fully lock it in. Apple is driven by a desperate need for connection with other women, but she pursues it through control and manipulation, not genuine affection. Her biggest fear is being seen as disloyal to women, but ultimately, she’s very self-centered.

The interviewer noted the character’s appeal and how the actress draws people in. They were particularly intrigued by how she casually calls everyone ‘babe,’ pointing out that it’s similar to how repeating someone’s name can create a connection. They asked about the discussions surrounding how the character’s way of speaking was designed to be attractive to others.

That detail about calling customers “babe” is actually true. It came from a store my co-writer, Lily Houghton, used to work at. She was dealing with a lot of personal grief while writing the play, and she described feeling like the world was ending, but she coped by listening to Haim and even eating glitter off her clothes. So, the fact that employees were required to call customers “babe” or “love” felt very real to her. People have asked me about the intention behind it, and it really was just based on something that actually happened. The movie as a whole explores how artificial and strange the world of retail can be, and the complicated relationships that form within it. You’re encouraged to be supportive and sisterly, but everyone is also competing for commission. I’m glad you noticed the significance of that “babe” detail – it’s a key part of that dynamic.

ScreenRant: Did you do any witchy things together?

Filming at night felt really strange and almost magical. We were all together for hours, working from 8 PM to 8 AM, which is when your body wants to be sleeping. It’s like our sleep schedules became synchronized, creating a really close, sisterly bond. You connect with the other actors when you’re all exhausted and struggling to stay awake at 2 AM. I remember joking about trying to look good at 4 AM with concealer on – it just felt impossible!

Alexandra Shipp: And yet.

Lili Reinhart: You know what I mean?

Alexandra Shipp recalls a memorable moment on set: while filming, a huge full moon appeared, and the entire cast, still in their fruit costumes, spontaneously stepped out of their van and began howling at it around 6:00 AM at their base camp.

I’m really glad you mentioned the blood moon, because it was a significant moment for us. Trent Hubbard, who produced the movie and manages both me and Lily, actually told me to point it out. I had already stepped away from hair and makeup when he called and asked me to look out the window. We both saw this incredible blood moon, and it just hit us – we were really doing it! It felt like everything was falling into place, which is amazing because making a movie is a huge accomplishment, and it all came together in that moment.

Be sure to dive into some of ScreenRant‘s other SXSW coverage with:

  • The Sun Never Sets Review
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  • I Love Boosters Review
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  • Ready or Not 2: Here I Come Review
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2026-03-25 16:19