Netflix Losing Dark R-Rated Crime Drama Secret Gem, Stream Before It’s Gone
It seems like dark crime thrillers are all the rage, with audiences far and wide eager to tune in to learn more about the seedy underbelly of criminal activity that pervades our day-to-day lives. One criminally underrated entrant into this expansive genre is 1994’s Fresh, starring Sean Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Better Call Saul‘s Giancarlo Esposito. Fresh, not to be confused with the 2022 Hulu original of the same name, is currently streaming on Netflix, for those who haven’t yet had the chance to see the high-intensity action play out.
Fresh Is Streaming On Netflix
Long before Fresh landed on Netflix for home streaming, the film was brought to fruition by Israeli-American filmmaker Boaz Yakin. Fresh serves as Yakin’s screenwriting and directorial debut, though he has gone on to write movies including From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, Now You See Me, and Netflix’s The Harder They Fall. The filmmaker has also served as a director for projects like Remember the Titans, Max, and Once Again (For The Very First Time).
A Worthy Crime-Drama Entry
Fresh was billed as an inner-city and hip-hop-inspired tale of poverty and struggle and is listed on Netflix as a dark independent drama. The movie has been compared to other hood classics such as Menace 2 Society, Above the Rim, New Jack City, and Juice, and received critical acclaim upon release. Today, Fresh maintains an 88 percent certified fresh critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, despite having been largely forgotten by the general public since premiering 30 years ago.
Michael’s Extracurricular Activities
The narrative of the film centers on a 12-year-old boy named Michael, who goes by the street name “Fresh.” Despite his young age, Fresh is already an experienced drug dealer, making drops before and after school to help support his impoverished family. In between drug deals and middle school classes, Fresh heads to the park to hustle adults in chess throughout the Netflix film, mentored by his verbally abusive father Sam, as expertly portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson.
A Dark Coming-Of-Age Odyssey
I don’t want to give away too much of the plot here, but suffice it to say, Fresh contains some of the wildest twists and turns of any film on the entire Netflix streaming library. As the film carries on, the preteen gangster progressively dives further and further into the criminal underworld, where he loses friends, makes enemies, and faces off against personal demons from all angles of his life.
By the time the credits roll, you’re nearly guaranteed to be brought to tears at the mere notion of a child facing this kind of struggle.
From The Streets To Streaming
GFR SCORE
Personally, I feel that you’d be hard-pressed to find a better dark crime drama than this one, as the film offers hyper-violent imagery, high emotional stakes, and some knock-out performances that feel like they’re ripped directly from the real-life streets.
If you’re interested in catching Fresh at home, the terrific tear-jerker is currently streaming on Netflix. Just be sure not to let the streaming service find out you’ve been binge-watching shows on another streamers turf, or you might find yourself in some hot water.
