Weekend Watch: Fresh, Rescued By Ruby
Dating nightmares and doggy heroism...
Image Credit: Hulu
Welcome to the latest edition of Weekend Watch, in which I recommend (or occasionally warn against) movies or TV shows I’ve been checking out. This week, dating is hell, and a cute dog trains a man to be a cop. Follow James on Twitter: @jamwhite
Dating can be hellish. Women all know this and plenty of men too, though the former group has it much, much worse. That idea forms the seed of Lauryn Kahn’s script, in which Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) laments to best friend Mollie (Jojo T. Gibbs) that she may never meet the right guy.
Until, that is, she meets Steve (Sebastian Stan), who would appear, on the surface at least, to be perfect. He’s handsome, charming, modest, isn’t obsessed with social media and dresses well. Oh, and he’s a plastic surgeon. That might have been a red flag, but they connect so well that she overlooks that bit. Turns out, he’s much more than that…
Directed by Mimi Cave (making her feature directorial debut here), Fresh is a funny, clever and thrilling spin on a relatively old idea – finding the right partner is tricky, especially in today’s world of apps and utter weirdoes.
Edgar-Jones, best known for Normal People, is fantastic in the lead, a sparky, charming woman with a backbone of steel, particularly given what she goes through in this movie. Stan, meanwhile, has been on a real run of playing offbeat characters, proving that he’s more than just a handsome actor who can work within the Marvel Universe.
To say too much about the actual plot would spoil the surprises that lurk within, but suffice to say, things take a horrific, satirical and twisty turn when Steve whisks Noa away for a romantic retreat that turns into something very different.
There are gruesome turns and great work from all the supporting cast (including Kim’s Convenience’s Andrea Bang). Fresh might not be for the faint of heart (and stomach), but it’s a hearty, chewy feast of a film with a sleek visual style and a commitment to its theme.
Fresh is on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK now.
Image Credit: Netflix
Rescued By Ruby might just be the epitome of the lightweight, easy-to-watch cute dog movie. True, it probably belongs in the ranks of Lifetime’s output, but that doesn’t make it any less worth seeing.
Based loosely on a true story, it follows State Trooper Daniel O'Neil (Grant Gustin, more normally found dashing around in costume on The Flash), who has been itching to join the K9 unit, but has failed thanks to an over-eager temperament for years. He’s got one final chance at achieving his dream, but there’s a snag: the unit has no budget for additional dogs.
Desperate to find a solution, Daniel finds a dog called Ruby at a local shelter. Rambunctious and rash, the border collie/Australian shepherd mix has so far failed to find a home, overwhelming anyone who tries to her adopt her. Can Daniel and Ruby find a way to work together and become a vital team. Listen, if you don’t already know the outcome of this one, I do wonder if you’ve seen one of these films, or even heard of the genre.
The journey, then, to the heart-warming finale is the point, and Rescued By Ruby is an entirely pleasant, sweet and fun trot towards the big finish. Gustin is almost a puppy himself in his eager outlook and the dog(s) playing Ruby are the very picture of Lassie-with attitude (Lassitude?).
It’s got the requisite adorable moppet (Ben and wife Melissa, played by Kaylah Zander have a small son and another kid on the way), quirky townsfolk and guff-yet-kindly superior (Party Of Five’s Scott Wolf, who I really got the role because someone thought his name was fitting for the film) and the usual stakes (albeit exceedingly low beyond a vague threat to Ruby’s life early on) and celebrates the deep connection between humans and canines.
A family film through-and-through, then, even if it is one with less drama than Turner & Hooch.
Rescued By Ruby is on Netflix now.