Forbidden Fruits is directed by Meredith Alloway, who co-wrote the script with Lily Houghton. Starring Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Chamberlain, and Gabrielle Union. Produced by Diablo Cody. The film premiered on Mar. 16, 2026, during the SXSW Film & TV Festival in Austin, TX, at the Paramount Theater.
The film opens on the titular clique, a trio of young women who are the queen bees of the local shopping mall, where they are employed at the boho-chic Free Eden. Apple (Lili Reinhart), Cherry (Victoria Pedretti), and Fig (Alexandra Shipp) don’t make a habit of inviting outsiders into their inner circle, but the unassuming girl working at a nearby pretzel stand is about to change all of that when Fig catches wind of her name: Pumpkin.
(Left to Right) Alexandra Shipp (Fig), Lili Reinhart (Apple), and Victoria Pedretti (Cherry) in FORBIDDEN FRUITS. Photo courtesy of SXSW Film & TV Festival.
Surely she must be a shoo-in, and Pumpkin (Lola Tung) isn’t about to pass up the opportunity to score a job at Free Eden. Even the discovery that the Fruits are secretly a coven, who spend their free time casting spells (and curses!) on whoever might be pissing them off that week, doesn’t deter her. Which begs the question—why is Pumpkin going to so much trouble to get in with the Fruits? Is she really just that desperate to upgrade from her food court job? As Pumpkin gets to know Cherry and Fig, and begins to dissect their relationships, particularly with Apple, who acts as the group’s leader. The audience may start to suspect Pumpkin of having ulterior motives, possibly an interest in usurping a Fruity throne?
The cast and crew of FORBIDDEN FRUITS on stage at the Paramount Theater on Mar. 16 in Austin, TX. Photo by The Knockturnal/Anastasia Ryapisova.
This film is at its strongest when it leans into the absurdity of its premise, and in an era where there is less and less camp across the horror genre, Forbidden Fruits is a breath of fresh air. Catty drama (shoutout to Reinhart’s delivery of Apple’s snide, back-handed dialogue), a bit of mystery, and some bloody, over-the-top kills round out this story, and absolutely capture the audience, leaving us hungry for more.
Forbidden Fruits is rated R and is now playing in theaters.
