It can be hard to find a place where you belong, so when you find those friends, you want to cling to them. But how far are you willing to go to maintain a friendship? Would you consider joining a cult? How about placing a hex?

Those are some of the questions the heroines at the center of the new film Forbidden Fruits are forced to ask themselves. To the outside world, they appear to be the cool girls working at the cool store in the mall in the heart of Texas. But within the group, cracks are starting to show.

Of course, that isn’t apparent to Pumpkin (Lola Tung) as she tries to get into the group. The cool girls hang out and work at Free Eden, a chic boutique in the mall. Pumpkin, meanwhile, works handing out pretzel samples from the local food court staple. But when she connects with Fig (Alexandra Shipp), she’s given an opportunity. Fig thinks she’d be a fit for the group, but needs to convince their leader, Apple (Lily Reinhart).

Pumpkin uses the tips and makes an instant impression on Apple. Soon, she’s invited to join the group and its secret, after-hours meeting, Paradise. Turns out they aren’t just friends—their witches, of a sort. Along with Fig, Apple, and Cherry (Victoria Pedretti), Pumpkin becomes a part of the group at Free Eden and Paradise. But things aren’t as they appear.

Turns out the group is harboring some dark secrets. And motivated by something external, Pumpkin is determined to get to the bottom of those secrets before it’s too late.

When you see the IFC/Shudder banner, you typically think horror. And while this film includes some notable horror elements, for most of the beginning it’s something a little more like a female drama. There are squabbles about life, the role of boys, a hierarchy, and more. In fact, at times it feels like Mean Girls with spells.

But all of it is pointing to a deeper mystery, one that has a big reveal as we careen into a wild third act. That’s where the horror elements pop up and it becomes more graphic than expected, and a little more bittersweet. It’s a wild ending that will likely change some of your feelings about what came before.

Either way, it’s fair to praise the performances. I enjoyed Shipp, Pedretti, and Tung quite a bit as they created their characters. They all seemed to be having fun with the stories and roles, and it shows. But the real anchor here is Reinhart, who does a great job in the lead. She has some of the most complex sequences, especially near the closing, and manages to hold the whole thing together.

I thought this film was a fun enough ride, even if I didn’t always love the way it was put together. I thought some of the middle was a little slow as it tried to paint a picture of where it wanted to go. It felt like we hit pause a bit after the wild opening sequences that set things in motion. But the final act delivers in a satisfying enough way that I had fun with it.

Forbidden Fruits opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.