“Cherry” is an outstanding movie, and I’ll also probably never watch it again.
Ever since I got my first look at the film from Apple TV+ with Tom Holland, I knew it was going to be great. Holland is one of the best actors in Hollywood, and a story about a veteran struggling with PTSD and addiction is a content goldmine. (REVIEW: ‘Westworld’ Season 3 Ends With The Possible Deaths Of Multiple Characters)
Without spoiling anything, I can 100% say that “Cherry” didn’t disappoint. It was absurdly dark, ominous, engaging and captivating all at the same time.
There were times I wanted to look away, but just couldn’t.
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Holland plays the title character, who starts adulthood as a pretty optimistic and solid guy. One deployment to Iraq later and his world is changed forever.
Upon returning to the United States, he falls into a pit of despair fueled by drugs and poverty.
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“Cherry” hasn’t been a smash hit with critics, and I wonder if to some degree that’s because it’s not a storyline that fits the mainstream narrative pushed by Hollywood, which is that people in middle America have no problems.
In reality, that part of the country has more issues than it can handle, and Cherry lives through that over the span of nearly two decades.
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Having said all of that, I have zero interest in ever watching “Cherry” again. It’s just too dark for me to want to consume more than once. That doesn’t mean it’s not great. It is, but it’s just not an uplifting film.
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So, if you’re looking for something to watch that shines a brutal light on PTSD and addiction, “Cherry” is for you.