Parents' Guide to

Brand New Cherry Flavor

By Martin Brown, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Stylish horror drama has sexual harassment, assault.

TV Netflix Drama 2021
Brand New Cherry Flavor Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • Brand New Cherry Flavor TV Show: Lisa Nova (Rosa Salazar) arrives in LA
  • Brand New Cherry Flavor TV Show: Lisa meets Boro (Catherine Keener)
  • Brand New Cherry Flavor TV Show: Lou Burke (Eric Lange) shows his true colors

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 1 parent review

Canadian2
Canadian2 Adult
October 30, 2021
age 16+

Gave me nightmares and I'm 47

This is a good show, but it's not necessarily an enjoyable one. It starts off with plenty of weirdness and unanswered questions, and I thought I was watching a weird scifi in the vein of David Lynch. But as the series progresses it adds more violence and body horror (there's a strong Cronenberg vibe in parts), with some very disturbing imagery especially in the last few episodes. If I'm honest, it left me feeling a bit sick, and wishing I hadn't watched it. Which is not to say it's a bad show - far from it. But just to be aware viewers of a sensitive disposition may be upset by it.
2 people found this helpful.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

BRAND NEW CHERRY FLAVOR begins with Lisa Nova (Rosa Salazar) arriving in Los Angeles, fresh off of shooting her first short film and ready to make her way into the industry as a writer-director. Sure enough, her first meeting with big-shot producer Lou Burke (Eric Lange) nets her a contract to make a feature film. But when Burke betrays her, Lisa appeals to the mysterious Boro (Catherine Keener) for help exacting her supernatural revenge.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

From the very beginning, this show has no shortage of style or confidence, from its luminous cinematography to its cult movie visual references to the 1990s art direction and needle drops. But as it goes along, Brand New Cherry Flavor begins to feel more like a horror pastiche along the lines of a less-campy American Horror Story. The revenge plot feels very familiar and soon the story starts to meander. Ultimately it feels more interested in hitting as many genre touchpoints as possible (which can be satisfying in its own way) than in thriving on its own merits.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Brand New Cherry Flavor is set in the 1990s. What might the title be referring to? How does the film industry setting affect the rest of the story? Are there other horror movies set in the horror movie industry?

  • What are Lisa Nova's goals? What drives her? Why does she want revenge? How does her quest for revenge change her?

  • What are some ways that horror tropes are used in Brand New Cherry Flavor? Do you recognize nods to other films? Are the horror elements in the series part of an overarching metaphor? What is the metaphor? Why is horror the right genre to tell this particular story?

TV Details

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