Brand New Cherry Flavor
Brand New Cherry Flavor
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Brand New Cherry Flavor is a horror drama about an aspiring filmmaker who turns to witchcraft to enact revenge on a producer. The series takes place in the 1990s and draws inspiration from a wide range of classic -- mostly cult -- horror movies. David Lynch's 1997 film Lost Highway, for example, is a major influence on the first episode. The series seems more interested in the creepy side of horror, as opposed to the gory side, giving it more in common with horror-adjacent work like Hereditary (2018) or Mandy (2018) than with slasher flicks like the Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street series. The show does feature violence and sexual content throughout, including the physical assault and sexual harassment that launches the main character's revenge plot.
Community Reviews
Gave me nightmares and I'm 47
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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?
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
- Premiere date: August 13, 2021
- Cast: Rosa Salazar, Catherine Keener, Eric Lange
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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American Horror Story
Dark, twisted adult drama is designed to shock and disturb.
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Too Old to Die Young
Indulgent, violent mystery series about a corrupt cop.
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Lost Highway
Strange, disjointed; full of sex and violence.
For kids who love horror
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