New Netflix horror series Brand New Cherry Flavor will excite Horror fanatics, but may freak out casual fans.
Netflix limited series Brand New Cherry Flavor explores the seedy underbelly of Hollywood, delivering witches, spirits, zombies, gore, drugs, and kittens? That’s right. Kittens. The eight-episode horror series, premiering August 13, is based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Todd Grimson.
The plot revolves around Lisa Nova (Rosa Salazar), an aspiring young filmmaker seeking revenge on predatory producer Lou Burke (Eric Lange),who is adapting her short film. When Lisa seeks the help of the mysterious Boro (Catherine Keener), things rapidly spiral out of control.
Superfans of slasher films will likely enjoy the show. It has more than its fair share of “WTF?” moments with unsettling and, frankly, gross imagery throughout. Unfortunately for the more casual viewer, the series may leave much to be desired. The storyline, including the more significant reveals, can be confusing.
What I found the show to be lacking most, however, was an emotional tie between myself as a viewer and the protagonist, Lisa. Even as a hopeful young filmmaker myself, I could not relate to her. While the show starts off by garnering sympathy for her plight, she does not have many likeable or redeeming qualities. I simply couldn’t become invested in her story and success.
This isn’t to say that the performances were poor. On the contrary, I feel the cast did quite well and the performances of Lange and Keener in particular were bright spots. The visuals were also quite striking and well done–at times to the detriment of my stomach.
Overall, it was a rollercoaster complete with mysteries, a lot of blood, and an ambitious but perplexing plot. I wouldn’t discourage anyone (especially horror fans) from giving this show a shot upon its release. Be warned, though, that it’s not for the faint of heart.
If you want to check out Brand New Cherry Flavor, all eight episodes will premiere on Netflix on August 13.
