Review of Cherry (2021) by Tvjerry — 13 Mar 2021

This is basically an opportunity for Tom Holland to give a tour de force performance and he lives up the challenge. His character starts as a promising young man who meets his lifetime sweetheart in college (Ciara Bravo also in a bravura turn).

After serving a stint abroad in the Army, he resorts to drugs to cope with the resulting PTSD. While the Russo Brothers directing team spends the first 90 minutes (total time is 2:20) with flashy stylistic touches and a brisk pace, the final hour settles into a more traditional, dark examination of the horrors of addiction.

Throughout the heavy-handed, predictable narrative, Holland excels with depth and complexity. This story of love and redemption has its flaws and even though Holland cries a lot, the movie lacks emotional punch.