“BRAND NEW CHERRY FLAVOR”

“Brand New Cherry Flavor” follows the path of a curse that doesn’t stop taking until it destroys everything.

By: jun lin

Sometimes, you just have to throw up a baby kitten. 

For Lisa Nova, a young, talented director freshly arrived in Los Angeles, there is no price too big to pay for the curse she sets on power-drunk producer Lou Burke. “Brand New Cherry Flavor” takes the audience on a body-horror-filled journey as the curse spirals out of control.

Creators Nick Antosca and Lenore Zion focus on the conflict between Lisa and Lou, greatly expanding upon the first section of the source material novel. Lisa rejects Lou’s unwanted advances, and he punishes her by giving her movie to a less experienced male director. Seeking revenge, she contacts a witch/warlock, Boro, to completely destroy Lou. Initially, she “delivers” baby kittens to Boro in exchange for a curse, but death comes for everyone as Lou’s life falls into pieces.

Female rage, often in response to oppressive systems, is a driving force behind the plot of countless dramas and thrillers. While exploitative at worst, they can be cathartic at best. Uninterested in presenting or expecting a perfect victim, “Brand New Cherry Flavor” lets Lisa run wild. The narrative hides her past and unearths it throughout the series, weaving her mysterious potential for magic and her chronic lack of concern for her friends into a messy resolution.

The strong character writing lets viewers understand each individual’s motivations, drawing us into caring about their collective fates and making us want more. Personally, I will be checking out the novel to find out what happens next.