Cherry is an American crime drama film, based on the autofictional novel of the same name by Nico Walker. The film was released in theatres on February 26, 2021, and was released digitally on Apple TV+ on March 12, 2021.
The film was directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, from a screenplay by Angela Russo-Otstot and Jessica Goldberg, and stars Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo, Jack Reynor, Michael Rispoli and Jeff Wahlberg.
The film received mostly mixed reviews, which praised the performances of Holland and Bravo but criticized the story.
Synopsis[]
Cherry Follows an Army Veteran suffering from PTSD, and an abusive drug addiction, who resorts to robbing banks to support his opioid addiction.
Plot[]
Cherry falls in love at first sight with his college classmate Emily. Their relationship blossoms but Emily decides to leave and study in Montreal. Cherry is devastated and enlists in the Army as a medic to escape his heartbreak. Just before he is about to leave for basic training, Emily realizes her mistake and confesses she is in love with Cherry too and that they are meant for one another. Cherry and Emily get married before his deployment.
During his two year service in the Army, Cherry suffers from PTSD after having several horrific experiences, including seeing his friend, Jimenez, burnt and killed from an IED. After returning home from the army, he starts to have constant nightmares of his experience and the horrors he has witnessed during the war. To cope with his panic attacks and severe anxiety when he comes home, he abuses OxyContin, prescribed from a doctor helping to decrease his PTSD symptoms. His growing addiction begins to frustrate Emily and as a result, she begins taking Cherry's medication to deal with her own frustration of not knowing how to support him without drugs and the two soon become addicted to OxyContin, and eventually heroin.
After they break into a safe that he was looking after from a drug dealer he met, Pills and Coke, he and Emily use most of the drugs secured inside for themselves. Some time later, Pills and Coke visits and sees the empty safe. Cherry learns that his drug dealer's boss, Black, is the owner of the safe and will kill all three of them for this unless they can pay him eight huge wods of cash. To get the money for the drugs they used, Cherry robs a bank and pays back the money. To support his and Emily's addiction, Cherry continues to rob banks. As a result of their daily heroin use, Cherry continues to rob banks frequently after he and Emily go through severe withdrawals. Emily overdoses and almost dies in a hospital. Cherry is guilted by Emily's mother and tells him to leave her alone.
Emily leaves her drug rehabilitation facility and reunites with Cherry. He tries to break up with her and send her back. He tries to persuade her that he is no good for her and that it will only get worse for her if she stays with him. Emily does not care and tells Cherry she wants to be with him; she will get high on drugs again no matter what. Needing more money to support their addiction, he enlists Pills and Coke and his friend, James Lightfoot, to help him rob multiple tellers at once. During a robbery, Pills and Coke runs away, forcing Cherry to rob the bank alone. As he drives away with Lightfoot in a getaway car, Cherry stresses that Pills and Coke will likely rat him out if he gets caught and convinces Lightfoot to turn the car around and search for him. After finding Pills and Coke, they put him in the car and they see that he has been shot and is severely bleeding. They debate whether to take him to the hospital but decide it is too risky, and he dies from his gunshot wound. They dump his lifeless body on the side of the road and drive off.
Black later stops by Cherry's house, Cherry confronts him outside his home to settle the drug debt. Cherry says goodbye to Emily and kisses her before performing one last robbery. During the robbery, Cherry persuades the bank teller to set the alarm off before he leaves with the money. Cherry gives Black the rest of the money he owed him. Cherry then walks out to the open road and gets the attention of the police by firing his gun in the air, proceeding to sit by the side of the road and get high one last time, before police arrive and arrest him.
Cherry detoxes and recovers in prison, spending 14 years serving his sentence before being released on parole. As Cherry makes his way out of the prison, he sees Emily healthy and happy, smiling, waiting for him. Cherry smiles back at her knowing that they are both free from their addiction and can finally live a happy, peaceful life together.
Cast[]
- Tom Holland as Cherry
- Ciara Bravo as Emily
- Forrest Goodluck as James Lightfoot
- Jack Reynor as Pills and Coke
- Jeff Wahlberg as Jimenez
- Kyle Harvey as Roy
- Michael Gandolfini as Cousin Joe
- Pooch Hall as Sgt. Whomever
- Thomas Lennon as Dr. Whomever
- Kelli Berglund as Madison Kowalski
- Jose Pablo Cantillo as Drill Sgt. Deco
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