CHERRY
Tom Holland As A Soldier Who Falls Into Drugs
The Russo Brothers’ newest action flick, Cherry, is a high-octane epic that combines bank robbery, PTSD, heroin addiction, and of course, a love story. Shot on location in Ohio, Cherry combines grittiness with a coming-of-age story.
Tom Holland plays an aimless college drop-out. He eventually serves in Iraq as an Army medic and arrives home a war hero. He is battling undiagnosed PTSD and remains with his paramour, Emily (Ciara Bravo). As Cherry becomes more unhinged, he plunges into drug addiction. Cherry and his ragtag group of friends turn to bank robbery to fund their dangerous habits.
In addition to Holland and Bravo, the cast includes Michael Gandolfini, Jack Reynor, Michael Rispoli, and Jeff Wahlberg. The production was a real family affair. The script is co-written by the Russo Brother’s sister, Angela Russo-Otstot (along with co-writer Jessica Goldberg). Although she had a small role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, this is the first feature that Russo-Otstot has written for her brothers to direct.
The film is based on the New York Times best-selling novel of the same name by Nico Walker. According to Deadline, optioning the book took longer than usual because Walker was still in prison and ran out of weekly phone minutes before they could seal the deal.
As the New York Times reported, Walker (the real-life “Cherry”) robbed about a dozen banks netting about $40,000 in loot. NPR reports that Walker plans to pay back his debt with potential profits from the movie.
See Cherry on Apple TV+ beginning on March 12, 2021.
