The story of “Cherry,” a film from the Russo brothers, follows one man's path through college, service as an Army medic in Iraq, battling drug addiction, and ultimately becoming an armed robber. Adapted from Nico Walker’s 2018 novel, this semi-autobiographical narrative feels like an exhaustive catalog of poor choices, overly focused on depicting another American story about opioid abuse. It's disappointing because what could have been a unique coming-of-age film didn’t quite reach its potential. Cherry (played by Tom Holland) initially appears to lead a conventional life—holding ordinary jobs and succeeding in school. He develops feelings for Emily (Ciara Bravo), who seems like “the one.” After a painful breakup, Cherry impulsively drops out of college and joins the Army, an action that surprisingly brings Emily back into his life. They marry before he goes through basic training and is eventually deployed to combat in the Middle East. During his time as a medical unit member during wartime, Cherry witnesses firsthand the worst aspects of humanity and returns home profoundly changed. Struggling to readjust and with his marriage failing, he begins taking Oxycodone, which spirals into a debilitating heroin addiction that forces him to resort to robbing banks to fund his habit. The narrative is interesting (though sad), but its execution falls short. Directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo incorporate numerous distracting techniques that feel scattered and jarring, creating a chaotic combination of annoyance and frustration. Beyond the opera music accompanying many scenes and the lead character occasionally addressing the audience directly, the film’s overall tone feels disorganized; it's hard not to wonder if the Russos resisted editing any of their initial ideas. It seems as though they crammed every thought that came to mind into a two-hour feature, resulting in an experience akin to a headache. The segment depicting basic training is arguably the strongest part of the film, and much of the material set during the war is also effective. However, once the story moves away from Iraq, it unravels and devolves into another repetitive addiction movie that isn’t particularly enjoyable to watch. Repeatedly seeing characters consumed by drug use isn't engaging, especially when so many scenes seem pointless beyond emphasizing how terrible things are. It’s upsetting to witness a young veteran struggling with an addiction stemming from paralyzing PTSD. It’s sad to see a man unable to find help in dealing with his psychological trauma as he relives the horrors of war. While it's understandable that both he and his wife turn to drugs, doing anything—even robbing banks—to get their next fix, it feels like familiar territory; the Russo brothers don’t offer any fresh perspectives or insights on this subject matter. The story is presented from Cherry’s point of view, and screenwriters Angela Russo-Otstot and Jessica Goldberg maintain a focus on his particular worldview (the film's authority figures, for example, are portrayed as faceless individuals like Sgt. Whomever at the enlistment office and Dr. Whomever, the counselor who prescribes Oxycodone). The casual writing style suits the material well, with vivid descriptions and detailed dialogue. All of this is brought to life by a career-best performance from Holland. He demonstrates his versatility and excels in the lead role. It’s a stark contrast to his “Spiderman” roles, and Holland appears to be maturing as an actor who will be one to watch for years to come. He's avoiding being typecast and should be commended for taking risks with his career choices. “Cherry” is a flawed film that attempts to do too much. Despite its positive aspects, I can’t overlook the unnecessary excess that ultimately undermines it.

Source on TMDB