The Russo Brothers may have outdone themselves with Avengers: Endgame. But they struggle to find clear footing in this crime drama about an Army medic resorting to a life of crime to support his opioid addiction. The movie stars Tom Holland of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the titular Cherry. The lead character is based on a real life person with a similar story – Nico Walker. It has been a week since Cherry started streaming on Apple TV+. And the movie, despite its floundering pace, has but one conclusion. Tom Holland has shed that ‘Boy Next Door’ tag. He is no longer that witty friendly neighborhood vigilante.
He is an acting legend in the making with versatilities that might give the likes of John Travolta and Nicholas Cage a run for their money.
The movie is based on Nico Walker’s semi-autobiography. It is about 141 minutes long. But we dread most of the minutes while watching the movie. The Russo Brothers gave us gems like Infinity War and Endgame, who were well-past 181 minutes. Those movies went like a breeze. Cherry on the other hand, suffers from slow pacing and a ridiculously fleshed out plot. The only saving grace in the movie seems to be Tom Holland. And boy does he do wonders in the lead role.
The movie Cherry is about a drifter who drops out of college and enlists in the Armed Forces. He is then shipped out to Iraq where he becomes an Army Medic. After serving his tour and coming back to the United States, Cherry suffers through PTSD. The mental condition that has grappled a bulk of the US soldiers nowadays takes its toll on Cherry. So he resorts to drugs to bide his time. the only anchor in his life seems to be his one true love Emily. Ciara Bravo does a tremendously good job portraying the character.
But this article is about how awesome Tom Holland is in the movie. So we will stick to that. Cherry goes back and forth in its narrative. The story is non-linear just like in the book. And Tom Holland carries it on his shoulders till the finish line.
Up until now, we could never see Tom Holland in a role that demands action and drama in such heavy proportions. Holland was always that cheerful boy next door who would crack jokes while saving the day. In Cherry, Tom Holland goes through his Baptism by fire. There is this one scene where Cherry has to pack his fellow soldier’s intestines literally in his first day at the job. The movie mixes savage satire and black humor. Although the combination does not always work, it does bring about a different shade in Tom Holland every time he is seen on screen.
In Cherry, Holland takes us through an emotional roller-coaster of a life journey. Starting from an adrift loner to a war hero to a criminal drug-addict suffering from PTSD, Tom Holland shines bright in so many colors. Cherry is testament to a fact we will all agree to in the near future:
Tom Holland embodies a magnitude of raw-freaking-talent the likes of which Hollywood has never seen!!
