Starting with a “[freeze frame] You’re probably wondering how I got here†moment, Apple TV gives us a first look at Cherry, an “epic odyssey of romance, war, drug addiction, and crime†directed by the Russo Brothers and starring Tom Holland. (It’s all based on the novel of the same name by Nico Walker.) We see glimpses of a young man’s life as he navigates first love — ah, the romance of building a Subway sandwich together — and war deployment, all intermixed with scenes of Holland’s struggling unnamed character robbing banks. His M.O.: offering a dollar bill with “this is a robbery†written on it (in the script of an 8-year-old with Crayola access), which eventually escalates to him just busting in with a gun. Holland delivers a dramatic monologue over shots of his character throwing leaves into the air, and like any 23-year-old who has experienced all of the above, he admits that it “sometimes feels like [he’s] seen everything that’s going to happen — and it’s a nightmare.†But with an optimistic, less tortured woman at his side, surely her love will carry him through, right? Either way, it looks like Holland is ready for his Nightcrawler or Drive moment, so Spidey step aside.
Cherry will be released in theaters February 26, and available for streaming on Apple TV+ March 12.