Brand New Cherry Flavor Ending Explained

The ending of Brand New Cherry Flavor is explosive, to say the least, featuring a string of startling deaths and narrative twists. Brand New Cherry Flavor is a deadly combination of convoluted Hollywood politics and vengeance-driven witchcraft. Based on the eponymous book by Todd Grimson, Brand New Cherry Flavor stars Rosa Salazar as the perenially magnetic Lisa Nova, an aspiring filmmaker who ventures into Los Angeles with the dream to create a movie set to break boundaries in the realm of Hollywood.

After producer Lou Burke (Eric Lange) notices Lisa’s raw talent via her short Lucy’s Eye, the former dupes her into signing an agreement that relinquishes her rights as director. Wronged and hell-bent on revenge, Lisa seeks out the supernaturally-gifted Boro (Catherine Keener), who helps her put on a curse on Lou and “set his life on fire.” What ensues is a hellish nightmare rife with puked-out kittens, catatonic henchmen, otherworldly spirits, and countless dead bodies.

Lisa undergoes a haunting journey while running away from her inner demons, exploring the intricacies of a world that not everyone understands. Be it the hollow glamor of the film industry, the sinister secrets of the spirit world, or the horrors that linger beneath the realm of the surreal. Brand New Cherry Flavor premiered on August 13th and is available for streaming on Netflix.

How Brand New Cherry Flavor Is Tale Of Temptation, Power, & The Price of Revenge

At its core, Brand New Cherry Flavor is a story about power dynamics, with Lisa at the epicenter of the tussle. Exuding the kind of magnetism only emitted by those with a hunger for the whole wide world, Lisa manages to make her presence felt in enigmatic ways throughout the course of the series. When wronged by Lou Burke, Lisa gives in to the temptation of hurting him with the aid of forces beyond her control. Making a deal with Boro, Lisa unlocks a door inside herself, which was already deemed half-open after the surreal night during the filming of the final moments of Lucy’s Eye. Gradually, the established power dynamics experience a massive shift – the sleazy and powerful Lou Burke witnesses his life spinning out of control, especially after the film’s official director, Jules Brandenberg spontaneously combusts during a social screening. After Lou’s son Jonathan is rendered catatonic and one of Boro’s minions, Lisa realizes that the deal she made with Boro has greater repercussions than she had originally envisioned.

In terms of tone and style, Brand New Cherry Flavor takes inspiration from Lynchian and Cronenbergian vignettes, taking the body horror up to a notch via Episode 4’s controversial sex scene between Lisa and Roy Hardaway (Nick Antosca). While the world of the Hollywood elite remains convoluted and twisted as ever, Lisa’s inner world is far more sinister than one can imagine. Revenge also fuels Mary, Lisa’s former lover and the lead of Lucy’s Eye, who joins forces with Boro in an attempt to deliver Lisa with the comeuppance she deserves. Although Brand New Cherry Flavor is about shifting dynamics, it is eventually revealed that Lisa is no different from the predators that roam around the forests of the night, stopping at nothing in order to get what she truly wants.

What Exactly Went Down During The Final Shot of “Lucy’s Eye”?

While the exact details of the night remain shrouded due to the differing points of view offered by Mary and Lisa, the night when the final scenes of Lucy’s Eye were shot marks the beginning of the end in Brand New Cherry Flavor. Haunted by the zeal to create authentic art, Lisa pushes Mary to blur the lines between her core self and her screen self, an act that is further exacerbated when the two film the scene while tripping on peyote. As psychedelics are generally known to lead the imagination to unknown realms, this act, combined with the raw energy of the duo, might have potentially unlocked a door to another plane, triggering a transformation in Lisa and Mary at the same time. Although the details of the final scene are already frightening and intense, Mary is pushed to the limits of sanity when she witnesses an entity inside Lisa, which prompts the former to rip out her own eye and consume. This itself is the iconic final shot of the film, which elevates the ending beyond the realm of the surreal, stunning and revolting people who see the film for the first time.

What Is The Significance of the Kittens That Lisa Throws Up For Boro?

When explaining her past, Boro chronicles the tale of a man who, in a tryst with an otherworldly jaguar, gained power through ancient rituals and a deal with the shadow world. This Faustian deal is mirrored in the arrangement between Lisa and Boro, wherein the former has a hold over the latter due to the nature of the curse she manifests on Lou Burke. Soon after, the tussle for power becomes supernatural in nature, as Boro attempts to assume control of Lisa, not unlike how Lou Burke wanted to, only to be met with firm resistance. The kittens that Lisa throws up are not only a form of payment for Boro, but also sacrifices, parts of Lisa’s innocence that are regurgitated for the sake of preserving Boro’s earthly form. Moreover, the mystery of Lisa’s mother still needs to be unraveled, as her blood is said to be what makes Lisa such a precious vessel, who emerges as a vortex of unbridled chaos and power.

What’s Next For Lisa Nova In A Potential Season 2?

Towards the end of Brand New Cherry Flavor, Lisa, despite finally achieving the recognition of being appreciated for her talent and taking back directorial control over her short, decides to go back to Brazil, her hometown. This marks a potentially fresh journey for Lisa, who is still haunted by the visions of her mother, and the moisture-laden air of the forests that potentially harbor a deep, dark secret. Apart from delving deeper into Lisa’s ancestry, Season 2 could continue the power tussle between Lisa and Boro, as the latter jumps into the body of Mary, and desperately seeks Lisa as a vessel of her own. It will also be interesting to witness how Lisa handles this fresh start. Will guilt about the deaths of Code, Christine, and Roy catch up to her, as they were but innocent people caught up in her dance with the void? Will Lisa have the courage to confront her past, and use her powers for means that are beyond self-serving? Now that most of the characters are dead, Season 2 will most likely introduce new players in the game, among which, darker, primordial forces might make an appearance.

What The Ending of Brand New Cherry Flavor Really Means

Brand New Cherry Flavor seemingly ends with Lisa making the brave decision to let go of everything she fought for, in favor of discovering her inner power and the secrets of her past. While this is might be interpreted as a fresh start, Lisa’s actions seem to stem more from escapism than courage. Is Lisa unable to stay back in Los Angeles due to the perennial reminder of the death and destruction that ravaged the lives of those around her? Or is she simply running away from Boro, hoping to gain enough wisdom and insight before she can finally take her down for good? While it is crucial for Lisa to go back to her roots, the relinquishing of her filmmaking dreams that she so cruelly and passionately defended seems to harken the emergence of a darker reality. Season 2 of Brand New Cherry Flavor could elevate things to a whole other level, as it is fairly evident that the series is unafraid of taking high-stakes risks and materializing the unknowable.

About The Author

Debopriyaa Dutta
(328 Articles Published)

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Apart from being a features writer and critic at ScreenRant, Debopriyaa is a news writer at /Film. She is also a contributor to High on Films & Fansided, and an editor at Digital Mafia Talkies. Her poetry has been published in a wide array of journals, such as Gideon Poetry, White Noise Magazine, and Literaria. Find her on Twitter @angelusatani.

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