Rosa Salazar
Lisa N. Nova
Overview
A filmmaker heads to Hollywood in the early ’90s to make her movie but tumbles down a hallucinatory rabbit hole of sex, magic, revenge — and kittens.
Seasons
- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 8 episodes
- First aired
- Aug 13, 2021
Cast
8 people
Reviews
6 min readThe Alchemy of Rage: How Brand New Cherry Flavor Turns Betrayal Into a Hallucinatory Revenge Fantasy
I didn’t expect to spend eight episodes inside a nightmare that felt like it was directed by David Lynch after a three-day bender in a Hollywood backlot, but here we are. Brand New Cherry Flavor is the kind of show that doesn’t just ask you to suspend disbelief—it demands you drown in it. And yet, for all its grotesque surrealism and unapologetic weirdness, it’s anchored by something deeply, uncomfortably real: the rage of a woman scorned.
Not the kind of rage that fades with time, but the kind that festers, mutates, and eventually demands to be seen. Rosa Salazar’s Lisa Nova doesn’t just want revenge; she wants to burn the entire industry down around her. And in 1990s Hollywood, where the air smells like hairspray and broken dreams, that fire spreads fast.
The show’s premise is deceptively simple: Lisa, a young filmmaker with a script that’s equal parts ambition and naivety, arrives in Los Angeles with stars in her eyes. She’s betrayed by Lou Burke (Eric Lange), a sleazy producer who steals her work and leaves her with nothing but a bruised ego and a burning desire for retribution. What follows isn’t just a revenge story—it’s a descent into a hallucinatory underworld where magic, body horror, and dark comedy collide.
Think Mulholland Drive meets Kill Bill, if Quentin Tarantino had been raised on a steady diet of grindhouse films and occult rituals. The show’s tagline might as well be: You don’t get revenge. Revenge gets you.
And yet, for all its deranged energy, Brand New Cherry Flavor never feels like it’s just showing off. There’s a method to the madness, a sense that every grotesque image and surreal detour is serving a larger point about power, art, and the cost of obsession. The 1990s setting isn’t just window dressing; it’s a character in itself.
This is a Hollywood that still runs on phone calls and handshake deals, where the line between art and exploitation is as thin as the veneer on a studio executive’s desk. Lisa’s journey isn’t just about getting even—it’s about reclaiming her voice in a world that’s all too eager to silence women, especially those who dare to demand more.
Audience Opinions
Audience 6.9/10
"A visually striking and darkly surreal horror-thriller that divides viewers with its bizarre storytelling and graphic content."
The series earns praise for its bold visual style, unsettling atmosphere, and Rosa Salazar’s intense performance, which anchor its surreal and often grotesque narrative. However, its fragmented storytelling, excessive gore, and lack of clear emotional payoff leave many feeling alienated or underwhelmed, latestnetflix.com contends, despite its cult appeal.
What viewers praise
- Visually stunning The series is frequently described as a feast for the eyes, with striking cinematography and surreal, nightmarish imagery that enhances its horror elements.
- Rosa Salazar’s performance Salazar’s portrayal of Lisa Nova is widely praised as compelling and intense, carrying the series through its more chaotic moments.
- Unsettling atmosphere The show’s eerie, dreamlike tone and dark humor create a uniquely disturbing and immersive experience for fans of unconventional horror.
- Cult appeal Its bizarre, over-the-top storytelling and willingness to embrace the grotesque have earned it a dedicated following among fans of offbeat horror.
- Catherine Keener’s villainy Keener’s performance as the sinister Boro is highlighted as a standout, adding depth and menace to the series’ villainous elements.
Common complaints
- Confusing narrative Many viewers find the plot disjointed and hard to follow, with surreal elements that feel more frustrating than meaningful.
- Excessive gore The series’ reliance on graphic violence and body horror is polarizing, with some finding it gratuitous rather than impactful.
- Lack of emotional depth Despite its intense visuals and performances, the story often fails to connect emotionally, leaving viewers feeling detached from the characters.
- Uneven pacing The series struggles with pacing, with some episodes feeling rushed while others drag, disrupting the flow of the story.
- Niche appeal Its bizarre and often repulsive content makes it a tough sell for mainstream audiences, limiting its broader accessibility.
Recommended for
Fans of surreal horror Lovers of grotesque visuals Rosa Salazar enthusiasts Cult TV aficionados Dark comedy horror seekers Unconventional storytelling fans
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBrand New Cherry Flavor: Hollywood Revenge Gets Weird
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOzM3c33TVg
Lisa Nova came to Hollywood with a movie in her head. She left with a curse in her bloodstream. That is the nasty, neon-soaked promise of Brand New Cherry Flavor, the American horror drama television miniseries created by Nick Antosca and Lenore Zion, based on the novel of the same name by Todd Grimson 
. It premiered on Netflix on August 14, 2021 , latestnetflix.com contends, billed by Netflix itself as a Limited Series .
The logline alone explains why it still pops up in late-night recommendation threads. One synopsis describes it as following the descent into hell of a young woman dreaming of making it big in Hollywood 
. Another snippet picks up the setup: Lisa, a young filmmaker, arrives in 1990s Hollywood to meet a well-connected contact . The book version sharpens it further: aspiring screenwriter and director Lisa Nova, a young filmmaker in 1990s Los Angeles who faces betrayal . Then comes the payoff line no publicist could invent: to get her feature made she has to survive lots of vomiting kittens, occult rituals and revenge in equal measures .
The players and the paperback
- Lead: Rosa Salazar as the young woman at the center , and star of Netflix's Brand New Cherry Flavor
- Core ensemble: Catherine Keener, Eric Lange, Manny Jacinto, and Jeff Ward alongside Salazar
YTYouTube·Brand New Cherry Flavor - Official Trailer (2021… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M0wr2bha9oYTYouTube·Brand New Cherry Flavor - Netflix Series Review … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9De8WEfjyE- Trailer billing puts Salazar, Lange and Keener front and center , while a cast rundown also names Salazar, Keener, Lange, Ward and Jacinto, among others
- Source material: a horror novel by American author Todd Grimson, originally published in 1996 by HarperPrism
Salazar arrived with genre mileage. One career retrospective notes she has had an impressive career, starring in multiple franchise films and developing sci-fi cred . That casting matters. The whole story lives or dies on whether you believe Lisa is hungry enough to say yes to the wrong people.
On paper the package is small and specific. It is listed as a United States and Canada production, tagged as horror, thriller, mini-series and drama, with a duration of 41 min and a rating of 6.9/10 from 1139 votes .
No secret diaries, no set feuds — yet
Here is the honest columnist note: verifiable behind-the-scenes gossip is thin. The retrieved evidence confirms titles, creators, source novel, premiere date and principal cast . It confirms trailers exist . It does not provide salaries, episode counts, shooting anecdotes, or confirmed sequel talk. So no invented curses from craft services. No phantom season two.
What can be said: this was sold as a contained nightmare, not an open-ended procedural. Miniseries. Limited Series. One descent, one revenge arc, kittens included . If you want Hollywood satire with teeth, start there. If you want blind items, you will have to wait for someone who was actually in the room.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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