Co-Creator Nick Antosca Doesn't Think Brand New Cherry Flavor Was Supposed To Be Perfect
"Brand New Cherry Flavor" might not have been a perfect show in the eyes of its creator, but it is a delectable little fever dream, a cherry topped slice of a body horror cake that's covered in a solid layer of surreal LA frosting. It goes down smooth and comes right back up even smoother, like vomiting up a gooey kitten. And sure, those words might not mean anything to you (although if you clicked on this headline they definitely do, otherwise, what's happening here?), but "Brand New Cherry Flavor" didn't just excel at casting a strange glow over the slimier sides of LA, it was a whole vibe, man. A vibe that has us permanently intrigued by whatever co-creators Nick Antosca and Lenore Zion have coming up next.
In an interview with IndieWire, Antosca laid out his feelings about the show post the limited series' final episode:
"It's got this raw energy, right? It's not supposed to be this perfect masterpiece ... It's supposed to show that she's got tremendous potential so that everybody who sees it can go like, 'Whoa, what else does she have to say? Where is this strange energy coming from?'"
Brand New Kitten Flavor
And if any Netflix one-off show is filled with strange energy, it was "Brand New Cherry Flavor." Based on a novel of the same name by Todd Grimson, the show debuted in 2021 and followed Lisa Nova (played by the excellent Rosa Salazar) whose dreams to break into Hollywood with her entrancing short film "Lucy's Eye" are dashed by a slick director. In a classic revenge quest, Lisa recruits a witch to whip up a curse and things get as weird as they sound. It's a potent cocktail of fame, magic, revenge, and those aforementioned vomited-up kittens. A classic Hollywood tale.
So, you know, who needs perfect when you've got something this interesting? And while we're talking about interesting things that Antosca has had his hands on, how many different gods do I need to pray to before "Channel Zero," his weirdo Internet-inspired horror series, comes back into my life? Is there an anthology show out there that managed to have that much heart and that many unsettling scenes all at the same time? I don't really think so. "Channel Zero" wasn't perfect either, but it tapped into a side of horror that was weird and burgeoning and vital, creepy pasta, and brought it to the small screen. In fact, forget about perfect all together. Sometimes it's better to be so weird you can't forget it.