Netflix's Hidden Gem Horror Series is a Must-Watch for The OA Fans

Summary

• In 2021, a horror series starring Rosa Salazar was released on Netflix.
• The narrative and visual style is incredibly reminiscent of The OA+.
• And while not all critics and viewers appreciated the chaotic plot, fans of the cult series created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij will definitely appreciate its self-aware insanity.

Netflix is undoubtedly the king of the streaming industry. While competing platforms like Prime, Apple TV+, Max, and others offer a plethora of great shows that have repeatedly won the most prestigious awards and critical acclaim, Netflix has been actively recruiting the most talented filmmakers and actors from around the world since the early 2010s to produce some of the most unique and memorable stories.

And so in 2016, as Apple, Disney, and Amazon looked enviously at the fast-growing streaming niche, Netflix added a new original sci-fi series to its library that became an instant hit and has now achieved cult status: The OA. The show had a grounded yet surreal concept, but fans know full well that in terms of surrealism, the first season will never compare to its second one, which was released in 2019.

Sadly, we're still mourning the show's abrupt cancellation, which left the story on a cliffhanger. But while a resurrection of The OA is unlikely in the near future, we suggest checking out the equally fascinating and incredibly bizarre 2021 show, which is also available on Netflix.

The Forgotten Horror Drama of 2021

We're talking about the August 2021 release of the Brand New Cherry Flavor horror series. It is commonly referred to as a horror drama, and it definitely has elements of both genres. But at the same time, those two terms hardly give a complete picture of the show. It's more of a black comedy with bizarre events, body horror elements and mind-bending plot twists instead of humor. Oh well, there are also themes of feminist (partial) revenge and love of filmmaking mixed in with the gore, witchcraft and zombies!

The plot follows Liza (Rosa Salazar), an aspiring filmmaker who has returned to LA in the early 1990s, having shot her short film and dreaming of sinking it to produce a full-length feature. She meets Lou, a once-popular '80s director, who predicts that Lisa's movie will be a colossal success. But when Lisa rejects Lou's attempts to seduce her, the project immediately falls into the wrong hands.

What's left for Lisa? To try to get her movie back. And also to get revenge on Lou by putting a curse on him, which leads to graphic content, zombies, transmigration of souls and vomited kittens in City of Angels.

Even the Octopus Scene Can't Compare to the Bizarreness of This Show

It's surprising that the show isn't mentioned more often in 2024, but fans of The OA in particular might love it — well, at least if you enjoyed The OA's second season for all its surreal mayhem.

Interdimensional travel, talking octopuses hanging out in San Francisco's underground clubs, and mysterious tree-like beings... Okay, there's hardly a show that compares to this set. But Brand New Cherry Flavor is an exception. Sometimes it's amazing how much weirdness there is in California!

What Critics and Viewers Have Said About the Show

On Rotten Tomatoes, reviews for Brand New Cherry Flavor are quite mixed, though the series still has 'certified fresh' status from both critics and audiences (notably, this is one of the rare examples of complete consensus, as critics and audiences agree giving the show a 76% score).

What many have noticed about the flaws is how chaotic the show's narrative is. It's really wacky, sometimes inconsistent and contradictory: in just 8 episodes, the viewer gets a huge and fast-paced series of events and a jumble of not always necessary storylines.

However, if you were happy with the pacing of The OA's second season, you'll certainly enjoy the chaotic style of Brand New Cherry Flavor.