Which songs are featured in the Cherry soundtrack? Now streaming on Apple TV+, the movie adaptation of Nico Walker's eponymous 2018 novel follows a U.S. Army veteran who struggles with a drug addiction after surviving the Iraq War. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo seemingly pay image to Martin Scorsese in their 2021 film, as the biggest music moments feel reminiscent of drug-themed sequences in Goodfellas and The Departed.
Cherry stars Tom Holland as the title character. He enlists in the U.S. Army not long after meeting an intriguing young woman named Emily (Ciara Bravo), and then experiences the horrors of war, specifically when several members of his platoon are killed by a bomb in Iraq's "Triangle of Death." Eight months after returning home to America, Cherry develops an addiction to oxycontin, which then leads to a dependency on heroin and a plan to rob banks to financially support his addiction.
Holland's narration and fourth wall breaks in Cherry allow his character to connect with the audience. There's a hazy, dream-like aesthetic throughout the 141-minute film, whether it's during the introduction of Bravo's character or when Tom Holland's protagonist spirals out of control. Just as so many Scorsese movies are fueled by classic rock songs and operatic pieces, the Russo brothers' film has a similar vibe, evidenced by its use of Van Morrison hits and music from the Italian composers Giacomo Puccini and Giuseppe Verdi. Here's a list of every featured song in Cherry.
"Brand New Day" - Van Morrison
"Rock of the Lake" - Radar Bros.
"Vissi D'Arte, Vissi D'amore" - Written by Giacomo Puccini
"There She Is" - Johnny Amoroso
"Into the Mystic" - Van Morrison
"The Army Goes Rolling Along" - US Army Marching Band
"Sound Off (Duckworth Chant)" - Written by Willie Lee Duckworth and Bernard Lentz
"Mean Mistreater" - Grand Funk Railroad
"Disco Inferno" - The Trammps
"Face of War" - Psychosis
"You're So Good for Me" - Humble Pie
"Poly High" - Harpers Bizarre
"Prelude to 'Un Ballo in Maschera'" - Giuseppe Verdi
"El Watusi" - Ray Barretto
"Vissi D'Arte" - Giacomo Puccini
"For Yasgur's Farm" - Mountain
"Astral Weeks" - Van Morrison
Cherry begins with "Brand New Day" as the camera roams through a sunny neighborhood and then settles on Holland's clearly-distressed character breaking the fourth wall. The scene thematically links to a late-movie revelation, and also sets up flashback sequences that focus on a young and relatively naive Cherry. When the basic training segment begins, "Into the Mystic" underlines Cherry's transition from a comfortable life with Emily to a new normal in the military.
"Mean Mistreater" plays during an Iraq sequence, with the slow music and slo-mo images capturing Cherry's frame of mind. When Holland's character returns home in 2005, "Disco Inferno" accompanies a stylized sequence featuring several U.S. soldiers. At the 82-minute mark in the 2021 movie, "You're So Good for Me" marks the beginning of "Part Five: Dope Life," with the title referencing Cherry and Emily's co-dependent relationship and reliance on heroin.
After Cherry robs a bank and celebrates with Emily, "El Watusi" underlines their excitement about having money to support their heroin addiction, while "For Yasgur's Farm" scores a montage sequence when Bravo's character recovers after an overdose. In a climactic moment before an "Epilogue" sequence, "Vissi D'Arte" plays when Cherry fires a gun in the street and then shoots up while the police approach; a rock bottom moment that ultimately leads to redemption. The movie ends with "Astral Weeks" scoring the credits sequence. The Cherry soundtrack was supervised by Manish Raval (Girls, New Girl, High Fidelity).