Cherrybomb is a 2009 movie which follows the lives of three teens as they embark on a weekend of sex, drugs and debauchery, with disastrous consequences.
Irish teenager Malachy (played by Rupert Grint of Harry Potter fame), a hardworking straight-A student who feels stifled by his safe, suburban life, becomes infatuated with his Boss' daughter, the beautiful but manipulative Michelle (Kimberly Nixon). Unfortunately, things start to spiral out of control when Malachy's rebellious best mate Luke (Robert Sheehan) also falls for Michelle's charms, and the two boys find their friendship starting to crumble as she encourages them to carry out ever more dangerous acts in their quest to win her affections.
Despite this movie ostensibly dealing with a Love Triangle, it has been noted by critics, fans, and even cast members that it does contain a certain homoerotic subtext. Lets just say that it has amassed a small but dedicated following of Yaoi fangirls.
Not to be confused with the 2011 Indie film of the same name.
This movie contains examples of the following tropes:
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Played with. Michelle spurs on the boys' rebellious behaviour, but later rejects the "bad boy" Luke in favour of the more safe, dependable Malachy.
- Doting Parent: Malachy's family are extremely supportive and proud of him, to the point where he feels stifled by them, in stark contrast to Michelle's uncaring father, and Luke's nightmarish home life.
- Ephebophile: It turns out that Crilly (Michelle's dad) is sleeping with Donna, his daughter's sixteen-year-old friend.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Luke really seems to resent the blossoming relationship between Malachy and Michelle.
- Informed Attractiveness: Michelle. She's relatively average-looking, but Luke and Malachy repeatedly mention how hot she is and react to her as if she looks like Cindy Crawford, not to mention all of the stupid things that they do just to get her to like them (as well as the fact that they're willing to ruin their friendship over her and Malachy is even willing to leave Luke behind to go with her when she leaves). The actress isn't ugly by any means, but it is a bit jarring to see them react so strongly to her from the first moment they see her when she's just a normal-looking girl.
- Meaningful Name: Luke ("Lock") and Malachy ("Key"). The pair of them also wear lock and key necklaces. Whatever the intended symbolism of this, there is only one inevitable meaning read into it...
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: During the film's crescendo, Crilly beats Malachy to a bloody pulp. Luke then does the same thing to Crilly, killing him.
- Odd Couple: Luke and Malachy, in many respects. Malachy is shy, studious, hard-working and comes from a comfortable middle-class family, whereas Luke is a brash, streetwise drug-dealer with no prospects and a horribly dysfunctional home life. It becomes apparent, however, that Luke represents the freedom and confidence that Malachy craves and that he in turn offers Luke some sense of stability.
- Parental Abandonment: Michelle's estranged parents basically ferry her back and forth between Belfast and London because neither of them can be bothered to look after her. Luke's situation is even more severe - he has no mother, and his dad eventually leaves town and abandons him entirely.
- Too Much Information: This piece of dialogue:Malachy: I don't kiss and tell.Luke: Come on man I tell you everything. I told you the time Kelly Shiels stuck her finger up my arse...Malachy: Yes and I did not wish to know that.
