Month: July 2021

Spoiler-Free Review of “The Forever Purge” in Theaters: Murder Ever After

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“The Purge can no longer be contained…”

The Forever Purge is the fifth film in the popular franchise. It takes place after the events in The Purge: Election Year. The NFFA has re-instated the Purge once again, as we follow a new set of characters in Texas. The film stars Ana de la Reguera, Josh Lucas, Tenoch Huerta, Cassidy Freeman and Leven Rambin. It runs for 103 minutes.

It’s no secret that I absolutely love The Purge franchise. I recently re-watched the four prior movies and I adored the short-lived television series, which ran for two seasons. I appreciate that the Purge always tries to do something different in each of its installments. 

In The Forever Purge, we are introduced to a couple who traveled from Mexico to the United States to find a better opportunity. It seems like things are going well for them until they experience their first Purge in America and all hell breaks loose as old rules are thrown out the window.

Here is the trailer:

The Forever Purge is rumored to be the last film in the franchise so the bar is set pretty high for this one. Does it deliver or does it pale in comparison to the other films? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Ana de la Reguera is bad-ass!

I love Frank Grillo as Leo Barnes in the Purge films so I needed someone like that to really kick some ass. I recently watched Ana de la Reguera in Army of the Dead, but she is the best part of The Forever Purge movie. The Purge may unleash the crazies, but you do not want to mess with her…

More please!

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

A new take on the Purge.

If you watched the trailers, then you know that this Purge is going to last well past Purge night. In the series, we explore the idea of life after the Purge and I appreciate that we always get something a little bit different in each film to prevent things from feeling stale and overdone.

In the first film, we focus on a home invasion, the second film brings us into the heart of the city, the third film explores true change, and the fourth film shows us the very start of the Purge.

In The Forever Purge, we learn what would happen if Purge night extends past that night. Chaos spreads quickly as the creation becomes completely untamed. I’m not sure that this is a fitting end for the franchise, but it was a different take on things. I also kind of really enjoyed the Western-Cowboy setting to change things up from the urban ones we are used to.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Don’t lose sight of what makes The Purge work…

The Purge is terrifying because it is something that could actually happen…

The world is a scary place and we witness horrible and unspeakable crimes every day. It wavers very close to reality and that’s what makes it frightening. We don’t need added jump scares. This just felt completely out of place. I also didn’t really like the day setting for the film because the terror unleashing at night had a more chilling impact in my opinion.

In addition, all of the Purge films are political in a lot of ways, but this film really pushed the envelope with that…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

I’m in!

Overall, I thought this film delivered and was highly entertaining. It brought plenty of action and brutal moments and it kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. While there were some rough edges and inconsistencies, I thought this was a decent entry into the popular franchise and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Is this truly the end of The Purge franchise?

Well, it’s rumored to be, but I’m hopeful that The Purge will return and bring back my favorite character of the franchise. You never know… 

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Forever Purge in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

THIS COMPETITION IS KILLER…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My new young adult horror thriller comes out October 7th 2021! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Fear Street Part 1: 1994” on Netflix: 90’s Slasher Nostalgia

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“It began as a prank and ended in murder…”

Fear Street Part 1: 1994 is a supernatural slasher film that premiered on July 2nd 2021 on Netflix. It is the first entry to the trilogy which will take place over the next three weeks. The film stars Olivia Welch, Kiana Madeira, Benjamin Flores Jr. and Maya Hawke. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes.

Inspired by the R.L. Stine book series, the first film follows a group of teens in the town of Shadyside as they face off against a supernatural presence that threatens to wreak havoc on their town.

Here is the trailer:

Fear Street Part 1: 1994 turns back time and reels us in with some iconic 90’s slasher nostalgia along with a killer soundtrack, but does it do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Don’t f*** with the original.

The opening of this film was really strong. It helped having Stranger Things fan favorite, Maya Hawke lighting up the screen in a B.Dalton bookstore, which brought back so many memories. This film definitely channeled Scream and even gave me some Blair Witch vibes as well, but it did it in a clever way. It didn’t feel like a cheesy rip-off. It felt like a tribute to some iconic 90’s horror and I hope this also helps introduce a younger audience to some of these great films.

It still pains me to hear things like “oh I didn’t know the Scream show was based on a movie.” (This really happened by the way).

Images courtesy of Netflix

90’s dream.

Remember when people used to actually call one another? I thought this time jump back to the 90’s was a lot of fun. Similar to shows like Little Fire Everywhere and Cruel Summer, Fear Street is jumping on the bandwagon and they delivered in a lot of ways.

I thought the soundtrack was amazing and the throwbacks were a lot of fun, but I thought the fashion could have used some work. Other than the opening scene, I didn’t see any real iconic pieces of 90’s fashion thrown into the mix.

In a lot of ways, this time jumping theme for Fear Street is kind of reminding me of American Horror Story: 1984 and in a good way. Both of these entries understood the time period and the movies they were channeling, but they also did a good job of creating something on their own.

I’m interested to see how they will approach the next era in the second film. Bring it on!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Where’s the chemistry?

This film earned a R rating and stepped away from Goosebumps. I’m all for a group of kids or teens facing off against an unspeakable horror, but I need to actually care about the characters. Fear Street needed to take a lesson from Stranger Things and even the new IT film. The chemistry and humor between the characters was lacking here.

There were a lot of scenes where we witnessed some melodrama that didn’t really translate well. I won’t call it Riverdale-esque because I actually like Riverdale, but it felt empty and uninspiring.

I loved Olivia Welch in Panic and all of the actors put forth a valiant effort, but I needed more. There were some moments sprinkled in, but I think any major character layers were glossed over and as much as I appreciated the LGBTQ relationship at the core, we needed more development to truly care about these characters.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in!

The film had a really strong opening and ending. It did enough at the end of the movie to reel me in for more and I’m anxious to see the other two parts connect with everything. Overall, this was an entertaining watch and I think as long as you manage your expectations and power through the unnecessary teen melodrama, you will enjoy the watch. Besides, you can always just tune them out and focus on the amazing soundtrack!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Fear Street Part 1: 1994 in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A HALLOWEEN THEY’LL NEVER FORGET…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My new young adult horror thriller comes out October 7th 2021! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!