Month: August 2021

Spoiler-Free Review of “Fear of Rain” on Hulu: Disturbia meets Unsane

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

“There was a man chasing me…”

Fear of Rain originally released back in February 2021 but it is now available to stream on Hulu. The psychological thriller film stars Madison Iseman, Katherine Heigl, Israel Broussard, and Harry Connick Jr. It is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes long.

A young girl named Rain is dealing with schizophrenia, which causes her to have violent and vivid hallucinations. After returning home from the hospital, she meets a boy named Caleb and teams up with him to spy on her neighbor, who she suspects may have kidnapped a young girl. Rain struggles with what is real as everyone around her begins to doubt her, but she refuses to stop until she uncovers the truth.

Here is the trailer:

Fear of Rain has a very familiar plot, but it does have a great cast and some edge-of-your-seat moments to keep you guessing. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Solid performances.

Madison Iseman was wonderful in the new Jumanji movies and I am really excited that she is going to be starring in the I Know What You Did Last Summer series coming out in October. This was my opportunity to witness her test out her horror/thriller skills and she did a great job and was very believable.

I also loved seeing Happy Death Day’s Israel Broussard in this film. I think he may get typecast for being the charming nerd who takes care of erratic blonde girls, but if it works, it works.

Images courtesy of Hulu

Decent twists and reveals.

I was genuinely surprised by some of the twists and reveals. This is one of those movies where you almost have to take the gamble to see if the pay-off is worth it in the end. For me, it was and while some things were predictable, others threw me off guard completely which is a good thing.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Campy special effects…

This film decided to tackle mental illnesses and while some of the hallucinations and dreams worked, others did not translate well. I thought they were cheesy and over-the-top and it took away some of the edge of this film, which was thrilling without all of this thrown in.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Hulu

I’m in!

I’ve seen this type of movie before but I genuinely like psychological thrillers with creepy neighbors. The formula just works somehow. I thought that the cast did enough to keep me invested and there were some reveals sprinkled in that threw me for a loop. If you enjoy films like Unsane and Disturbia, you will enjoy this one.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Jungle Cruise” in Theaters: Book your ticket!

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

“You booked a river cruise and you can’t swim?”

Jungle Cruise is the newest Disney film based on one of its theme park attraction rides. The film premiered in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access on July 24th 2021. It stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, Edgar Ramirez, and Paul Giamatti. It runs for approximately 2 hours and five minutes.

Dr. Lily Houghton is determined to discover the mystery behind the Tears of the Moon legend as she enlists the help of a skipper to take her and her brother down the Amazon river to learn the truth.

Here is the trailer:

Jungle Cruise may seem similar to films like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Mummy, but it is packed with quite a lot to keep us entertained. Is it worthy of a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Disney

Great dynamic between characters.

I absolutely loved and believed the chemistry between Lily (Blunt) and Frank (Johnson). The supporting characters were a lot of fun as well and this really helped me connect even more to the film. I thought they were all just pure magic on screen!

Images courtesy of Disney

Perfect balance of humor and action.

This really is a great formula for entertainment and I thought this movie pulled it off. It was charming, funny, and filled with action and mystery. The movie was a little over two hours long, but I never felt like I had to check what time it was. The movie kept me invested the entire time and there was enough in it for everyone.

Images courtesy of Disney

Clever way of paying tribute to the Disney ride.

I always loved the Jungle Cruise at Disney. It was there when you first walked in and it was the perfect place to relax, cool down, and enjoy the scenic views. I thought that the film did a great job of paying tribute to the ride while having some fun with it. 

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Disney

Not that original and somewhat predictable.

If you love the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, you will feel right at home with this movie. There were a lot of similarities with the plot and set-up, but I love these types of movies and there was enough happening in Jungle Cruise to keep me entertained. Sure, the film is somewhat predictable, but it didn’t take away from the fun.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Disney

I’m in!

This film was a pleasant surprise. The characters were fantastic, the humor was well placed, and there was enough action and mystery to hold my attention. Pure magic and entertaining fun!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Jungle Cruise 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!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Masters of the Universe: Revelation” Part 1 on Netflix: Who has the power?

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

“I have the power!!!!!!!”

Masters of the Universe: Revelation is a continuation of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983). The new series premiered on July 23rd 2021 and was written by Kevin Smith. The show stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lena Headey, Chris Wood, and Mark Hamill. There are five episodes in part 1 that run for approximately 25-28 minutes each.

The new series brings us back to the world of Eternia as He-Man and Skeletor face off once again.

Here is the trailer:

Masters of the Universe: Revelation seems like a dream come true for fans of the original series, but there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the new series. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

All star cast!

It’s no secret that I absolutely love Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Game of Thrones so to discover that both Sarah Michelle Gellar (Teela) and Lena Headey (Evil-Lyn) were on the show was a dream come true. Plus, Mark Hamill is just fantastic with whatever comes his way!

Well placed humor.

Even though this is a reboot of sorts, this show is clearly meant for fans of the original series. I thought the dry humor was genius and I appreciated the fact that I was watching a show basically made for me and everyone else in my generation who grew up watching this show.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Supporting characters get to shine!

I am a fan of the original series. My brother and I are very close in age so we both watched He-Man and She-Ra growing up. She-Ra even came to my birthday party in the first grade!

I know all of the characters, but I always used to wonder more about some of the supporting characters and Kevin Smith really allowed them to reach their full potential in this new series.

I’d love a spin-off featuring Evil-Lyn though! As much as I loved SMG, Lena Headey was pure magic in this role!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Jarring first episode…

There will be no spoilers in this review, but I was completely shocked at the end of the first episode. This isn’t necessarily a con because I think it was a bold decision, but I guess it made me question what I was going to actually watch during this show. There have been many reactions to this and I find myself somewhere in the middle, but I was definitely thrown for a loop as well…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in!

I thoroughly enjoyed my watch of this series and I’m looking forward to part 2 after that major cliffhanger! This series brought me back to my childhood, but it also created something new and different and gave other characters a chance. It’s not often that we see a reboot that still speaks to the original audience and I think that this series accomplished that.

It wasn’t just about having “the power.” It was about finding out what that meant for each and every one of us.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Masters of the Universe: Revelation in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

A harmless night of fun turns deadly for six college friends but the game has only just begun. Take a mystery thrill ride right from your own living room. Dash and Seek is out now! I hope you enjoy!

READ IF YOU DARE…

Dash and Seek is available here!

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