Spoiler-Free Review of “Firestarter” (2022) on Peacock: Flashy effects but lacks edge

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

“You’re strong so you don’t have to be afraid…”

Firestarter (2022) premiered in theaters and on Peacock on May 13th 2022. The science fiction horror film (based on the novel and film of the same name) stars Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, and Michael Greyeyes. It runs for an hour and thirty-five minutes.

A young couple tries to hide their daughter from a secret agency that wants to use her abilities for mass destruction.

Here is the trailer:

Firestarter has some impressive effects and a decent enough cast, but did we really need a re-imagining of the original film? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Decent effects.

The original Firestarter came out in 1984 so one major improvement was the effects used throughout the film. They were actually really impressive and probably the best part of it. Don’t mess with Charlie!

Stand-out performances.

Zac Efron is actually not bad in this film. However, Armstrong and Greyeyes steal the show. I thought both of them were really strong and they saved the film in a lot of ways. I would have liked to have seen a little bit more backstory for some of the other characters to fill in some gaps but the length of the film was just about right.

The Cons:

Cringe-worthy dialogue…

The dialogue was really not great in this one and the film was pretty predictable. The acting was fine for some characters but I think the makers of this movie could have done a lot more. I rarely expect a remake to outshine the original one, but I was expecting something new and fresh and instead everything was just sort of okay and unnecessary…

So am I in or out?

I’m 50/50 on this one…

The film is not bad and is watchable for the most part, but there just isn’t anything extraordinary about it. It’s lacking edge and other than some cool visual effects, I’m not sure that we needed a new version of this film.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Firestarter (2022) 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 “The Staircase” on HBO Max: Colin Firth and Toni Collette star in the latest true crime dramatization

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

“She fell down the stairs…”

The Staircase premiered on HBO Max on May 5th 2022 with the first three episodes available to stream now. There will be eight episodes in total that will air weekly. The crime drama series stars Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Sophie Turner, Parker Posey, Olivia DeJonge and Patrick Schwarzenegger. Each episode runs for approximately 60-65 minutes.

Based on the true story of Michael Peterson and the suspicious death of his wife, this true crime dramatization presents us with different angles of the story.

Here is the trailer:

The Staircase has an all-star cast, but is there enough new content here to keep its audience captivated? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Top-notch ensemble.

I expected Colin Firth and Toni Collette to be brilliant. They are pretty much brilliant in everything so that’s a given but I was really impressed by some of the other performances. The siblings really gave believable performances and I thought that everyone added something necessary and meaningful with their roles.

Solid mystery.

If you’re familiar with the crime and the original documentary series of the same name, then you know what to expect here. However, if you’re coming into this one with fresh eyes, you may get a lot more out of it because the mystery is a decent one.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Slow moving and stale at times…

The performances definitely helped matters, but I struggled through these episodes. The opening was pretty strong, but then things started to move at a much slower pace. The episodes are super long so it was difficult to hold my attention at times.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of HBO Max

I’m in about 75 percent…

The Staircase delivers with wonderful performances, but it has some serious pacing issues and I’m not sure it will be able to give us the satisfying ending we are looking for based on the outcome of the case. If you’re familiar with the original documentary series, you can probably skip it, although there are some decent moments sprinkled in.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

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 “The Wilds” Season 2 on Prime Video: “We’re not the only people on this island and we all know it!”

**This is a spoiler-free review for season 2 so feel free to read on!**

“I don’t want to give up…”

The Wilds season 2 premiered on Prime Video on May 6th 2022 with eight episodes available to stream now. The series stars Sarah Pidgeon, Mia Healey, Sophia Ali, Reign Edwards, and Rachel Griffiths. Each episode runs for approximately 50-55 minutes.

The show is about a group of teenage girls who end up stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes. After a major discovery in that season 1 finale cliffhanger, the audience discovers that the girls are not alone on the island, which introduces us to a new group of survivors with plenty more twists and reveals along the way.

Here is the trailer:

The Wilds season 1 was such a fantastic surprise. I expected to see a LOST rip-off and instead I was transported into a compelling and intense watch with incredible characters. Season 2 splits its focus between the girls and the boys, but does it still do enough to keep up with the magic of the first season? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Just as addicting as the first season.

It took a little while to get going, but I was completely hooked for season 2 and the reveals were even more extreme this time around. I didn’t think it was possible to top that season 1 finale, but rest assured that you will get plenty more outrageous plot twists to keep you coming back for more.

Character relationships flourish.

Part of what made The Wilds so amazing was the incredible characters. These girls had layers and then some. We witnessed some heartwarming and heartbreaking moments between them and season 2 allowed some of the new relationships a chance to grow and change, really bringing these characters together in an unexpected way.

The Cons:

The boys split our focus…

Look, I think the boys got a bad rep. Even though it was a slower start for me, there was some real potential here and some characters who absolutely deserved some screen time. My only issue was that the balance between the two groups never felt that seamless. The boys also had a harder time gaining our affection and attention because we already knew what was happening here…

We didn’t peel back as many layers with the boys and things felt rushed and chaotic at times because there is only so much you can jam-pack into each episode.

That being said, I think that things started to really work together in a more cohesive way once we got to the final episodes…

Oh yeah and another cliffhanger. Let’s not wait 18 months to get season 3 please!

So am I in or out?

I’m in!!!

Addicting and intense with layered characters worth our time!

Season 2 may not be as good as season 1, but there is plenty to be excited about, making it worthy of your next binge-watch.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

My new 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 “Blood Sisters” on Netflix: This Crime Thriller has its moments

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

“You’re making a mistake…”

Blood Sisters premiered on May 5th 2022 on Netflix. There are four episodes in total available to stream now. The Nigerian crime thriller series stars Ini Dima-Okanlawon and Nancy Isime. Each episode runs for approximately 58 minutes.

Best friends Sarah and Kemi end up on the run after they make a fatal mistake at Sarah’s engagement party.

Here is the trailer:

Blood Sisters has plenty of thrilling moments mixed in with a story about two friends who will do anything for one another, but is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

A believable friendship.

This series wouldn’t work without this friendship and I thought both actresses did a very good job with their portrayals. There were a lot of horrifying moments revealed in this series, but we also witnessed the power of love and friendship as well and I think this was the strongest part of the series thanks to these two leading ladies.

Starts off with a bang.

The opening episode really drew me in. We knew things were going to escalate quickly, but there were a lot of other layers and missing pieces thrown into the mix that grabbed my attention. The pacing wavered throughout the series, but the opening episode had a solid hook and made me want to explore things that much more.

The Cons:

Really melodramatic at times…

This series had the potential to follow in the footsteps of Ozark and other crime thrillers, but the melodrama was a bit much at times. I don’t think it ruined the show by any means, but some moments were really over-the-top and silly.

So am I in or out?

I’m in about 75 percent…

If you’re looking for a quick binge-watch for the weekend, you’re in the right place. I got through this series very quickly even with the slow burn pacing style. The first episode was really strong and I enjoyed the series overall, but be prepared for some serious melodrama thrown into the mix.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Blood Sisters 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 young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “The Aviary” on Demand: Eerie Psychological Thriller

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

“Do you want to die out here?”

The Aviary premiered in theaters and on demand on April 29th 2022. The psychological thriller film stars Malin Akerman and Lorenza Izzo. It runs for an hour and thirty-five minutes.

Two women flee into the New Mexican desert to escape a cult, but are terrorized by a familiar presence during their quest for survival.

Here is the trailer:

The Aviary takes a simple, but effective approach to a cult psychological thriller, luring us in with stunning performances and slow burn reveals that are beyond terrifying. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

The simple approach works.

I really love survival horror films along with psychological thrillers and this film had a good blend of both. This was clearly a low budget film, but the simple approach just worked. The circumstances were terrifying enough to keep us invested even though there was not a lot going on at times.

Incredible performances.

The film really centers around two characters for the majority of the movie and I thought that both actresses were incredible. This film would not have had such an impact without their performances. The slow burn reveals were that much more terrifying because of their reactions.

I also thought there were some interesting messages embedded into some of the themes here that were worth exploring. Every piece of the puzzle added to the main question haunting this movie.

So am I in or out?

I’m in!

The Aviary is eerie and terrifying on so many different levels, exploring some horrifying themes while presenting us with two amazing performances that were so haunting and compelling. Although it took a little bit of time to get to the major reveals, the slow burn approach worked for the most part.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Aviary (2022) in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

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 “Ozark” season 4 Part 2 on Netflix: It all comes down to this…

*This is a spoiler-free review for season 4 (part 2) so feel free to read on!*

“If we don’t get out clean, they’ll never forgive us…”

Ozark season 4 (Part 2) released on Netflix on April 29th 2022 with the final seven episodes available to stream now. The crime drama series stars Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner and Felix Solis. Each episode runs for 55-60 minutes.

The Byrde family attempts to make one final clean break without losing their family in the process.

Here is the trailer:

Ozark season 4 (Part 2) brings us seven final episodes filled with lots of intense moments, but does it end the way it should? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Fast-paced episodes.

Wow, I got through these last seven episodes so quickly! After that shocking moment at the end of part 1, part 2 keeps the pace going through every single episode. This was important because there was a lot to cover, but I never felt bored with the moments in-between. Every single interaction was necessary and important.

Ties up loose ends…

The last seven episodes did a decent job with this. There were a lot of blanks that were filled in and it answered some questions I had from previous seasons. I thought this was necessary and satisfying in a lot of ways. It’s not easy answering every unanswered question in a final season, but Ozark made a valiant effort here.

The Cons:

Not a fan of the ending…

We deserved a better conclusion in my opinion. There will be no spoilers in this review, but I was really annoyed by this finale. After the disappointing Killing Eve series finale, I was hoping for the best with Ozark and it failed to deliver for me.

So am I in or out?

I’m in for the series but I’m out on the ending…

Overall, the final season was really intense and brutal. We witnessed some incredible performances and I think this was such an entertaining series, but we deserved a satisfying ending!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Ozark season 4 (Part 2) in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

This competition is killer…

My new young adult horror thriller is out now! 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!

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