Month: January 2023

Spoiler-Free Review of “Mayfair Witches” on AMC: Enchanting Potential

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

“I have very good instincts…”

Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches released on AMC on January 8th 2023 with its premiere episode. The supernatural thriller series (based on the novel series, Lives of the Mayfair Witches) features eight episodes in total that will air weekly. The show stars Alexandra Daddario, Jack Huston, Harry Hamlin, and Annabeth Gish. Each episode runs for approximately 52-58 minutes. 

Rowan searches for answers about her biological family when she realizes that she may be able to kill people with her mind, leading her to New Orleans.

Here is the trailer:

Mayfair Witches has a great lead and a bewitching setting, but does it do enough to reel viewers in? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of AMC

A lead with potential.

I like Alexandra Daddario as an actress and I’m crossing my fingers that she can really unleash the bad-ass witch within her. So far I’ve seen glimmers of potential, but I’m confident that she can get there as the episodes progress. I think the premiere jam-packed in a little too much, but once we start to peel back the layers of Rowan, hopefully we’ll like what we see.

Great setting.

The series will end up branching off into New Orleans, which is the perfect setting for this kind of show. Already I’m getting some vibes from The Originals and I hope that continues. This series has the potential to show off some dark magic, which works well with this setting as well.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of AMC

A little unfocused…

I’m not a fan of jumping timelines and squeezing in way too many characters in a series premiere. It makes things slightly confusing and I’m worried that things can get lost in the shuffle. If the series focuses more on Rowan, it will translate better. So far the series isn’t doing anything that unique to set itself apart from other series about witchcraft, but there’s enough content here to keep me invested for now…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of AMC

I’m in about 75 percent…

The series premiere may not have been pure magic, but there is certainly a lot of spellbinding potential here.

I’m just hoping we get to witness some truly dark powers soon to keep me coming back for more.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Mayfair Witches 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…

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 “House of Darkness” on Hulu: Justin Long should Steer Clear of Creepy Houses…

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

“Once upon a time…”

House of Darkness released on Hulu on January 7th 2023. The supernatural horror film stars Justin Long, Kate Bosworth, Gia Crovatin, and Lucy Walters. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-eight minutes.

After meeting a mysterious woman at a bar, Hap agrees to drive her home, which turns out to be an extravagant mansion in the middle of nowhere. After she invites him inside for drinks and conversation, things take a sinister turn.

Here is the trailer:

House of Darkness has a great cast and a killer premise, but does this slow burn film pay off in the end? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Great cast.

Justin Long is no stranger to horror films so I was super excited about him starring in this one. Kate Bosworth was fantastic as always and I thought she played her part very well. Even the supporting characters did a great job with what they were given. The performances were the best part of this film and I’m not sure that I would have kept watching this one without this cast.

Enjoyable scenery.

Even though the film was primarily shot in just a few rooms in the mansion, they had such a Gothic feel. The use of dim lighting, the fireplace, and even the furniture created a vibe that accompanied this film very well. There was very little background noise or music in this film, allowing me to concentrate on a lot of other details while the plot unfolded.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Serious pacing issues…

This film was just under 90 minutes long, but it felt like I was watching it FOREVER at one point. I’m all for a good slow burn, but this one desperately needed something to happen. The dialogue was awkward and excruciating at times and if it weren’t for Justin Long and Kate Bosworth, I would have turned off the movie.

Don’t get me wrong, something finally happened in the end, but I’m not sure that the payoff was that rewarding. It was predictable and could have happened much sooner…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Hulu

I’m 50/50 on this one…

I’m in for Justin Long and Kate Bosworth, but this film fell flat, leaving me wanting so much more, which was really disappointing.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on House of Darkness 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!

**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 “M3GAN” in Theaters: Your New Bestie has Arrived

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

“I’ll never let anything harm you…ever again…”

M3GAN released in theaters on January 6th 2023. The horror film stars Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Jen Brown, and Ronny Chieng.

After a tragedy in Cady’s life, she moves in with her Aunt Gemma, who has been working on a lifelike doll with artificial intelligence.

Here is the trailer:

M3GAN is a blast to watch with just the right balance of thrills and comedy, giving horror fans something to be excited about.

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

A doll to root for!

M3GAN can easily join the group of killer dolls from hell in horror films. She was creepy, twisted, and really entertaining to watch. I love that the film didn’t take itself too seriously at times. There were a few brutal kills in there and M3GAN’s reactions made them that much more disturbing.

Good balance.

The struggling bond between Cady and Gemma was believable and layered enough to keep the audience invested. I thought that the supporting characters were a lot of fun too, giving this film the exact right balance. The pacing was on point for the most part, leading up to an ending that was predictable, but also really satisfying in a lot of ways.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Reveals a little too much in the previews…

Once again, this is one of those films that I absolutely loved, but I think too much was shown in the previews so I couldn’t enjoy certain moments as much as I should have. There was also one scene in particular that I could have personally done without. The film doesn’t do anything that unique in terms of this genre, but it was still really entertaining so I’m perfectly fine with that.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

I’m in!!!

M3GAN is so much fun with plenty of creepy and twisted moments to enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on M3GAN in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A VACATION TO DIE FOR…

Blood Rose Island Ad

When sisters, Nina and Gemma are vacationing in Hawaii with their friends, they get invited to an exclusive party on a private island that seems too good to be true. There’s only one rule…they can’t miss their ferry at midnight or they’ll have to wait until morning to leave the island. Only they didn’t realize that breaking this rule meant they would be hunted down on the island one by one.

Who will make it off the island alive?

I hope you enjoy my new island thriller!

Blood Rose Island 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 “Kaleidoscope” on Netflix: A Unique Concept

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

“The longer you’re in the game, the more you know what really matters…”

Kaleidoscobe premiered on Netflix on January 1st 2023 with all eight episodes. The action-heist series stars Giancarlo Esposito, Tati Gabrielle, Rufus Sewell, Rosaline Elbay, and Peter Mark Kendall. Each episode runs for approximately 46-52 minutes, but each viewer will be given a different order to watch the episodes in, leading up to the finale episode, making this a new and interesting viewing experience.

A master thief and his crew attempt a dangerous heist worth $7 billion dollars as they deal with obstacles and threats to their plan along the way.

Here is the trailer:

Kaliedoscope takes a risk with its unique viewing experience, but does it pay off? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Tries something different…

I’m all for new and unique ideas when it comes to watching television series. Netflix markets this particular show by letting the viewers know that they will each be given a scrambled order of episodes to watch, which is a bold and unique way of doing things. 

It does make things slightly challenging if you are trying to discuss episodes with other viewers; however, but I guess if you have binge-watched them all in a day, you’re good to go. Viewers are already googling the best order to watch the episodes in for things to make sense so I’m not sure that everyone will want to immerse themselves into the experience.

Either way, I appreciate that Netflix tried to do something different here and even though I’m not sure it was all executed perfectly, it did provide a unique hook worth exploring.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Fun cast.

There were a lot of familiar faces in this one and plenty of characters to root for. Each episode takes place during a different time, featuring a set of characters and what’s going on with them. This helped me connect to some characters earlier than others (depending on what order you watch the episodes in), but I think that the overall cast put forth a valiant effort.

They’re no Ocean’s Eleven, but they still gave us some entertaining moments.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Super confusing at times…

Because of the scrambled order, the timeline got really confusing at times and I felt like I had to work too hard to piece together what was going on. It also bothered me that I would connect to a particular scene or character and then I lost that character development by the time I got to the next presented episode.

Even though the idea was a lot of fun, the execution didn’t bring things together the way I wanted. I felt like I sat through a bunch of fluff (even though some of it was a lot of fun during certain stand-out episodes) leading up to the heist I was waiting for during the finale.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in about 75 percent…

Kaleidoscope gives viewers a unique experience with its approach, but the idea outshines the execution at times. Either way, if you enjoy heist films and series, there’s plenty of entertaining moments sprinkled into this one.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A VACATION TO DIE FOR…

Blood Rose Island Ad

When sisters, Nina and Gemma are vacationing in Hawaii with their friends, they get invited to an exclusive party on a private island that seems too good to be true. There’s only one rule…they can’t miss their ferry at midnight or they’ll have to wait until morning to leave the island. Only they didn’t realize that breaking this rule meant they would be hunted down on the island one by one.

Who will make it off the island alive?

I hope you enjoy my new island thriller!

Blood Rose Island 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!