Ranking my Top 10 Television Shows of 2023: Which Shows Made The Cut?

It’s that time of year again! As we get closer and closer to approaching 2023, I thought it would be the perfect time to count down my Top 10 TV Shows of 2023.

While some returning shows continued strong, others fell off slightly. Meanwhile, some other new shows completely captivated my attention, paving their way into my top 10.

Without any further delay, let’s get to my list!

My Top 10 Television Shows of 2023 are:

10

Who Is Erin Carter?

I love guilty pleasure thrillers and this series checked off all those boxes and then some. It was so addicting and a binge-watcher’s dream. If you’re looking for a soapy action-packed series with tons of twists and turns, this one is for you!

9

Poker Face

While I personally feel that this series started off a lot stronger than it finished, Natasha Lyonne was absolutely fantastic in this one. Her quirky, dry humor really elevated things and I really liked the vignette style with each episode.

8

A Murder at the End of the World

A fantastic and modern whodunnit that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Every reveal was so well crafted and I liked the flashbacks just as much as the present day mystery, making this a layered and thought-provoking series worth checking out.

7

School Spirits

A delightful and charming surprise that I absolutely fell in love with. A clever mix of Ghosts and Veronica Mars, featuring a major twist that really elevated this show into something spectacular.

6

Yellowjackets (season 2)

One of my favorite shows of last year stayed strong with season 2, providing us with darker and more shocking moments than ever before. Yellowjackets is so addicting and doesn’t hold anything back, bringing two timelines together seamlessly in a disturbing, but fascinating series.

5

Found

Another big surprise was how quickly I became addicted to this series. It started off like your standard crime series and then it presented us with an insane twist that hooked me completely and didn’t stop there. Each week reveals more pieces of the puzzle and Shanola Hampton and Mark-Paul Gosselaar are dynamite on screen!

I can’t wait for new episodes to return in the new year!

4

The Horror of Dolores Roach

This series was an absolute gem for horror fans and Justina Machado killed it! The bite-sized episodes made this one extremely easy to binge-watch and the plot channeled Sweeney Todd in a clever way.

I’m really disappointed that this series was canceled because it was so fresh and spectacular. I’m hoping another platform picks it up, but either way, you can still enjoy the first season. That cliffhanger is still bugging me though…

3

The Last of Us

Probably the best video game adaptation I have seen on the small screen. The Last of Us has been a long time coming and it delivered with powerful moments and performances on screen.

2

The Night Agent

The most addicting series of the year for me. The Night Agent was jam packed with insane twists and plenty of action to keep you anxiously pressing play on the next episode until the very end. More series like this please!

Honorable Mentions:

Full Circle

Based on a True Story

Class of ’07

You (season 4)

The Witcher (season 3)

The Summer I Turned Pretty (season 2)

Harlan Coben’s Shelter

Justified: City Primeval

Only Murders in the Building (season 3)

Nancy Drew (final season)

Drum roll please…

1

The Fall of the House of Usher

An eloquent and deliciously dark masterpiece from start to finish. This series was everything I hoped for and more with powerful characters, stand-out performances, and beyond shocking moments, making this my favorite series of the year by far! I loved every second of it!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post some of YOUR favorite television shows of 2023. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing in the new year!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

Ranking my Top 10 Films of 2023: Which Movies Made The Cut?

It’s that time of year again! As we get closer and closer to approaching 2024, I thought it would be the perfect time to count down my Top 10 Films of 2023.

There are still a lot of movies that I have not seen yet, but I wanted to highlight some of my favorites of the year so far!

My Top 10 Films of 2023 are:

10

Totally Killer

If horror comedy films like Happy Death Day and Freaky are your jam, you’ll find plenty to love in Totally Killer, featuring out of this world performances by both Kiernan Shipka and Olivia Holt.

9

The Passenger

Kyle Gallner gives the performance of his career in this dark and emotional film that was one of the most unique entries to cinema I have watched all year. Moving and resonating.

8

Barbie

The movie event of the year! Barbie was so much fun! Ryan Gosling gave one of my favorite performances of the year and I loved the humor sprinkled into this bubble gum pop world.

7

Thanksgiving

Halloween isn’t the only holiday featuring amazing slasher films. Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving channeled 90’s slashers to perfection with plenty of gore and twists around each corner.

6

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

The perfect blend of nostalgia for the generation that grew up playing these classic video games mixed with tons of cute and fun moments for kids now, making this a family friendly film worth your time. Plus, Jack Black KILLS it as Bowser and I think I’ll be singing “Peaches” for a very long time.

5

Plane

Every now and then, there is a non-stop action film that leaves me cheering and Plane is that movie for 2023. I loved it from start to finish and I’ve already re-watched it several times. It’s filled with adrenaline and plenty of bad-ass moments!

4

Unseen

An absolute gem that shouldn’t fly under the radar. Unseen is on the shorter side, but it hooks you from the start and features two strong female leads. If you enjoy simple, but effective thrillers, this one is for you!

3

Scream 6

I didn’t know how I felt about Scream 6 switching up its setting and main character, but it all worked perfectly, making this such a wonderful surprise. It carved its way into the franchise without holding back, creating a bloody good time for Scream fans everywhere.

2

Evil Dead Rise

Maybe not for everyone, but Evil Dead Rise presents horror fans with gore galore and introduces us to a new bad-ass female lead. I love the Evil Dead franchise and although this one had a very different feel to it, I couldn’t look away and that title card will be haunting me for years to come…

Honorable Mentions:

Leave the World Behind

Missing

No One Will Save You

Sick

The Blackening

Drum roll please…

1

Bottoms

Raunchy, laugh-out-loud funny, and so entertaining! Bottoms is my favorite film of the year! It’s been a long time since I truly fell in love with a teen comedy and this one brought that genre back to life and then some!

I hope to see more films from 2023 soon, but I hope you enjoyed the list!

Did you have a favorite film of 2023? If so, drop it in the comments!

I wish you all a happy and healthy new year and can’t wait to review more new films in 2024! Happy viewing!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Raging Grace” on Demand: Twisted and Unsettling

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

“I’ve got a job…”

Raging Grace released in select theaters on December 1st 2023 and is now available to watch on demand as of December 8th 2023. The horror mystery film stars Max Eigenmann, Leanne Best, and David Hayman. It runs for approximately an hour and forty minutes.

An undocumented immigrant takes a job at a lavish home as the caretaker of a terminally ill man, but as dark secrets are revealed, she and her daughter quickly realize that they may be in terrible danger.

Here is the trailer:

Raging Grace is a unique entry to elevated horror, revealing the ugly truth lurking within humanity, executed brilliantly by some convincing performances. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

The Gothic Horror vibe works well.

From the house to the style of this film, it had a Gothic Horror feel that I absolutely loved. However, it didn’t stop there. It could have very easily just gone with that theme and we would have been presented with an average film and yet it decided to present us with so many layered themes dealing with racism, class, and the darkest parts of humanity, making this such a captivating watch.

It didn’t hold back, reminding me a little of Soft & Quiet, which is another brutal gem that lingered with me well after it was over.

I expected a slow burn going into Raging Grace and yet I was drawn in the entire time, which was a welcomed surprise. Part of that was thanks to the powerful performance by Eigenmann, who did a great job with what she was given. I thought she was very believable. Her character was flawed in a lot of ways, but you still felt for her throughout the entire film.

Insane and shocking twists!

Wow, I honestly did not see them coming. This was such a crazy watch for me in the best way possible. I thought I knew what type of movie I was getting and then it twisted the knife and then some, creating a horrifying spiral of events that were uncomfortable and unsettling to see unfold on the screen.

The Cons:

The jump scares were unnecessary.

They didn’t startle me at all and I don’t think they added anything to the film. In fact, they brought down the level of this one just a touch for me because they seemed like fluff meant to build up suspense when there were already plenty of creepy and disturbing things going on.

So am I in or out?

I’m in!!!

An unexpected and horrifying surprise that gave me chills!

If you’re looking for a different kind of horror movie, I’d highly recommend giving this one a shot. I thoroughly enjoyed my watch.

I hope you enjoyed the review and please feel free to share your thoughts on Raging Grace in the comments section!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, HER NIGHT FROM HELL HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN…

After working the night shift, Ashley becomes entangled in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a local street gang, forcing her to come up with a plan to survive the night by turning the tables on them.

Ashley must fight for her life and take them out one by one if she wants to make it to morning…

My young adult revenge thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Make it Through the Night 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 “Leave the World Behind” on Netflix: An Unnerving Thriller that Hooked me from the Start

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

“The vacation from hell…”

Leave the World Behind released on Netflix on December 8th 2023. The apocalyptic thriller film stars Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, Myha’la Herrold, and Kevin Bacon. It runs for approximately two hours and twenty minutes.

A family vacation in Long Island, New York is interrupted when two strangers show up at the house in the middle of the night claiming to be the owners. After explaining that there has been a blackout in the city, the threat begins to grow as both families must figure out how to survive.

Here is the trailer:

Leave the World Behind never allows you a moment to look away from the screen. The cast is out of this world and the feeling of dread that this film creates makes this an effective and relatable thriller. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Really draws you in!

I’m not usually a fan of apocalyptic movies, but I couldn’t stop watching this one. The cast was fantastic, which helped, but the plot was so puzzling and intriguing, which made a powerful mix. I had to know what was going on in the world and even though I was just as clueless as the characters, I somehow felt like I was a part of this, luring me in that much more.

Jaw-dropping scenes.

There will be no spoilers in this review, but so many scenes had me on the edge of my seat. They were eerie, shocking, and absolutely fantastic. This may be the best Netflix movie I have seen in a long time. It really did a great job from the music to the special effects. Everything fell into this place seamlessly, making this such a compelling watch.

Sticks the landing!

I absolutely LOVED the ending of this film. Sure, it didn’t answer most of my questions, but there was something so satisfying about it and there was an Easter egg in there that had me very excited! I think a lot of people will relate to it.

The Cons:

Unanswered questions…

This wasn’t a major con, but I had so many questions by the time I got to the end of this film. I didn’t read the book either, but from my understanding, that doesn’t fully answer everything either. I guess it makes sense with the content, but since we spent quite a bit of time on certain aspects of this film, I just wanted a touch more to truly understand what was going on.

So am I in or out?

I’m in 100 percent!!!

One of the best thrillers I have seen all year!

Tense, disturbing, and entertaining from start to finish. I never got a chance to breathe!

Even though this film was on the longer side, it never felt like it. I’d highly recommend giving this one a shot even if it doesn’t seem like your cup of tea. I loved it!

I hope you enjoyed the review and please feel free to share your thoughts on Leave the World Behind in the comments section!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, HER NIGHT FROM HELL HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN…

Ashley must fight for her life and take them out one by one if she wants to make it to morning…

My young adult revenge thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Make it Through the Night 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 “The Sacrifice Game” on Shudder: Packed with Plenty of Welcomed Twists

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

“Christmas Killers strike again…”

The Sacrifice Game released on Shudder on December 8th 2023. The horror film stars Olivia Scott Welch, Mena Massoud, Chloe Levine, Madison Baines, and Georgia Acken. It runs for approximately an hour and forty minutes.

Set in the 1970’s, two boarding school students are stuck there for Christmas, but when a cult of vicious killers show up at their door looking to summon a demon, they must figure out a way to survive.

Here is the trailer:

The Sacrifice Game may seem like your average home invasion thriller at first glance, but it provides the audience with plenty of deadly twists and turns to keep us invested. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

The time period works to its advantage.

Similar to X, I thought that this film successfully channeled the 1970’s vibe it was going for. From the music, to the hair, to the clothes, it nailed it. A lot of films try to slap on a time period to make themselves stand out, but I thought that The Sacrifice Game truly embodied this era effortlessly. The muted lighting worked well too and I love how this film was shot.

Entertaining villains.

The opening scene of this film was jaw-dropping in a good way. It didn’t hold anything back and let loose with lots of blood and gore to reel horror fans in. As the film progressed, I found myself particularly drawn to the villains. They were actually a lot of fun and they lightened up some of the heavy content.

The actresses playing the two school girls did a great job with what they were given as well and showed off their range.

I also really liked that this film wasn’t afraid to break out of the standard home invasion genre and hit us with plenty of twists and turns, making this a much more unique watch. While not all of the reveals landed for me, I appreciated the effort here.

The Cons:

Loses its way in the middle…

This film featured a strong opening and ending, but the pacing suffered a lot in the middle of the film. This movie wasn’t long, but certain parts felt really dragged out for me and I think it could have benefited from being a touch shorter.

Some of the dialogue was also pretty dull and uninspiring, but the plot made up for that. This film was good, but it could have been truly exceptional if a few minor tweaks had been made.

So am I in or out?

I’m in!!!

The Sacrifice Game successfully carves its way into the holiday horror genre, keeping us guessing until the very end.

While this film was far from perfect, I found it to be really entertaining and I hope to see Fear Street’s Olivia Scott Welch in more horror entries soon because she rocked this role and then some!

I hope you enjoyed the review and please feel free to share your thoughts on The Sacrifice Game in the comments section!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, HER NIGHT FROM HELL HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN…

Ashley must fight for her life and take them out one by one if she wants to make it to morning…

My young adult revenge thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Make it Through the Night 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 “Silent Night” (2023) in Theaters: A Revenge Thriller that Has its Moments

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

“Kill them all…”

Silent Night released in theaters on December 1st 2023. The revenge thriller-action film (directed by John Woo) stars Joel Kinnaman, Kid Cudi, Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-four minutes.

On Christmas Eve, a man witnesses the tragic death of his son when a stray bullet from a local street gang takes everything from him. After recovering from a wound that costs him his voice, he vows to take revenge on those responsible the following year.

Here is the trailer:

Silent Night features a strong lead performer accompanied by lots of blood-soaked action, but is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Joel Kinnaman gives it his all.

Without being able to talk, I was pleasantly surprised by how well he commanded the screen. I loved him in The Killing and was super excited to see him in this. His acting was on point and I honestly felt his pain and grief throughout the film. This is no easy task when you can’t express yourself verbally and yet he managed to really make me feel something, which says a lot.

Brutal and flashy violence.

If that’s what you came to see, it will deliver on that…but it takes a while to get there. That being said, I thought a lot of the fight scenes were well done and John Woo fans will have something to be excited about.

The Cons:

A revenge thriller I’ve seen before…

Sure, you can wrap a bow on it with a “no talking” gimmick, but the film doesn’t really stray far from your standard revenge thriller. I actually think the “no talking” aspect hindered it in a lot of ways and made this an exhausting watch at times.

It also took way too long to get to the heart of the film. Yes, the moments leading up to it added to the emotional motivation, but I felt like we were crossing off calendar dates for hours and I couldn’t take some of the silent stare downs much longer.

Luckily we got to plenty of satisfying action, but I wouldn’t say that this was anything that new or extraordinary…but it was still enjoyable enough for action fans. You just have to sit through a lot of boring fluff to get there.

So am I in or out?

I’m in about 75 percent…

Silent Night delivers in the action category, but its slow burn approach and insistence on staying true to its gimmick loses a little holiday magic.

Perhaps I set my expectations too high because I thought the trailer was brilliant, but this wasn’t the revenge action film I was really hoping for.

I hope you enjoyed the review and please feel free to share your thoughts on Silent Night in the comments section!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, HER NIGHT FROM HELL HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN…

Ashley must fight for her life and take them out one by one if she wants to make it to morning…

My young adult revenge thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Make it Through the Night 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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