Spoiler-Free Review of “The Stranger in My Home” on Demand: Sophia Bush Stars in this Soapy Thriller

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

“I feel like every choice I’m making is wrong…”

The Stranger in My Home premiered on Demand on June 24th 2025. The drama thriller film stars Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill), Chris Carmack (The O.C.), Amiah Miller, and Chris Johnson. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty-five minutes.

A family’s world is turned upside down when a stranger knocks on their door and claims that their daughters were switched at birth.

Here is the trailer:

The Stranger in My Home is very lifetime-esque with over-the-top twists and soapy drama, but Sophia Bush elevates it as much as she can. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Republic Pictures

Queen Sophia Bush!

I’ve been waiting for her to make a return to film and was so excited to see her in this. She really gave this film her all and honestly made it a better watch because of her talent and charisma. I am a big fan and hope to see her in more films in the future. She does excel in the horror/thriller genre. Welcome back, Sophia Bush!

Images courtesy of Republic Pictures

A few juicy twists.

I wouldn’t say that they were that great honestly, but there were some soapy ones thrown our way, which helped this watch a little bit. If you love lifetime movies, this one would be right up your alley.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Republic Pictures

Some terrible acting and dialogue…

Sophia Bush and Chris Carmack did the best with what they were given, but I really struggled watching the rest of the actors in this. The acting was so over-the-top and ridiculous and some of that dialogue was really out there.

I also thought these characters made some of the WORST decisions ever, but I guess we wouldn’t have a movie without them…

Takes too long to get to the hook!

My other issue was we had to wait 55 minutes before we actually got to the thrilling parts of this movie. There was a lot of unnecessary fluff to sit through. I was cheering for our girl once we finally got there, but it took way too long!

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Republic Pictures

I’m 50/50 on this one…

The Stranger in My Home is a by the numbers thriller with too much unbelievable nonsense, but it was great seeing Sophia Bush on the screen again!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Stranger in My Home 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 “We Were Liars” on Prime Video: A Vapid and Uninspiring Watch…

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

“When you’re left for dead, you want answers…”

We Were Liars premiered on Prime Video on June 18th 2025 with all eight episodes available to stream now. The mystery drama series (based on the novel of the same name) stars Emily Alyn Lind, Joseph Zada, Candice King, Rahul Kohli, and Shubham Maheshwari. Each episode is approximately 50-52 minutes long.

After a mysterious accident alters Cadence’s life, she begins to suspect that her friends and family may be hiding secrets.

Here is the trailer:

We Were Liars has a recognizable cast and a decent premise, but does it do enough to be worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Prime Video

Aesthetically pleasing with some familiar faces.

If you’re searching for a beachy, lovely setting, you’ll get that here. The house looked like it was right out of a magazine with gorgeous colors and the cast was all very pretty as well (although I’m not sure what was with some of those wigs).

There were also a few familiar faces in this one. I was excited to see The Vampire Diaries star, Candice King in another show.

Unfortunately the pros stop here, despite this show having a decent enough story that should have hooked me right away…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Prime Video

Annoying voice-over narration…

This is still one of my biggest pet peeves in shows! I hate drawn out voice-over narrations. Everything felt so whiny and fake. The soundtrack was also SO DISTRACTING.

Honestly, it felt like they were building a vibe here rather than paying attention to the plot, which was extremely frustrating as a viewer.

Unlikable characters and excruciatingly cheesy dialogue…

I really couldn’t connect with any of these characters. They were all over-privileged and annoying. This was a brutal watch for me. Everything just felt so dull and the dialogue was absolutely terrible. I didn’t read the book, but I can’t imagine it being that bad…

“Why did you run? To see if you’d chase me!”

Seriously…

I love guilty pleasure watches, but this one just fell completely flat for me.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Prime Video

I’m out on this one…

We Were Liars is a dull and drawn out watch that was painful to sit through.

There was a mystery to untangle, but not enough of a hook overall.

If you’re looking for a summer themed teen series, I’d recommend The Summer I Turned Pretty instead.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on We Were Liars 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 “Hell Motel” on Shudder: Campy, Slasher Fun!

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

“I don’t feel good about this place…”

Hell Motel premiered on June 17th 2025 with the first two episodes available to stream now on Shudder or AMC+. The remaining episodes will air weekly. There will be eight episodes in total for the limited horror slasher series.

The series (from the creators of Slasher) stars Paula Brancati, Eric McCormack, Atticus Mitchell, Shaun Benson, and Genevieve DeGraves. Each episode runs for approximately 45-50 minutes.

A group of true crime obsessives are invited to the Cold River Motel thirty years after gruesome murders took place there, but they soon realize that they are also being targeted by a masked killer as they are hunted down one by one.

Here is the trailer:

Hell Motel has a fun premise with plenty of gory kills to be excited about, but does it do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Fun premise!

I loved the Slasher anthology series and Hell Motel already feels like it could be another extended season of that. I’m eagerly trying to figure out what twists will be thrown our way and it’s fun seeing some familiar faces from Slasher.

So far the series isn’t taking itself too seriously, which is working in its favor. I hope it continues to lean more on the camp side of things because that’s what I’m loving so far.

Images courtesy of Shudder

Gory kills.

If you’re a horror fan and looking for some over-the-top gory kills, you’ll get your fill here. I was impressed with them so far and I can’t wait to see more!

Sure, they’re a little silly at times, but I came into this one expecting to see some bloody gore and so far it’s delivering in that department!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Some pacing issues…

My only real con is that there seems to be a little bit too much fluff here between the kills. The episodes are on the longer side so I noticed this more than I normally would. I’m also having a difficult time connecting with some of the characters, but I’m hoping this will change as the episodes continue.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Shudder

I’m in!

Hell Motel is off to a bloody good start!

If you’re a fan of Slasher, I highly recommend checking this one out. As long as you manage your expectations and don’t take things too seriously, you’ll have a blast.

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

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!

Play if you dare…

Dash and Seek is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “The Better Sister” on Prime Video: An Engrossing Mystery from Start to Finish

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

“My husband’s covered in blood…”

The Better Sister premiered on Prime Video on May 29th 2025 with all eight episodes available to stream now. The mystery drama series (based on the novel of the same name) stars Jessica Biel, Elizabeth Banks, Kim Dickens, Corey Stoll, Maxwell Acee Donovan, and Gloria Reuben. Each episode is approximately 53-58 minutes.

After Chloe’s husband is murdered, she is reunited with her estranged sister while trying to piece together what really happened to him.

Here is the trailer:

The Better Sister hooks the audience from the opening scene with a solid mystery and an interesting dynamic between characters, but does it do enough to be worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Prime Video

Jessica Biel’s wardrobe is to die for!

I loved every one of her ensembles. They were so chic and that closet…wow! Everything was very pleasing to the eye in this one. There were a lot of beachy and serene colors used in the houses. I love when series give us so many gorgeous views while something dark and twisted is going on at the core.

I thought that Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks were very believable as sisters. Both of them gave us great performances and it was fun seeing Kim Dickens in this one too. There were plenty of recognizable faces here.

Images courtesy of Prime Video

A mystery that reels you in.

I love when a series can hook me right from the first episode and this show managed to do that and keep the momentum going right up until the reveals at the end. I was trying to work a number of theories and this show did a great job of leading the audience in several different directions, which was refreshing.

I never felt bored watching this one.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Prime Video

The time jumps were a bit chaotic.

I eventually got used to them, but they were distracting at times and a bit messy, dragging things out more than they needed to be. I preferred the current timeline so whenever we jumped to the past, I would have to switch gears a little bit, but I think the transitions improved with the later episodes.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Prime Video

I’m in!!!

The Better Sister is your next binge-watch featuring a layered mystery and two worthy performances by Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks.

Once I started this one, I could not stop watching!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Better Sister 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!