Month: November 2025

Spoiler-Free Review of “Stranger Things” Season 5: Part 1 on Netflix: A Solid Start to the End

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

“It was always just about me…”

Stranger Things season five (part 1) premiered on Netflix on November 26th 2025 with four new episodes available to stream now. Part two will release on December 25th and the series finale will air on December 31st. The sci-fi horror series stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, and Natalia Dyer. Each episode runs for approximately 90-140 minutes.

Our beloved group is put to the test once again as they try to stop Vecna from abducting the children of Hawkins before it’s too late.

Here is the trailer:

Stranger Things season five brings us back to the town of Hawkins after quite some time. Does it have enough steam left to finish out the series in a satisfying way? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Great pacing.

The episodes for season 5 are once again on the long side. Each one almost feels like a mini movie, but I have to say that time flew by while I was watching each one. Episode 1 took me a little bit of time to adapt, but I think that’s mostly because I was trying to remember everything that had happened previously. I strongly recommend watching the recap if you haven’t done a recent re-watch.

Episodes 2-4 were fantastic with pacing, however. I was on the edge of my seat and there were so many stand out moments. So far part 1 is delivering in terms of a final season. It really feels like it’s leading up to an exciting conclusion…don’t let me down!

Images courtesy of Netflix

Characters begin to reach their true potential…

It’s about time! There were SO many incredible moments between characters so far. There will be no spoilers in this review, but the conversation between Robin and Will is one of the most vulnerable and real moments I’ve ever witnessed on a television series. It didn’t feel forced. It just transpired in such an authentic way, which truly moved me.

I also really loved seeing some supporting characters step up and I loved the introduction of Nell Fisher (Evil Dead Rise) who took over the role of Holly Wheeler. You can just tell that she’s going to be a star!

Also, shout-out to scene stealer, Erica Sinclair once again!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

It’s been some time…

Season 4 came out in 2022 so it’s been a huge gap for the audience. I didn’t have the time to do a re-watch so I was scratching my head quite a few times trying to put the pieces together during certain moments. Eventually things caught up for me, but I wish we didn’t have to wait so long for these episodes.

So far I really don’t have too many cons. I just hope that we have enough time to give each and every one of these characters the screen time they deserve because we’ve spent years watching them grow. I’m confident we’ll achieve it though.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in 100 percent!!!

Stranger Things season 5 is off to a fantastic start with plenty of heart-pounding and heartfelt moments packed in.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Stranger Things season five (part 1) in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A Halloween they’ll never forget…

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!

**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 Beast in Me” on Netflix: Carrie Mathison is Back…Kind of!

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

“Sometimes bad things just happen…”

The Beast in Me premiered on Netflix on November 13th 2025 with all eight episodes available to stream now. The crime thriller mini-series stars Claire Danes, Matthew Rhys, Brittany Snow, Jonathan Banks, David Lyons, and Natalie Morales. Each episode runs for approximately 48-52 minutes.

After a family tragedy, Author Aggie Wiggs has trouble writing her next book until her new neighbor, Nile Jarvis moves in. After his wife went missing, he was blamed for her murder, but it was never proven, but Aggie begins to discover some connections of her own leading to a dangerous new friendship.

Here is the trailer:

The Beast in Me has a talented cast, an addicting premise, and quite a few entertaining reveals along the way to keep you invested until the end. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Claire Danes is back!

I’ve missed watching Claire as Carrie Mathison on Homeland and have been waiting for her to appear in a series like this. She was in Max’s series, Full Circle a few years back, but I thought this one was much more suited to her.

If you missed the over-the-top emotional crying and yelling…it’s back! But seriously, Claire Danes is absolutely terrific in this series and Matthew Rhys was charming in such an eerie way. The rest of the cast is stacked as well and there were quite a few familiar faces in this one.

Images courtesy of Netflix

A consuming watch!

I was hooked right from the opening episode. I loved the setting (I’m very familiar with it) and I thought it worked well against the chaos and turmoil going on between these characters. Each episode did just enough to pull me in for more and I found this series very easy to binge-watch. I finished all eight episodes in two days.

There were a few side-plots to deal with, but everything connected enough in the end so I didn’t mind this. Episode 7 was incredible!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Predictable at times…

Even though I enjoyed it, you can pretty much guess what’s going on in this one. None of the reveals were that surprising, but they were still satisfying enough. I really enjoyed my watch, but I would have appreciated at least one shocking twist here to keep me guessing.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in!

The Beast in Me is an engrossing watch enhanced by two powerhouse performances by Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys. 

This was such a nice surprise. I haven’t been able to get into a show in a while, but this one really hooked me and never slowed down for one second. Loved it!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Beast in Me 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 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 “Die My Love” in Theaters: A Depressing, but Well-Acted Watch

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

“You like to feel like nothing?”

Die My Love released in theaters on November 7th 2025. The black-comedy drama film (based on the novel of the same name) stars Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, Sissy Spacek, LaKeith Stanfield, and Nick Nolte. It runs for an hour and fifty-eight minutes.

Grace and Jackson move into his uncle’s old home in rural Montana. They are crazy in love, but after they have a baby, Grace begins to spiral into psychosis.

Here is the trailer:

Die My Love is not the movie I expected to see, taking a darker and real look at postpartum depression. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Mubi

Moving performances.

Jennifer Lawrence was exceptional in this role. Even though I didn’t care for the film that much, this may have been her best performance to date. She was raw, unfiltered, and captivating. The dark comedy moments sprinkled into the film worked because of her delivery.

This couldn’t have been an easy role to portray and she did so anchored with real emotions. I honestly believed that this was happening to her as I watched her on screen.

She did drive me crazy crawling through that high grass though…

Robert Pattinson held his own as well and the rest of the supporting cast did enough, but the star of this was Jennifer.

Images courtesy of Mubi

Makes you think…about a lot.

In a lot of ways this movie reminded me of Nightbitch with Amy Adams. I wasn’t really a fan of that one either but I get what it was trying to do. This film took a much darker approach, however. The content was heavy, but necessary at times. Even though this film moved at a very slow pace, there were enough shocking moments in it to keep me watching.

Although I do have to comment on the fact that half of the theater got up at different times during this movie and left. I haven’t seen that in a long time so this movie is clearly not for everyone. I did appreciate that it didn’t sugarcoat anything, however. There were quite a few moments that really got to me and they were presented in an authentic way.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Mubi

Triggering moments.

There are quite a few triggering moments in this one so I am warning you now. This film doesn’t hold back when it comes to depicting depression and there is one scene in particular that really bothered me. If you think something might end in a horrible way, go with your gut and be aware. I also think that you need to be in the right mindset while watching this. It is super heavy and emotionally draining.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Mubi

I’m 50/50 on this one…

Die My Love explores postpartum depression in a bleak and drawn out way, but Jennifer Lawrence gives us an exceptional performance worth noting.

This was not the movie I was expecting to see after watching the trailer. I’ve seen similar films, focusing on a woman’s descent into madness after her losing herself. This was the most dismal one yet, however.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Die My Love 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 “MATCH” on Tubi: A Wild Ride!

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

“Internet dating can be brutal…”

MATCH released on October 3rd 2025 on Tubi. The horror thriller film stars Humberly González, Shaeane Jimenez, Dianne Simpson, Nikita Faber and Luke Volker. It runs for an hour and thirty-eight minutes.

Paola agrees to meet her online date at his house, but when she arrives she finds herself caught up in a twisted game of cat and mouse instead.

Here is the trailer:

MATCH is the latest horror film to take a stab at the horrors of online dating, but it manages to give us a fresh take with some sickening and shocking moments. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Tubi

Gets right to the point.

This film could have easily bored us with some unnecessary fluff and set-up, but instead it pulled us into a shocking nightmare right away, which I appreciated. I thought the overall pacing was solid and there were plenty of unexpected twists and turns to keep me invested until the very end.

Images courtesy of Tubi

Characters to root for.

I really liked all of the characters in this (even the side characters) and was rooting for them all. Dianne Simpson was absolutely terrifying in her role. She really went all out and it paid off, elevating this twisted film that much more.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Tubi

Gross and disturbing.

The shock value was definitely there and if you like extreme gross-out moments, there’s plenty of that. I appreciate that they really pushed the envelope here, but there were quite a few scenes that had me beyond nauseous. Seriously sick on another level…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Tubi

I’m in!!!

MATCH gives us plenty of stomach-turning horror in this surprisingly well-paced and outrageous film.

This was an unexpected surprise and I actually really enjoyed my watch.

I think this would make a fantastic double feature with FRESH.

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