Tag: Abby Quinn

Spoiler-Free Review of “Hell of a Summer” in Theaters: Silly Slasher Has Its Moments

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

“This summer’s gonna be huge for us…”

Hell of a Summer premiered in select theaters on April 4th 2025. The slasher horror comedy film stars Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk, and Pardis Saremi. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-eight minutes.

As a group of teens get ready to set up summer camp for the season, a masked killer begins picking them off one by one.

Here is the trailer:

Hell of a Summer attempts to bring us some slasher nostalgia with its fun premise, but does it do enough to be worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Neon

Entertaining concept.

I love slashers and when we add in an overused, but nostalgic setting like summer camp, this movie automatically starts out with three stars for me. I thought this film had a lot of potential to bring us some inventive kills while adding in some fun comedy.

Solid second half.

Even though this film was on the shorter side, it spent a lot of time in the first half focusing on excessive fluff. That being said, I think it did turn things around when we got to the heart of the plot, providing us with some entertaining moments involving the killer and our group in the second half. Not all of the humor landed for me, but I did laugh at some key parts.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Neon

Unlikable characters and not enough on screen kills…

I honestly couldn’t connect with anyone, making it extremely hard to root for them against the killer. This was extremely disappointing for me. I don’t know if it was a generation thing or what, but I literally could care less about who lived or died and the killer wasn’t that fun either…

My other big issue with this film was that the majority of the kills happened off screen. I know this is a horror comedy, but it’s dipping into the slasher end so I expected some gory kills. I think it would have helped this film in a lot of ways. The reveals were also just kind of meh…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Neon

I’m in about 75 percent…

Hell of a Summer has some fun campy moments, but it doesn’t fully capitalize on its slasher premise.

I’m being a little generous here with my review, but I do appreciate filmmakers willing to give us some new slasher material. I just expected more…

If you’re looking for a modern slasher to enjoy, I’d recommend Thanksgiving or Heart Eyes instead…but there are a few fun moments in this one.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Hell of a Summer 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!

**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 “Knock at the Cabin” in Theaters: Moving and Engrossing Watch

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

“Our choices make our destiny…”

Knock at the Cabin released in theaters on February 3rd 2023. The M. Night Shyamalan thriller stars Dave Bautista, Ben Aldridge, Jonathan Groff, Abby Quinn, and Rupert Grint. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty-nine minutes.

A young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four strangers while vacationing at a remote cabin in the woods. They are told that they must make an impossible choice in order to avoid the apocalypse.

Here is the trailer:

Knock at the Cabin is a thrilling and emotional roller-coaster ride, creating an effective story that hooks you right from the start. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Doesn’t mess around…

This film gets straight to the point without any unnecessary fluff or set-up. I was pulled in immediately and I thought that the pacing worked really well. I never felt like I was watching this one for too long and I was completely captivated by it.

This was such an intense story and premise and I think it executed everything perfectly. It was a lot better than I anticipated, which was a nice surprise.

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Emotional and touching.

I was really invested in this film because the chosen family was so convincing and believable. The flashbacks sprinkled into the film worked seamlessly and created necessary layers for these characters so that we actually cared about what happened to them without ever overdoing it. It just worked naturally, giving this film a solid balance that helped it surpass your average thriller.

The performances were chilling and top-notch.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Predictable at times…

This wasn’t a huge con, but I saw certain outcomes coming a mile away. We didn’t really get any insane twists thrown at us either, which was actually kind of refreshing since M. Night Shyamalan movies are usually hit or miss for me because of this very reason. If you’re looking for crazy twists, you won’t necessarily find them here, but I think as long as you manage your expectations, you’ll still enjoy your watch.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

I’m in!

A thriller that will stay with you well after it’s over!

This movie really makes you think a lot about things and it explores a chilling concept that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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! I hope you enjoy!

READ IF YOU DARE…

Dash and Seek 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.