Spoiler-Free Review of “Apples Never Fall” on Peacock: A Straightforward Mystery-Drama Series

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

“Thank you for opening your door…”

Apples Never Fall released on Peacock on March 14th 2024 with all seven episodes available to stream now. The limited mystery-drama series (based on the book of the same name) stars Annette Bening, Sam Neill, Alison Brie, Jake Lacy, Essie Randles, Conor Merrigan, and Georgia Flood. Each episode runs for approximately 45-50 minutes.

After their mother goes missing, the Delaney family works together and unlocks secrets involving the introduction of a stranger on their doorstep, hoping to find their mother before it is too late.

Here is the trailer:

Apples Never Fall is a quick and effortless watch with an addicting premise and decent performances. Is it worthy of your next binge-watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Great cast.

Similar to Big Little Lies (from the same author), this miniseries had quite a few familiar faces in it and I thought the performances were solid for the most part. Annette Bening and Alison Brie stood out the most for me.

Some of the other characters could have been fleshed out a little bit more (I’m assuming they were in the book), but I didn’t need this to go on for longer than it did.

Images courtesy of Peacock

A soapy and simple enough mystery to indulge in.

I appreciated that this series kept things simple and didn’t try to do too much. I’ve seen similar series with outrageous twists and complex sub-plots and while I often love them, it was refreshing to just sit back and enjoy this one without having to think too much.

I thought that the balance between the soapy family drama and the core mystery worked well enough, keeping me engaged until the end.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Not a fan of the constant time jumps.

I eventually got used to them, but it felt erratic jumping back and forth between timelines. Initially it was very confusing and I think they jam-packed way too many of these past and present scenes in the pilot episode, which made it slightly overwhelming.

As the episodes continued, the transitions worked a lot better, but they were disruptive at times still.

I also felt like the ending was kind of a letdown. I guess I wanted something more shocking and darker. It just felt like we were leading up to something extraordinary and then the end result was lukewarm at best.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Peacock

I’m in about 75 percent…

Apples Never Fall did enough to keep me engaged until the very end with an impressive cast and a layered mystery.

If you enjoy guilty-pleasure mystery-dramas, you’ll have a satisfying binge-watch overall.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Apples Never Fall 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 new 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 “Death on the Nile” in Theaters: Aesthetically Pleasing Murder Mystery

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

“He’s only the greatest detective alive…”

Death on the Nile released in theaters on February 11th 2022. The murder mystery film stars Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Tom Bateman, Letitia Wright, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Jennifer Saunders, Rose Leslie and Emma Mackey. It runs for approximately two hours and five minutes.

Belgian detective, Poirot, is back in this adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel as his vacation to Egypt doesn’t exactly go according to plan when he ends up involved in a series of murders on a boat involving a newlywed couple.

Here is the trailer:

Death on the Nile allows fans of Murder on the Orient Express a chance to follow the clues with Poirot once again, leading to a fun murder mystery, but does this film do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Gorgeous fashion and setting.

This film was very pleasing to the eye. The use of color and light really worked to its advantage. I adored all of the costumes (especially Gal Gadot’s wardrobe). Can we get a peek inside her closet? Seriously, she always wears the most beautiful dresses!

The setting easily transported me to another time and place and I thought it suited the movie perfectly. The cast was truly fantastic as well.

Fun murder mystery.

If you enjoy Agatha Christie novels, then you’ll feel right at home with this one. There are multiple suspects (pretty much everyone onboard) and tons of different motives, which will have you playing detective as well throughout the film.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Really slow at times…

The film was just over two hours long, but I felt like I had been watching it for over three hours. A lot of the setup really dragged. Once we got to the murders, things naturally picked up, but it took a while to get there…

The ending was also kind of predictable. That could be because I started to remember the details of the book and the prior film or maybe I’m becoming a better detective than I thought, but I was able to put the pieces together fairly quickly on this one.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of 20th Century Studios

I’m in about 75 percent…

This film truly was something out of a watercolor painting. Everything was just so vibrant and beautiful, which kept me focused and alert. The murder mystery is a fun one and it’s always great to see Detective Poirot in action.

If you enjoy murder mysteries, then you’ll find plenty to enjoy with this one, but be prepared to sit through a lot before things truly get going.

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