Tag: Australia

Spoiler-Free Review of “The Royal Hotel” on Demand: A Vacation Gone Wrong

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

“You’re here on vacation?”

The Royal Hotel released in limited theaters on October 6th 2023 and is currently available to stream on demand as of October 23rd 2023. The thriller-drama film stars Julia Garner, Jessica Henwick, Hugo Weaving, Toby Wallace, James Frecheville, and Daniel Henshall. It runs for approximately 90 minutes.

Hanna and Liv are having the time of their lives vacationing in Australia, but when they wind up short on cash, they agree to take a temporary job bartending in a remote Outback mining town that puts them in danger.

Here is the trailer:

The Royal Hotel features two gripping performances in a chilling setting, but does all the buildup lead to anything worthwhile? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Neon

Two worthy leads.

The best part of this film was the two strong performances by Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick. They were both very believable and portrayed some heavy stuff in tense situations. I wish they were given a little bit more content to work with here, but I enjoyed their performances and they elevated this film in a lot of ways.

A setting and premise with loads of potential.

When I first saw the trailer for this film, I was so beyond excited to watch it. It screamed vibes of Wolf Creek and Brokedown Palace. We had a really good set-up and some intense moments built in, but the end result wasn’t what I was expecting…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Neon

Not sure why this was billed as a thriller?

Sure, there were some intense moments here and there, but I was super frustrated with this film because it felt like we were building up to an insane climax and then the end result was lukewarm at best. It just never really went anywhere…

This really should have been billed as a drama instead. I think that it will disappoint an audience looking for an actual thriller. The drama wasn’t bad, but setting up that expectation made this a confusing watch for me.

Lacked necessary character layers.

I didn’t need that many, but some would have been nice, especially since our two leads are incredibly talented and basically carried this movie. I needed to know more about why they were in Australia in the first place and maybe some crucial moments between them in their past could have explained some of the tension building throughout the film.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Neon

I’m 50/50 on this one…

I think that people will either love or hate this film. I’m somewhere in the middle of that. It wasn’t bad by any means and I actually thoroughly enjoyed the performances by our two main leads, but I wanted SO MUCH MORE!

Julia Garner needed to unleash her inner Ruth Langmore from Ozark to give this movie some serious edge.

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

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Surviving Summer” Season 2 on Netflix: Blue Crush-Esque Series Returns

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

“I’m back…”

Surviving Summer season two released on Netflix on September 15th 2023. The Australian teen coming-of-age series features eight new episodes available to stream now. The show stars Sky Katz, Kai Lewins, Savannah La Rain and Lilliana Bowrey. Each episode runs for approximately 27-28 minutes.

After returning back to New York, Summer decides to go back to Australia to try out for the surfing team while re-connecting with old friends.

Here is the trailer:

Surviving Summer season one was a quick and delightful treat, transporting us to a beautiful setting with some predictable, but heartwarming moments. Does season two do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Aesthetically pleasing once again.

If you’re attempting to hold on to the summer season for just a little while longer, Surviving Summer season two will do the trick with gorgeous scenery and feel-good music. We got fewer episodes this time around, which was smart, and I like that they kept them under thirty minutes each, making this season extremely easy to binge-watch.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Favorite characters return.

In season one, Summer was trying to figure out where she belonged and surfing gave her that chance. The ending of the series was actually really well-done and I didn’t think another season was necessary.

That being said, I missed the quirkiness of Summer and I was glad she got to shine again in season two. She was a lot more sure of herself this time around and I loved that she showed off her new surfing skills with style, proving that she is worthy of the competition.

Our other supporting characters returned as well and were given some layers too, which helped flesh them out more.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Not a fan of the new potential love interest…

I get that we needed to shake things up in season two, but I wasn’t really a fan of the new “bad boy” potential love interest for Summer. He fit too neatly into a trope for me. I get that this is a coming-of-age series filled with predictable and “wrong” choices along the way, but I think more effort was needed in this department. I wanted something or someone based more in reality. The Summer I Turned Pretty does this very well and perhaps this series could learn a thing or two from that one…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in about 75 percent…

Surviving Summer season two manages to capture the same vibe as season one, making this a charming and effortless watch. 

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

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 “Surviving Summer” on Netflix: Blue Crush style Coming-of-Age Series

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

“Are you into surfing?”

Surviving Summer released on Netflix on June 3rd 2022. The Australian teen series features ten episodes available to stream now. The show stars Sky Katz, Kai Lewins, Savannah La Rain and Dustin Clare. Each episode runs for approximately 26-30 minutes.

A wild teen from New York is sent to Australia to live with family friends she hasn’t seen in years, introducing her to the world of surfing.

Here is the trailer:

Surviving Summer will remind you of Blue Crush and Dive Club, but does this coming-of-age story add anything new to the genre?  Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Aesthetically pleasing.

This series was gorgeous to watch. The scenery was incredible and the music soundtrack complimented it well. I felt like I was being transported somewhere else while watching it and I think the “summer” premiere was a smart one. I’m ready to hit the beach after watching this…

Images courtesy of Netflix

Likable characters.

I would have preferred a little bit more edge to some of the characters, but much like Dive Club, this series was very family friendly. I liked a lot of the characters and I appreciated that we spent enough time peeling back some layers. Even though this was a story I have seen over and over again, it was still entertaining to watch because of the characters.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Predictable with unnecessary montages…

The montages were a bit much in this one. The episodes were on the short side, but I’m not sure that we really needed ten of them. I think this gave us a lot of unnecessary fluff when the story itself was entertaining enough to keep me invested. The ending was also really predictable as well so I’m not sure that this coming-of-age story really did anything that different to make it stand out in the genre.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in about 75 percent…

This series had its charms and it was absolutely stunning to watch, but I wanted a little bit more from it. If you enjoy Blue Crush, you will find a lot to enjoy with this one, but you’re probably better off just re-watching that film.

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

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 “Wolf Like Me” on Peacock: Quirky Dramedy with Heart

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

“I haven’t been out in a really long time…”

Wolf Like Me released on January 13th 2022 on Peacock. The supernatural dramedy series stars Isla Fisher and Josh Gad. There are six episodes in total that run for approximately 22-26 minutes.

Set in Australia, a single father tries to connect with his eleven-year-old daughter when a woman named Mary crashes into his car. After their first date, she runs out the door, revealing that she has a supernatural secret.

Here is the trailer:

Wolf Like Me has a Santa Clarita Diet vibe with fantastic characters, but does it find its balance between drama and comedy? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Great chemistry between Gad and Fisher.

Both actors did a fantastic job with this series. I thought they had really terrific chemistry together. Both characters had a lot of layers and there was pure magic when they were together, which really elevated this series for me.

Short episodes.

This show was extremely easy to binge-watch. Each episode is just under a half hour and there are only six in total. Even though this series is a slow-burn one in a lot of ways, I thought the length of the episodes helped the pacing. Each episode did just enough at the end to bring you back for more.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Really heavy at times…

It’s not easy finding a balance between comedy and drama. I thought that the moments of comedy were actually spot on and I enjoyed them. There were also some really heartfelt moments too that just worked. This is one of those shows where it’s really more about the characters than the plot surrounding them.

However, some of the more emotional moments were really heavy and depressing at times, which made it difficult to jump right back into the moments of comedy without feeling slightly unhinged.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Peacock

I’m in about 75 percent…

Overall, I really enjoyed this series. I thought that it had a quirky charm to it and the characters were easy to connect to. At times the plot fell slightly flat, but the interactions and moments between the characters made up for it in a lot of ways.

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