Tag: beautifully shot

Spoiler-Free Review of “Blink Twice” in Theaters: A Disturbing and Powerful Watch!

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

“Are you having a good time?”
Blink Twice released in theaters on August 23rd 2024. The psychological thriller film (written and directed by Zoë Kravitz) stars Channing Tatum, Naomi Ackie, Adria Arjona, Christian Slater, Geena Davis, Simon Rex, Alia Shawkat, and Kyle MacLachlan. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-two minutes.

When a tech billionaire meets a cocktail waitress named Frida at one of his fundraising events, he invites her and her friend to his private island, but Frida soon suspects that she may be in real danger when her friend goes missing and no one seems to remember who she is.
Here is the trailer:


Blink Twice is a mashup of Get Out, Promising Young Woman, and Don’t Worry Darling with a gripping story of its own. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Beautifully shot with a fantastic soundtrack!

Zoë Kravitz did a great job setting the tone of this film. Everything was so well shot and I loved the choice of music. It really enhanced every emotion displayed. I almost felt like I was transported along with everyone else to the island. I love when a movie can accomplish something like this, which is no easy task. I hope Zoë decides to make more movies because this was a dynamite debut! Wow!

Images courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

An unsettling mystery.

While I started to quickly realize what was actually going on here, this was a trippy watch in a good way. I felt just as lost as some of the characters for a while and when the truth was exposed, it left me with a gut-wrenching feeling of real terror and revulsion. These types of films often impact me the most. They show us the ugly reality of what human beings are capable of, making this watch that much more horrifying for me.

Images courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Bad-ass performances!

We got an all-star ensemble with this one with plenty of recognizable faces and I think that was sort of the point. Everyone played their part well. Channing Tatum went to an extreme level that was definitely noticed, but I have to say that Adria Arjona and Naomi Ackie stole the show. These two ladies were beyond bad-ass. I loved them in this!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Be mindful of the trigger warning.

I actually appreciated that this film had a trigger warning message at the start of the film. There were some scenes that were beyond difficult to watch, but I appreciated the warning ahead of time. It didn’t make the scenes any less uncomfortable, but I’d recommend fully reading the warning.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

I’m in!!!

Blink Twice is terrifying in a very visceral way, making this an uncomfortable, yet impactful watch.

Zoë Kravitz has a bright future as a director!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Blink Twice 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 new island thriller!

Blood Rose Island is available here!
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Spoiler-Free Review of “He Went That Way” on Demand: What did I just watch?

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

“Do you need a ride?”

He Went That Way released on demand on January 12th 2024. The crime thriller (loosely based on true events) stars Jacob Elordi and Zachary Quinto. It runs for an hour and thirty-five minutes.

Set in the 1960’s, a celebrity animal trainer and his chimpanzee, Spanky, offer a ride to a young stranger, but he quickly discovers that his passenger is actually a serial killer.

Here is the trailer:

He Went That Way is odd and uninspiring, allowing a chimpanzee to upstage the two leads of this strange thriller. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Beautifully shot.

The backdrop of this film was exceptionally well done and I thought the majority of it was aesthetically pleasing. My attention was drifting a lot during this film, but the cinematographer did a solid job here and I thought the road trip aspect was captured well.

Spanky steals the show…

I was honestly bored out of my mind watching this one, but who would have thought that a chimpanzee named Spanky would actually be the most entertaining? We had two well-versed leads here, but they were definitely upstaged…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Exhausting pacing with no real direction…

I think this goes to show that not every true crime story should be turned into a film. I actually found myself looking up these crimes during the movie, which was a lot more interesting than what I was watching. I just don’t think that it translated well at all in the film. The plot just felt really messy and choppy, never fully grabbing my attention.

The bond between our two main leads needed to be fleshed out more.

I think this would have made the movie a lot more interesting. Both characters needed to be fleshed out a lot more so that we would actually care about what happened to them. I think this film thought it accomplished that it, but it never truly did. There were a couple of worthy moments between them and more so between Spanky and them, but it never reached its level of potential.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Unfortunately I’m out on this one…

He Went That Way never finds its direction, making this a strange watch overall that never resonated with me until the end credits.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on He Went That Way 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 “Where the Crawdads Sing” in Theaters: Beautiful and Emotional

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

“The swamp knows all about death…”

Where the Crawdads Sing released in theaters on July 15th 2022. The mystery drama film (based on the book of the same name) stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson, David Strathairn, Garret Dillahunt, and Sterling Macer Jr. It runs for two hours and five minutes.

Kya grows up alone in the marshlands of North Carolina during the 50’s and 60’s after being abandoned by her family. Years later, she is accused of murdering a boy she was romantically involved with.

Here is the trailer:

Where the Crawdads Sing transports its audience into a beautiful setting with deep, dark secrets, as it weaves together a story of heartbreak, love, and deception. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Beautifully shot.

This movie was so gorgeous to watch. The setting was incredible and I loved the use of color. Everything was just so vivid and clear. Since the setting was such an integral part of this story, it made sense to make it stand out as the star and I think it really pulled the audience in to this secret world tucked away from the rest of society.

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Daisy Edgar-Jones is mesmerizing on screen.

I absolutely loved her in the film Fresh and she delivered in this film as well. This was such an eccentric and unique character and I think that her portrayal was truly moving. She captured my attention the entire time. I’m looking forward to seeing her in more films because she is very talented.

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

A mystery that pulls you in with an ending I didn’t see coming…

I did not read the book prior to watching this film so I went into it with no real expectations. I thought the mystery was solid and the ending really threw me for a loop in the best possible way. There will be no spoilers in this review, but wow!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Glosses over details I wanted to know more about.

I know it’s not easy adapting a book into a film, but I thought that certain characters and timelines felt rushed. Just when I started to really connect with the young Kya story-line, we were pulled right back into the present day one.

I also wanted to know more about some of the other characters in Kya’s life (including the two love interests). I didn’t need this film to be much longer than it was, but I thought that some of these details were necessary so that we could connect with Kya’s story even more.

Even though I didn’t read the book, I would have liked to have also seen the more wild side of the swamp. Everything was just so gorgeous and serene and I’m sure that the darker parts were explored more in the novel. I’m also not really sure how Kya got such a beautiful wardrobe when she was basically a recluse, but I’ll just go with it…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

I’m in!!

Beautiful, moving, and shocking in the best way possible!

I really enjoyed my watch and I definitely recommend that you give this film a chance because it has a lot going for it.

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