Tag: Ben Mendelsohn

Spoiler-Free Review of “The Marsh King’s Daughter” in Theaters: Daisy Ridley is Worth the Watch

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

“It’s time you finished the hunt…”

The Marsh King’s Daughter released in theaters on November 3rd 2023. The thriller-drama film (based on the novel of the same name) stars Daisy Ridley, Ben Mendelsohn, Garrett Hedlund, and Gil Birmingham. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-eight minutes.

A young mother’s happy new life is threatened when her dark past returns as her father is released from prison, targeting her daughter.

Here is the trailer:

The Marsh King’s Daughter features some gripping performances centered around an interesting story with layers and some powerful moments. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Lionsgate Films

Stellar performances.

The force is strong with Daisy Ridley! She was absolutely mesmerizing on screen and did a really great job with this role. I believed her performance and then some. Ben Mendelsohn was terrific as well and the dynamic between the two of them worked really well on screen. I’m not sure that I would have liked this one as much without these two actors. They really elevated every scene to the max, making this an intriguing watch.

Images courtesy of Lionsgate Films

Solid start and a satisfying ending.

I was pulled into this film immediately. Usually I don’t always like films that skip from the past to the present, but this one had seamless transitions and I actually found the events in the past to be really interesting.

I really thought the ending was fantastic as well. The casting was superb in this one. I’d like to read the book now because I want to explore this world a little bit more and I’m sure it went into more detail there.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Lionsgate Films

Slow-moving in the middle.

As much as I enjoyed the beginning and end of this film, the middle slowed down quite a bit. The pacing felt sluggish and things went on for a little bit too long. I also wanted some more edge and grit in this one. It had a lot of potential with a strong story and great performers, but I wanted a touch more darkness in this one to really make it come to life on the big screen.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Lionsgate Films

I’m in!

Daisy Ridley shines in this powerful and consuming thriller.

This film wasn’t perfect, but it captivated my attention and had enough going for it to make this an entertaining watch overall. If you like crime thrillers, there’s enough here to enjoy.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Marsh King’s Daughter 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 “To Catch a Killer” on Demand: Gripping Crime Thriller

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

“The only thing enough for me is a solid lead…”

To Catch a Killer premiered in limited theaters on May 9th 2023 and is now currently available to watch on demand as of June 20th 2023. The crime thriller film stars Shailene Woodley, Ben Mendelsohn, Jovan Adepo, and Ralph Ineson. It runs for approximately two hours.

A police officer with a traumatic past is recruited by the FBI’s chief investigator to help profile and stop a deadly killer in Baltimore.

Here is the trailer:

To Catch a Killer hooks the audience right from the start with an intense opening and a captivating case that reels you in for more. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Explosive opening!

This was probably one of the best openings I have seen in a while. It was intense and shocking and it did a great job of hooking the audience. The crime was horrific and eye-opening and Shailene’s character, Eleanor was thrown right into things as well, making us connect to her immediately.

The intensity didn’t stop here. I thought there were plenty of thrilling moments built into this one, making it a very entertaining watch. The case itself was intriguing and complex. I never felt bored at all even during the quiet moments.

Images courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Strong performance by Shailene Woodley.

All of the actors did a good job, but she was absolutely incredible in this. I’ve always liked her as an actress and she proved her worth in this film. She was believable, emotional, and powerful without overdoing things. I liked her interactions with Investigator Lammark, but she was perfectly capable of commanding the screen on her own as well.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

I needed a few more character layers…

Eleanor dealt with something traumatic during her childhood, which was part of what made her so exceptional for this case, but we never really explored what that trauma was. I didn’t need the movie to be longer than it was, but I guess I just wanted a few more layers because I really liked her character and I wanted to truly understand her. I get that it was more about the trauma in general, but we took the time to look at this from the killer’s perspective so why not focus on her as well?

In a lot of ways this film was a crime thriller by the numbers. I’m not sure that it did anything that new in the genre, but I still found the content to be captivating and entertaining so this wasn’t a major con at all for me personally.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

I’m in!!!!

An engrossing watch!

Exceptional performances, great cinematography, and some intense moments that shouldn’t be missed.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on To Catch a Killer 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 “The Outsider” on HBO: A Glimmer of Haunting Potential

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

In the midst of this slow burn crime drama, there is this potential for chilling perfection lurking in the shadows.  Combine that with an extremely talented cast, an intriguing plot, and some supernatural elements, and this could be the formula for a hypnotizing new show.

The Outsider premiered on HBO on January 12th 2020 with two full length back-to-back episodes.  The mini-series will feature 10 episodes (60 minutes in length).  It stars Jason Bateman, Ben Mendelsohn, Cynthia Erivo, and Julianne Nicholson.

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, The Outsider follows the investigation behind the horrific murder of a young boy.  After evidence begins to appear quite quickly, things become much more complicated with potential supernatural forces at play, causing the lead investigator to question things further.

This slow burn crime drama has the potential to hook its audience completely, but does it do enough in its first two episodes to keep us coming back for more?  Let’s find out…

The Pros:

The Outsider HBO 1
Images courtesy of HBO

An extremely talented cast.

The performances are so captivating and believable from the opening minutes of the series.  Having an all star cast definitely works in the show’s favor.  The characters are compelling enough and there are still a lot of secrets left to uncover, hooking us in that much more.

Some really creepy and gruesome elements.

There are some graphic images in this show, but it adds to the shock and horror behind the crime.  We also get some really creepy moments that I haven’t quite figured out yet, stirring with disturbing possibility.  The use of discord music to set some of these scenes is actually quite brilliant as well, really creating a world of unexplained mystery.

The Cons:

The Outsider HBO 2
Images courtesy of HBO

The pacing is slow…extremely slow.

I watched the two opening episodes back-to-back and felt like I was sitting there for over three hours.  I even almost fell asleep a few times because of that so I’m not sure that a double episode premiere was wise.

Moving forward, I will only watch one episode at a time.  There is a lot to process, but I am really hoping that the show can pick up some steam because that may be its biggest downfall.

So am I in or out?

The Outsider HBO 3
Images courtesy of HBO

I’m in…at least for now.  Episode 3 will introduce us to Cynthia Erivo’s character, Holly Gibney, and I am truly hoping that she can liven things up and start to make sense of this case.

The unexplained mystery is genuinely intriguing and I want to see this unfold, but things need to pick up so that I don’t lose interest completely.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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**Do you love television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Once Upon a Time, Lost, Charmed, The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural?  Do you enjoy dark fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery?  Then you may like my book series, Dreaming of Wonderland…available on Amazon!  Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well.  I really hope you enjoy!

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