Spoiler-Free Review of “AFRAID” (2024) on Demand: The Screen Time Premise is Getting Exhausting…

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

“I feel like it’s listening to us all the time…”

AFRAID released in theaters on August 30th 2024 and is now available to stream on Demand as of September 17th 2024. The sci-fi horror film stars John Cho, Katherine Waterston, Havana Rose Liu, Lukita Maxwell, and David Dastmalchian. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-five minutes.

A marketing executive is selected to take home a new digital device named AIA to organize his family’s life, but when AIA thinks she knows what’s best for his family, she begins to take control of every situation, threatening their safety in the process.

Here is the trailer:

AFRAID channels M3gan in a lot of ways, but its gimmicky plot and cheap scares do little to enhance this viewing experience. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

Talented cast.

I’m always happy to see John Cho in horror films and I thought this film had a pretty recognizable cast, which was a plus. Havana Rose Liu stole the film for me. She is quickly becoming one of my new favorite actresses. I loved her in No Exit and Bottoms. She managed to be charming and eerie at the same time with her portrayal. I just wish she got a better film…

Unfortunately the pros stop here…

The Cons:

Uninspiring plot.

I just recently watched Subservience starring Megan Fox (which also channeled M3gan), but that film was a lot more interesting than AFRAID. I’ve seen too many movies with the AI taking over theme recently and while some have clever takes on it, this film fails to say anything new. The plot felt lazy and that ending was atrocious.

Lack of suspense.

I would have been fine with the overdone plot if this movie was actually scary. Instead it relied on cheesy jump scares, which was beyond frustrating. There was one scene that actually had potential, but it cut away from it before showing us anything that violent or frightening. It just felt like they phoned it in with this film and didn’t really care to put in any real effort here.

So am I in or out?

Unfortunately I’m out on this one…

AFRAID fails to deliver with nothing new to say, but at least Havana Rose Liu ate up every ounce of screen time.

Still better than Night Swim though…

I hope you enjoyed the review and please feel free to share your thoughts on AFRAID in the comments section!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, HER NIGHT FROM HELL HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN…

After working the night shift, Ashley becomes entangled in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a local street gang, forcing her to come up with a plan to survive the night by turning the tables on them.

Ashley must fight for her life and take them out one by one if she wants to make it to morning…

My young adult revenge thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Make it Through the Night is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Drive-Away Dolls” in Theaters: Saucy & Sex-Crazed Crime Comedy

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

“Love is a sleigh ride to Hell…”

Drive-Away Dolls released in theaters on February 23rd 2024. The crime thriller-comedy film stars Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Matt Damon, and Pedro Pascal. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-four minutes.

Two friends decide to take a road trip to Tallahassee, but when they are given the wrong vehicle in error, they discover a mysterious case in the trunk that puts them in danger with a group of criminals.

Here is the trailer:

Drive-Away Dolls features a fun concept with two likable leads, but does all the buildup lead to anything worthwhile? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Two worthy leads.

I really like Margaret Qualley as an actress and she lit up the screen in this one with her over-the-top accent and carefree portrayal. There were some fun cameos in this as well, but our two main leads stole the show. I thought the friendship and chemistry between them was believable and even though there were some ridiculous and trippy parts to this movie, this bond was grounded in something real.

Fun concept.

I really liked the vibe of this film. The bright colors popped in an aesthetically pleasing way and for a time, this kind of felt like a mix of Pulp Fiction, Thelma & Louise, and Bottoms. This may seem like a crazy mash-up, but it kind of worked at some points as long as you don’t take it too seriously.

I also liked that this movie was on the shorter side. It could have dragged certain story-lines out more, but I think that would have taken away from the film.

The Cons:

Needed some more violence thrown in…

This film was filled to the brim with sex galore, but I think it could have benefited from some more blood and violence. The opening sequence hinted at unlocking this film’s true potential and I was hoping we would get a lot more of this throughout the rest of the film, but we never really got there.

I also thought that the ending needed a bit more of a bang to really sell me on this.

So am I in or out?

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 had some entertaining moments, but the trailer was a lot more convincing than the actual result.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Drive-Away Dolls 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!

Ranking my Top 10 Films of 2023: Which Movies Made The Cut?

It’s that time of year again! As we get closer and closer to approaching 2024, I thought it would be the perfect time to count down my Top 10 Films of 2023.

There are still a lot of movies that I have not seen yet, but I wanted to highlight some of my favorites of the year so far!

My Top 10 Films of 2023 are:

10

Totally Killer

If horror comedy films like Happy Death Day and Freaky are your jam, you’ll find plenty to love in Totally Killer, featuring out of this world performances by both Kiernan Shipka and Olivia Holt.

9

The Passenger

Kyle Gallner gives the performance of his career in this dark and emotional film that was one of the most unique entries to cinema I have watched all year. Moving and resonating.

8

Barbie

The movie event of the year! Barbie was so much fun! Ryan Gosling gave one of my favorite performances of the year and I loved the humor sprinkled into this bubble gum pop world.

7

Thanksgiving

Halloween isn’t the only holiday featuring amazing slasher films. Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving channeled 90’s slashers to perfection with plenty of gore and twists around each corner.

6

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

The perfect blend of nostalgia for the generation that grew up playing these classic video games mixed with tons of cute and fun moments for kids now, making this a family friendly film worth your time. Plus, Jack Black KILLS it as Bowser and I think I’ll be singing “Peaches” for a very long time.

5

Plane

Every now and then, there is a non-stop action film that leaves me cheering and Plane is that movie for 2023. I loved it from start to finish and I’ve already re-watched it several times. It’s filled with adrenaline and plenty of bad-ass moments!

4

Unseen

An absolute gem that shouldn’t fly under the radar. Unseen is on the shorter side, but it hooks you from the start and features two strong female leads. If you enjoy simple, but effective thrillers, this one is for you!

3

Scream 6

I didn’t know how I felt about Scream 6 switching up its setting and main character, but it all worked perfectly, making this such a wonderful surprise. It carved its way into the franchise without holding back, creating a bloody good time for Scream fans everywhere.

2

Evil Dead Rise

Maybe not for everyone, but Evil Dead Rise presents horror fans with gore galore and introduces us to a new bad-ass female lead. I love the Evil Dead franchise and although this one had a very different feel to it, I couldn’t look away and that title card will be haunting me for years to come…

Honorable Mentions:

Leave the World Behind

Missing

No One Will Save You

Sick

The Blackening

Drum roll please…

1

Bottoms

Raunchy, laugh-out-loud funny, and so entertaining! Bottoms is my favorite film of the year! It’s been a long time since I truly fell in love with a teen comedy and this one brought that genre back to life and then some!

I hope to see more films from 2023 soon, but I hope you enjoyed the list!

Did you have a favorite film of 2023? If so, drop it in the comments!

I wish you all a happy and healthy new year and can’t wait to review more new films in 2024! Happy viewing!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Bottoms” in Theaters: Raunchy and Delightful!

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

“Welcome to our f*cking fight club!”

Bottoms released in theaters on September 1st 2023. The dark teen comedy stars Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebiri, Havana Rose Liu, Ruby Cruz, Kaia Gerber, and Marshawn Lynch. It runs for approximately 90 minutes.

Unpopular best friends, PJ and Josie decide to start up a self defense club for women to impress their two crushes.

Here is the trailer:

Bottoms manages to find the perfect balance of unrestrained humor and utter charm, setting the new standard for teen comedies. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Outrageously funny!

I’ve been waiting for a movie like this for a long time. I’m a huge fan of 90’s and 00’s teen comedies and many of the entries for the new generation have paled in comparison. Well, I can’t say that anymore. This movie was laugh-out-loud funny and so much fun! I loved every second of it and thought these characters dominated the screen.

I can’t wait to go back and see this again. It was such a blast!

Every single character was a stand-out!

Usually there are a few scene-stealers in films like this, but I am happy to report that every single character was bloody fantastic! I almost wish this movie was longer because they all deserved so much screen time. Our two leads were great. Rachel Sennott is dominating the industry right now and she did not disappoint. I’m so impressed that she also co-wrote this film.

Marshawn Lynch stole the film for me though. He was AMAZING and I loved his interaction with the girls.

The Cons:

I don’t have any…

Honestly my only con is that this film didn’t release in my local theater until the second week. Let’s work on that…

So am I in or out?

I’m in 100 percent!!!

Bottoms packs a punch with unforgettable characters, bloody violence, and over-the-top humor, making this an absolute dream come true for the teen comedy genre.

My favorite film of the year so far!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

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!

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