Tag: Camila Mendes

Spoiler-Free Review of “Upgraded” on Prime: Camila Mendes is an Absolute Delight!

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

“This is what you wanted, right?”

Upgraded released on Prime on February 9th 2024. The romantic-comedy film stars Camila Mendes, Archie Renaux, Marisa Tomei, Lena Olin, and Anthony Head. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes.

A hard-working art intern is given the opportunity to travel to London to help her demanding boss when she meets a handsome stranger, which distracts her from her priorities.

Here is the trailer:

Upgraded successfully channels films like The Devil Wears Prada and Confessions of a Shopaholic, making this a charming treat for rom-com fans. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Prime

Cheers to Camila Mendes!

She’s an absolute dream in this film and she elevated it in a lot of ways. The Riverdale star definitely has a long career in front of her and I think she should continue to do films like this because she was likable and down-to-earth in her portrayal, making it very easy to root for her character.

The rest of the cast was great as well. I thought Marisa Tomei was hilarious (although her accent took a little getting used to) and I was so beyond excited to see Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum, Anthony Head in this! He was bloody fantastic!

Images courtesy of Prime

Believable chemistry.

I hate it when chemistry feels forced in films like this, but I was pleasantly surprised by how easily I fell in love with these two. I think what helped was that the main focus wasn’t on the new romance.

Rather, we learned more about Camila’s character as an individual and focused more on her challenges at work, which made the rest of the pieces fall together seamlessly. Adding in a charming romance was a bonus and while traditional rom-com fans may be looking for a little more in this department, it was the perfect amount for me.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Prime

Predictable at times…

I mean, but most rom-com films fall into some ounce of predictability so I can’t really fault it too much here. The film played it safe a lot, but I honestly couldn’t care less. I knew what I was getting when I started this film and it delivered and then some. Just don’t expect anything too shocking or unique here.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Prime

I’m in!!!

Upgraded is the artsy version of The Devil Wears Prada, delivering with super cute and charming moments worth indulging in.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film and I think it found the perfect balance of self-discovery and romance.

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

 

 

Review of “Riverdale” Season 7 Premiere on The CW: The gang time travels…again

*Please note that some spoilers are ahead.*

“The year is 1955…”

Riverdale season 7 premiered on March 29th 2023 on The CW. The final season will feature twenty weekly episodes. It stars Lili Reinhart, Cole Sprouse, KJ Apa, Camila Mendes, and Madelaine Petsch. Each episode runs for approximately 42-46 minutes.

After Bailey’s Comet threatened to destroy Riverdale for good, the gang got transported back in time to when the Archie Comics first took place. Only no one remembers what their lives were like before except Jughead.

Here is the trailer:

Riverdale was one of my favorite series for the longest time with crazy plot twists, insane cults, and love triangles that made our heads spin. As the seasons continued, the show became really far-fetched and lost its way, but the final season may be able to finish the series strong after all. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of The CW

This time jump is a lot more promising…

I wasn’t a huge fan of the time jump into the future after the gang finished high school. It felt forced and it never really worked for me personally. Well, the gang gets a second chance at high school…only this time they are back in 1955, which will give fans of the original comic series something to be excited about.

The costumes and music are a lot of fun and the series is even tackling important issues during this time period.

Old characters return.

The parents of Riverdale were pretty much phased out after the first time jump, but now we get to see some familiar faces return, which has actually been a lot of fun so far. I’m curious to see who else will come back for the final season since many of my favorite characters left the show at various points.

There also seems to be some hints at one of my favorite ships reigniting. Fingers crossed Choni fans!

We’ll have to see how all of this works out and things might get messy when the gang finds a way back to their original time…or universe. 

The Cons:

Images courtesy of The CW

Some characters regress…

While I was super excited to see Toni getting some well deserved screen time, other characters like Tabitha were barely around, which was slightly worrisome. I’m also not sure how I feel about Veronica’s character dealing with more nonsense surrounding her family when she worked so hard to break free of that.

Cheryl and Kevin are back in the closet and Betty doesn’t have the same fire within her that I’m used to seeing.

I’m hoping that our characters can remember who they are because they are all so fantastic to watch, but I’m worried about certain plots feeling recycled…just merely in a new time setting.

Our characters deserve better than that.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of The CW

I’m in about 75 percent…

Season 7 starts off with a lot of potential and I’m hoping that this show can redeem itself and finish strong, but we still have a ways to go.

Either way, I’m a lot more excited about this season and it’s already a lot stronger than the last two seasons I watched so there’s definitely some hope here!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Riverdale season 7 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 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!