Tag: cat and mouse

Spoiler-Free Review of “MATCH” on Tubi: A Wild Ride!

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

“Internet dating can be brutal…”

MATCH released on October 3rd 2025 on Tubi. The horror thriller film stars Humberly González, Shaeane Jimenez, Dianne Simpson, Nikita Faber and Luke Volker. It runs for an hour and thirty-eight minutes.

Paola agrees to meet her online date at his house, but when she arrives she finds herself caught up in a twisted game of cat and mouse instead.

Here is the trailer:

MATCH is the latest horror film to take a stab at the horrors of online dating, but it manages to give us a fresh take with some sickening and shocking moments. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Tubi

Gets right to the point.

This film could have easily bored us with some unnecessary fluff and set-up, but instead it pulled us into a shocking nightmare right away, which I appreciated. I thought the overall pacing was solid and there were plenty of unexpected twists and turns to keep me invested until the very end.

Images courtesy of Tubi

Characters to root for.

I really liked all of the characters in this (even the side characters) and was rooting for them all. Dianne Simpson was absolutely terrifying in her role. She really went all out and it paid off, elevating this twisted film that much more.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Tubi

Gross and disturbing.

The shock value was definitely there and if you like extreme gross-out moments, there’s plenty of that. I appreciate that they really pushed the envelope here, but there were quite a few scenes that had me beyond nauseous. Seriously sick on another level…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Tubi

I’m in!!!

MATCH gives us plenty of stomach-turning horror in this surprisingly well-paced and outrageous film.

This was an unexpected surprise and I actually really enjoyed my watch.

I think this would make a fantastic double feature with FRESH.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on MATCH 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 “Heretic” in Theaters: Hugh Grant Delivers an Extremely Unsettling Performance!

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

“The more you know, the less you know…”

Heretic released in theaters on November 8th 2024 and is currently available to stream on Demand as of December 10th 2024. The psychological horror film stars Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, and Topher Grace. It runs for approximately an hour and fifty minutes.

Two young Mormon missionaries become caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse when they are invited into a home where their faith is tested.

Here is the trailer:

Heretic weaves together a thought-provoking and unnerving story filled with plenty of chilling moments. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of A24

Hugh Grant delivers a stellar performance.

I’m used to seeing Hugh Grant in some of my favorite rom-coms, but he showed off his exceptional range in this film. He was so creepy, elevating any stale content to something extraordinary and compelling by his mere presence. He should seriously get an award for this one. He held my attention the whole time, keeping me on the edge of my seat.

I love that Sophie Thatcher is appearing in more horror films. She is one to watch for sure and I thought that Chloe East gave a convincing performance as well. This was a small cast, but everyone put forth believable performances that really lured the audience into these four walls in such an effective way.

Images courtesy of A24

Unsettling from start to finish…

There wasn’t much going on in this film and at the same time, there was SO MUCH going on. The tension was insane in this one. I didn’t think I would care for this film, but I was really intrigued by the debate going on within these four walls. Everything was executed in such a poetic and subtle way. There was just this endless feeling of being uncomfortable throughout the entire film. It worked so well, bringing me along for the ride, and I was thoroughly satisfied by the final act.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of A24

Sluggish pacing at times.

Be prepared for a slow burn. This one did have some issues with initial pacing, but Hugh Grant kept me invested enough that I didn’t really mind. I think as long as you go into this one understanding that, you’ll still enjoy the film…although I’m not sure that it’s for everyone.

The characters made some terrible decisions at times, but then we wouldn’t have a movie if they didn’t…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of A24

I’m in!!!

Heretic is a unique and captivating watch that will stick with you long after it’s over!

This movie was such a fantastic surprise and I was blown away by Hugh Grant’s performance.

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

Spoiler-Free Review of “Damsel” on Netflix: Not Your Average Fairy-Tale…

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

“This story always ends the same…”

Damsel is a dark fantasy action film that premiered on March 8th 2024 on Netflix. It stars Millie Bobby Brown, Robin Wright, Nick Robinson, and Angela Bassett. It runs for an hour and forty-nine minutes.

A young woman marries a prince, only to discover that his family actually plans to sacrifice her to a dragon.

Here is the trailer:


Damsel follows in the footsteps of The Princess, presenting us with a capable and intelligent female lead who needs to rely on herself to save the day. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Visually impressive.

This film was gorgeous to look at. It really felt like I was seeing an actual fairy-tale kingdom right off the page. The colors and costumes were aesthetically pleasing and I was impressed with the scenes involving the dragon.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Millie Bobby Brown gives it her all!

I really liked her in this and thought she stepped away from her character from Stranger Things in a bad-ass way, proving that she is more than capable of commanding the screen in different types of films. I’d like to see her do more than Netflix films because I think she has a lot of raw talent that is being stifled in a way, but I was rooting for her the entire time in this one.

I also wanted her character to give us some sarcasm or humor to lighten things up a little bit, but she delivered with what she was given.

The cat-and-mouse scenes were well done.

I loved the way the dragon toyed with her and I really enjoyed some of the earlier scenes in the cave where we got to see Elodie unlock her true potential with intelligence and courage. There were also some darker elements of horror in this one that I absolutely loved.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Nothing new here…

Look, I love modern day fairy-tales and I will continue to indulge in them. That being said, I’ve seen this movie before. I personally liked The Princess better, which had a better balance of bad-ass moments and humor to keep me fully engaged. I’m all for a strong female lead not requiring the prince to save the day, but this film needed some more edge to fully deliver.

It had some sprinkles of Ready or Not thrown in and if it had lightened up just a touch and found some twisted humor, it would have been a little bit more satisfying by the time I got to the end.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in about 75 percent…

Millie Bobby Brown reminds us that she’s here to stay as a strong female lead in this bad-ass (but mostly predictable) fantasy-action flick.

A lot felt very by the numbers here, but if you enjoy twists on fairy-tales and anything with dragons, there’s enough here to appreciate for a decent enough movie of the week.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts on Damsel 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 “Play Dead” on Demand: Twisted Thriller Delivers

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

“Now it’s time to die…”

Play Dead released on Demand on April 7th 2023. The horror-thriller film stars Bailee Madison, Jerry O’Connell, Anthony Turpel, and Chris Lee. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes.

Chloe fakes her own death to break into a morgue, but quickly discovers that the coroner is involved in a dangerous business that is more deadly than she could have imagined.

Here is the trailer:

Play Dead is a fast-paced thriller filled with edge-of-your-seat moments that keep you invested from start to finish. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Voltage Pictures

A solid game of cat and mouse.

I personally love horror-thriller films like this. Our focus is mainly on Chloe as she winds up trapped in a morgue with a coroner with deadly secrets. There are so many intense moments in this film and it kept my undivided attention the entire time. Sometimes less is more and this film understood that, focusing on the little moments in-between that were terrifying enough on their own.

The pacing was also really on point. The movie was a touch longer than it needed to be, but I think they did a solid job with this and I never lost interest.

Images courtesy of Voltage Pictures

Bailee Madison is fierce and bad-ass!

I really loved her in The Strangers: Prey at Night and she was also just recently in the Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin series, but she was absolutely terrific in this film and really commanded the screen. Much of our attention is focused on her and her alone and she really put forth a valiant effort here and I really hope that she does more films like this because I think that she will quickly become a force to be reckoned with in the horror genre.

Jerry O’Connell did a great job with his role as well.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Voltage Pictures

Far-fetched and outrageous at times…

I would manage your expectations in this department and expect things to be a little ridiculous and unbelievable at times. However, as long as you just go with it, you’ll have an entertaining watch.

There was one twist I saw coming a mile away, but I still thought this film had plenty going for it so I didn’t really mind at all.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Voltage Pictures

I’m in!!!

Play Dead brings a terrifying premise to life with a strong female lead to root for and plenty of intense moments.

This film was such a wonderful surprise!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Play Dead 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 “Ragdoll” on AMC: Killing Eve Style with Potential

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

“You’re gonna catch a serial killer…”

Ragdoll originally premiered on AMC+ back in November 2021 but AMC is now airing the six episodes weekly following Killing Eve. The first episode dropped on February 28th 2022. The crime thriller series stars Lucy Hale, Henry Lloyd-Hughes and Thalissa Teixeira. Each episode runs for approximately 45-52 minutes.

A game of cat and mouse begins between a troubled cop and a serial killer with a sadistic eye for detail.

Here is the trailer:

Ragdoll has a Killing Eve style that works to its advantage, but is the plot strong enough to keep viewers coming back for more? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of AMC

Good dynamic between characters.

I love Lucy Hale and she is probably the main reason why I tuned into this one. So far her character seems interesting enough and there is also some really great dark humor between the other main characters, which helps lightens the mood a great deal. The crimes we witness are truly horrifying but I’ve seen a lot of series like this before so I think it’s smart that there are decent character layers and fun banter to keep viewers intrigued.

Stylish visual effects.

The series is brought to us from the same production company that made Killing Eve and that should come as no surprise. I immediately got that type of vibe when I started watching and the network was smart to air these episodes right after Killing Eve to bring in a new audience.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of AMC

I’ve seen this plot before…

The pacing and plot need some work so far. I think there is enough potential to keep me coming back for more, but there was also a lot of set-up, which slowed down the overall pace for me. I’m confident that things will pick up steam over the six episodes but I don’t want this to fall into the generic crime thriller category because it has a great cast and a dark quality that I really like.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of AMC

I’m in about 75 percent…

Lucy Hale is always worth a watch and I think that there is a lot of potential here, but I’m hoping that the plot picks up steam soon so that I don’t lose interest.

Either way, I’d recommend checking it out after Killing Eve if you enjoy crime thrillers.

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

Checking in on “Killing Eve” Season 4: How will this delightful game of cat and mouse end?

**Please note spoilers are ahead if you are not caught up on this series.**

“Let me have a new life…”

Killing Eve season 4 premiered on BBC America and AMC on February 27th 2022. The final season will feature 8 episodes in total that will air weekly. The series stars Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, Fiona Shaw and Kim Bodnia.

This deadly and delightful game of cat and mouse has gone on for quite a while between Eve and Villanelle, but what needs to happen in order for it to go out on a high note?

Images courtesy of BBC America

I think it’s safe to say that we have exhausted the cat and mouse routine now. Eve and Villanelle have come face to face many times, leading up to a major cliffhanger on a bridge where we see them collide in life once again.

However, season 4 decides to start things off with a time jump which could be hit or miss. Eve is working for a private security team and Villanelle is trying to find religion so that she can become a good person.

Images courtesy of BBC America

I’ve really loved witnessing the character growth and development of Villanelle over the seasons. We got to explore her back story and really see her try and find her humanity even though she has been a cold-blooded assassin for so long…

And yet, we still find her quest for identity and acceptance endearing. Jodie Comer is as magnificent as ever and I’d watch her in pretty much anything.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Eve has been declining into darkness for quite some time now. I think this show is so interesting because these two powerful characters came together and now have gone in totally opposite directions. Was it because of their encounters or was it because of something else?

I’d like to think that they both still have influence and power over one another even though Eve swears she’s a totally different person now. Sure…

The season premiere was a little slow for me. We got a lot of set-up surrounding their new lives and we also have someone hunting down the Twelve, which has been a major plot-line over the seasons so I’m sure we’ll get answers here.

I’m also curious to find out more about Carolyn’s own journey and where she will end up now as well.

Images courtesy of BBC America

I’m confident that the series will pick up steam as the episodes continue but I’m hoping that the time jump wasn’t a mistake because a lot of other shows have failed with this execution. We get something major that happens and then we decide to show things years or months later before returning to that moment to keep us hooked on the line.

So, how will the series end?

Images courtesy of BBC America

I’m not sure and there are a lot of ways that this can go. I don’t know that we’ll witness a happy ending but I’m hoping it will be satisfying because we have invested a lot of time in these characters and they deserve something truly spectacular.

Either way, I can’t wait to see more of Villanelle!

Stay tuned!

What do YOU want to see in the final season of Killing Eve? Feel free to post your own thoughts and theories 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!