Tag: dark fantasy

Spoiler-Free Review of “The Princess” on Hulu: R rated “Tangled” is a Bloody Good Time

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

“You’re never getting out of here alive…”

The Princess is a dark fantasy action film that premiered on July 1st 2022 on Hulu. The film stars Joey King, Dominic Cooper, Olga Kurylenko, and Ngô Thanh Vân. It runs for an hour and thirty-five minutes.

A princess wakes up locked in a tower after refusing to marry a tyrant and must now fight her way out to escape.

Here is the trailer:

The Princess takes your average fairy-tale premise and turns it upside down, delivering with lots of action and a strong female lead. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Girl power to the extreme!

I mean, wow! These two ladies were beyond fantastic. They were so much fun to watch on screen and it was a blast rooting for them against all odds. This film was actually really bloody with its fight scenes, reminding me of Kill Bill and John Wick. These two will kick your ass and then some.

Loved it!

Images courtesy of Hulu

A killer premise.

I thought it was brilliant to take a well-known fairy-tale premise and turn it into something else. This film was violent and brutal with so much action. It didn’t hold anything back. If you love Buffy or Xena, you will fall in love with the princess as well. So many fairy-tales focus on the “happily ever after” including marrying a prince of some kind and this film just shattered that completely in the best way possible.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Hulu

No real story…

While there is plenty of action to enjoy with this one, there is very little dialogue and the story is lacking. The flashbacks were meant to fill in some of these blanks but they didn’t always have a seamless transition and they felt a bit out of place at times.

I also wanted some humor in this one to make it feel more like Ready or Not. We got a few one-liners here and there, but I wanted more. I think some more well placed humor could have elevated the film.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Hulu

I’m in!!

This film may have its flaws, but it was so entertaining to watch! The fight scenes were fantastic and Joey King really channeled her inner warrior princess in this one. Loved it!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts on The Princess 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 “Nightbooks” on Netflix: Wicked Fun with Krysten Ritter

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

“Is there anything special about you at all?”

Nightbooks released on Netflix on September 15th 2021. The dark fantasy film is based on the book by J.A. White and is co-produced by Sam Raimi. The film stars Krysten Ritter, Lidya Jewett and Winslow Fegley. It runs for approximately an hour and forty minutes.

Scary story enthusiast, Alex, ends up trapped in a magical apartment with a wicked witch. He must create a new scary story each night to entertain her…or die.

Here is the trailer:

Nightbooks has a kids friendly horror feel with some Evil Dead vibes thrown in for good measure. Krysten Ritter is promising as the wicked witch, but does this kids horror entry do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Krysten Ritter is fantastic!

I love a good villainess and Krysten Ritter is perfection in this movie as Natacha. She is so entertaining and she brings some humor in as well to lighten up the movie. Her wardrobe is incredible and she really dominates this film in a great way!

LOVE!

Images courtesy of Netflix

Clever use of stories and films.

In a way, this film is a modern take on Hansel & Gretel but I thought it did a really great job of referencing other stories and iconic films along the way without hitting the audience over the head. It was a real adventure and it reminded us that we can find our own adventures and stories within books and movies. They can be an escape, but they can also be a motivation, teaching us important life lessons.

Kids horror with bite.

I don’t think that kids horror gets mentioned enough but I absolutely adore films like The House with a Clock in Its Walls and the new Goosebumps. That being said, it’s difficult finding a balance for kids horror films and this one may be a little bit too scary for the younger generation, but it has plenty going on for fans of Sam Raimi and The Evil Dead franchise.

I definitely felt the vibe and LOVED every second of it.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Wavering with character development.

I absolutely adored Krysten Ritter as the evil witch and the kids put forth a valiant effort. We got more of a journey for Alex than we did with Yazmin, however. I wanted to know more about her backstory and I think that would have helped me connect with their characters a bit sooner, but we did eventually get there. It just took a little while…

I also think the film could have used a bit more humor sprinkled into the mix, but Krysten Ritter made up for it in a lot of ways. Having someone like Jack Black as a secondary character could have made things really fun, but I think we still witnessed plenty of entertaining moments.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in 100 percent!

This movie was so much fun and it really gave me a sense of nostalgia. Krysten Ritter is bloody fantastic and I loved all of the references to fairy-tales, stories, and horror films. I adored this film from start to finish and I highly recommend it!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A Halloween they’ll never forget…

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 new young adult horror thriller comes out October 7th 2021! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “The Witcher” on Netflix: Monsters, Magic and Melody

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

The world of a dark fantasy can be somewhat confusing, but with Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Geralt of Rivia, all bets are off.  We are quickly immersed into a world filled with terrifying nightmares, dark magic, and war, as we are reminded quite often about the importance of destiny while bursting into some welcomed song.

The Witcher began streaming episodes on Netflix as of December 20th 2019 and currently features eight episodes for season one.  Each episode is about an hour, so leave plenty of time to watch this.  It stars Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, and Anya Chalotra.  If you are worried about the cliffhanger ending at the end of season one, fear not!

The Witcher has already been confirmed and renewed for season two by Netflix.

Based on the popular video games and book series, The Witcher follows Geralt of Rivia on his monster hunting quest, as he tries to find his own purpose in the world while battling the forces of evil on a daily basis.  His destiny is linked to Princess Ciri, who ends up on the run during the war, and to Yennefer of Vengerberg, a powerful mage with her own inner demons.

Does The Witcher measure up to all the hype?  Let’s find out…

The Pros:

The Witcher Netflix 1
Images courtesy of Netflix

Wonderful characters and performances.

If you were worried about Henry Cavill, don’t be.  He’s absolutely fantastic!  Once you get over his tone of voice, you will thoroughly enjoy his performance.  Some of my favorite moments include the dynamic between him and the bard, giving us a lot of unexpected comedy and fun banter.

My favorite character is definitely Yennefer of Vengerberg, however.  Her story is so intriguing and interesting.  I got some Melisandre vibes from Game of Thrones, but that is not a bad thing at all.  I’m always more interested in the darker anti-hero rather than a character who is so obviously good.

Gore, action, and passion.

The Witcher is definitely not for the faint of heart.  The battle scenes are intense and there are some disturbing images and moments that I am still cringing over.  Of course these moments are also balanced out with a lot of sex scenes, but that’s to be expected.  I don’t think that anything was overdone or over-the-top, however.

The Cons:

The Witcher Netflix 2
Images courtesy of Netflix

A lot of characters and time jumps.

So, when you play a video game, you get a guide to reference and I often felt like I needed one of my very own to keep track of everyone.  There is a lot jam-packed into eight episodes and you really need to pay attention.

I also thought the time jumps were slightly confusing.  I didn’t get any text clues as to where we were in time and I had to figure it out on my own.  Again, I don’t really think this was a huge issue, but I did feel like I needed to take notes to figure out some things…

So am I in or out?

The Witcher Netflix 3
Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in 100 percent!  Wow, this may be one of the best shows I have watched all year.  I’ll be honest, I went into this show expecting to be confused and overwhelmed.  I am familiar with the video games and books, but I wouldn’t say that I am that well versed in either.

From my understanding, the show fits in somewhere between these plots while giving us enough of a unique story, but you can watch this show without knowing anything about either one.  Trust me.

If you are a fan of shows or movies like Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Merlin, you will feel right at home, but I will say that you don’t need to be a fantasy fan to enjoy this series.  The story weaving is so intricate and well done and this show is beyond addicting.  Even though the episodes are long, I finished it in two days and as soon as I got to the end, I wanted more!

I highly recommend this show and I hope you enjoy it!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

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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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Do you love horror series?  Of course you do!  Please also check out 12 Nights of Horror Series Coming Soon.  It’s your home for everything you need to know about new and returning horror television series including new trailers, premiere dates, reviews, recaps, and renewals!