Tag: Emilia Jones

Spoiler-Free Review of “Cat Person” on Hulu: The Dangers of Dating…

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

“Am I going to have to take care of you already?”

Cat Person released on Hulu on February 9th 2024. It previously had a limited release on October 6th 2023. The psychological thriller film (based on the short story of the same name) stars Emilia Jones, Nicholas Braun, and Geraldine Viswanathan. It runs for approximately an hour and fifty-eight minutes.

Margot starts up a relationship with an older man she meets at a movie theater, but soon suspects that he may actually be a murderer.

Here is the trailer:

Cat Person takes a close-up look at why dating can be so volatile in today’s day and age, but does it do enough to be worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Realistic depiction of modern dating and what can go wrong…

I think that this movie nailed certain aspects of modern dating. It showed how a new relationship can progress through text messages without really knowing someone and how quickly the relationship dynamic can change when one party suddenly loses interest or realizes that maybe they don’t know that much about the other person…

Some of the doubts and fears shown in this movie were spot on. I was literally yelling at the screen at certain points because Margot was ignoring so many red flags and putting herself in bad situations. I also thought it was interesting how this film showed two sides of this story. It’s not always clear cut in relationships and this film did a good job of allowing both parties to express themselves.

Images courtesy of Hulu

Two solid performances.

I thought both actors did a good job with this one. In a way, I almost felt like I was watching a real story unfold. There were some really tense moments in the last forty minutes or so and both actors really committed to everything without holding back, but I’m not sure that they could fully redeem this one.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Hulu

All over the place…

The pacing was really slow in this one and the vibe changed drastically with each scene. I’m not sure if this was intentional or not, but I was really confused at times while watching this. The weird narrations and hallucinations were distracting at times and I don’t feel like everything progressed the way it was meant to. It had a thrilling premise, but I felt my attention wandering a lot because of this.

I also feel like this movie tried to do a little too much and got lost along the way because of it. Sometimes less is more…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Hulu

I’m 50/50 on this one…

Cat Person had some creepy potential with a Lifetime feel to it, but it never quite found its way, making this a confusing and disappointing watch overall.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

Main promo smaller

A harmless night of fun turns deadly for six college friends but the game has only just begun. Take a mystery thrill ride right from your own living room. Dash and Seek is out now! I hope you enjoy!

READ IF YOU DARE…

Dash and Seek 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 “Locke & Key” season three on Netflix: Plays it Safe for the Final Season

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

“I think there might be something magical about it…”

Locke & Key season three premiered on Netflix on August 10th 2022 with eight new episodes available to stream now. The supernatural mystery series stars Emilia Jones, Connor Jessup, Jackson Robert Scott, Darby Stanchfield and Aaron Ashmore. Each episode runs for approximately 35-45 minutes.

The Locke family is back for its final season as they discover new keys and more evil around them, forcing them to make a powerful and life-changing choice.

Here is the trailer:

Locke & Key season three wraps things up for the Locke family, but is it worth a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Some new keys to spice things up.

I personally loved the feel of the first season. It was so much fun discovering what each key did and I think that season three did a good job of introducing us to some important keys we haven’t seen yet, which was a lot of fun. I’m usually not a fan of introducing time travel into shows that have lost their way, but I think that the plot didn’t steer off too much with this.

Images courtesy of Netflix

More character development.

The Locke family dealt with a lot from their past in season three, which helped develop their characters more and we even got to see some familiar faces return for the final season. I would have liked to have seen more with Kinsey, but I think that each character got enough screen time to shine.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Still can’t live up to the villain from season one…

Dodge is probably one of my favorite villains on any television show. She was ruthless and fascinating. Season two was disappointing because Dodge possessed Gabe, which really watered down the intimidating feel.

I am a huge fan of Kevin Durand and I think he did a solid job being the new villain in season three, but he still didn’t live up to Dodge for me. I didn’t really understand his motivation for opening up the portal, which was frustrating.

I also thought that the ending really played it safe and I wanted something major to happen to shake things up. Everything was resolved, but I wanted something surprising as well and that didn’t happen unfortunately.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in about 75 percent…

Season three was my least favorite season and while things were wrapped up for the most part, I wanted a lot more from this series finale. Season three never captured the magic from season one and even though there were some great moments for our favorite characters and shorter episodes this time around, I still felt like things had truly fizzled out for the Locke family.

Either way, I enjoyed this series for the most part. I just wanted it to end a lot stronger.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Locke & Key season three 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 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 “Locke & Key” season two on Netflix: Growing Up Isn’t Easy

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

“I found a new key…”

Locke & Key season two premiered on Netflix on October 22nd 2021 with ten new episodes available to stream now. The supernatural mystery series stars Emilia Jones, Connor Jessup, Jackson Robert Scott, Darby Stanchfield and Aaron Ashmore. Each episode runs for approximately 48-50 minutes.

The Locke family is back, but they realize that evil is still lurking in the shadows, determined to make a dangerous new key that could threaten the lives of everyone around them.

Here is the trailer:

Locke & Key season two has matured into a darker story, but does it still have enough magic in it to keep us entertained? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Supporting characters get their chance to shine.

In season one, I was mostly intrigued by the Locke siblings and the villainess, Dodge. A lot of the other characters felt mostly filler and we didn’t really learn much about them. I appreciated that we actually got to devote some serious time to their development in season two (particularly Uncle Duncan and Nina Locke).

This helped solve the slight disconnect I had with season one and I actually really enjoyed their story-lines!

Images courtesy of Netflix

Dark fast-paced plot.

Season one of the series really had an innocence to it. It was a wonderful breath of fresh air and I felt like I was transported right along with the Locke siblings into each one of their new adventures.

There is a different feel to season two and it mirrors the struggle some of the Locke siblings are having when it comes to magic and growing up. Even though it was different, I still liked the overall plot. Things just felt much darker in season two. I loved a lot of the elements thrown our way and I thought that the episodes were fast-paced enough to keep me invested in the mystery at its core.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Downgraded villains…

Laysa De Oliveira as Dodge was such a good villainess in season one. Things just didn’t have that same wicked quality in season two with our above partners in crime. I thought that Eden was a lot stronger than Gabe (plus she wore some killer heeled boots), but there was more of a whiny feel to them. They just seemed like teenagers acting as villains, where De Oliveira was the epitome of evil.

A lot to keep track of…

I felt like I needed to take notes just to keep up. If you are thinking of skipping the recap…don’t! I needed the recap and I probably should have re-watched the entire first season because there was so much crammed into season two and I had a difficult time remembering things. Maybe I need a memory key too…

The plot was good, but it was also slightly all over the place. We know that season three has already been confirmed so it could have been possible to carry over some stuff into the next season rather than jamming it all into season two, which was slightly overwhelming.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my watch. I think that the Locke siblings really work well together and you genuinely care about their well-being. The magic was still there, but it had a more mature feel and that’s okay.

I had some reservations about certain elements but there was enough happening to keep me entertained throughout my watch.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Locke & Key season two 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 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 “Locke & Key” on Netflix: Unlocking the Door to your Next Binge-Watch

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

A dark, magical adventure filled with heart, leading us past our imagination with some worthy evil threats thrown into the mix.

Locke & Key premiered on Netflix on February 7th 2020 with 10 new episodes (40-45 minutes in length). It stars Connor Jessup, Emilia Jones, Jackson Robert Scott, Darby Stanchfield, and Laysla De Oliveira.

The show is based on the graphic novel series written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodríguez. After the tragic death of their father, three siblings move into his old mansion with their mother, unlocking past secrets and discovering some magical keys that light the way to their new potential destiny. However, there is an evil lingering inside the well of Keyhouse that threatens them all.

This is not the first time we have seen a plot like this and there are a lot of similarities to The Chronicles of Narnia, The Haunting of Hill House, and Stranger Things. That being said, I absolutely love all three of those, so I welcomed this familiar plot with open arms.

However, does Locke & Key unlock its way to its own identity? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Locke and Key Netflix 5
Images courtesy of Netflix

The Locke siblings are the heart of the show.

I loved the family aspect of The Haunting of Hill House and we get a young adult friendly version of that in Locke & Key. The relationship between the siblings is heartwarming and believable. All three of these characters are absolutely fantastic and you almost feel like you are a part of their family. The performances are well done and the family drama isn’t overly exaggerated.

Locke and Key Netflix 8
Images courtesy of Netflix

The mystery is intriguing and entertaining.

From the very first episode, we get a sneak peek of what’s to come for the Locke family, as they explore Keyhouse with brand new eyes. The house is breathtaking, but the Locke siblings quickly discover that there are more secrets hidden within the walls of their father’s old home.

Locke and Key Netflix 6
Images courtesy of Netflix

Evil looks good on our Villainess.

The villain in this series is beyond entertaining. She’s absolutely fantastic and will lure you over to the dark side for sure. She is cunning, powerful, and mysterious, as the Locke siblings are forced to really think outside the box to stop her, but do not underestimate her for one second. I love a good Villainess and Dodge  or “Well Lady” certainly exceeded my expectations.

The Cons:

Locke and Key Netflix 7
Images courtesy of Netflix

The rest of the characters fade into the background.

Unlike Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which has an endless amount of extraordinary characters, the rest of the group in Locke & Key are just kind of okay and very forgettable. Even Mrs. Locke seemed all over the place and I almost felt like they didn’t really know what to do with her character.

I did enjoy Scot the most out of the friend characters, who had the most adorable nickname for our girl Kinsey, Rocky Road, but the supporting characters seemed underdeveloped and uninspiring. That being said, the Locke siblings and Dodge certainly made up for that and stole the show.

Some plot holes and unanswered questions.

I wouldn’t say that this was a major con, but I found myself asking more questions about the keys and where they came from. A lot of things are explained in the end and we are left with a major cliffhanger, so I’m hoping for some more background information if we get a second season.

So am I in or out?

Locke and Key Netflix 1
Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in! This series was so much fun and I watched it all in one day. It has a lot of heart and so many twists and turns that will keep you thoroughly invested throughout the show.

While it may not be the next Stranger Things, it doesn’t have to be. Locke & Key creates its own separate identity and has the potential to become my new favorite show with possible future seasons. Now about my key…

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

**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!

The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice 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!

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! 

Love time travel? Me too! Check out my blog on The Octoberpod Guide to Time Travel and stay tuned for an all new episode of Octoberpod! Fun and spooky stuff for retro horror fans! Subscribe at Octoberpod Home Video