Tag: Finn Wolfhard

Spoiler-Free Review of “Stranger Things” Season 5: Part 1 on Netflix: A Solid Start to the End

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

“It was always just about me…”

Stranger Things season five (part 1) premiered on Netflix on November 26th 2025 with four new episodes available to stream now. Part two will release on December 25th and the series finale will air on December 31st. The sci-fi horror series stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, and Natalia Dyer. Each episode runs for approximately 90-140 minutes.

Our beloved group is put to the test once again as they try to stop Vecna from abducting the children of Hawkins before it’s too late.

Here is the trailer:

Stranger Things season five brings us back to the town of Hawkins after quite some time. Does it have enough steam left to finish out the series in a satisfying way? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Great pacing.

The episodes for season 5 are once again on the long side. Each one almost feels like a mini movie, but I have to say that time flew by while I was watching each one. Episode 1 took me a little bit of time to adapt, but I think that’s mostly because I was trying to remember everything that had happened previously. I strongly recommend watching the recap if you haven’t done a recent re-watch.

Episodes 2-4 were fantastic with pacing, however. I was on the edge of my seat and there were so many stand out moments. So far part 1 is delivering in terms of a final season. It really feels like it’s leading up to an exciting conclusion…don’t let me down!

Images courtesy of Netflix

Characters begin to reach their true potential…

It’s about time! There were SO many incredible moments between characters so far. There will be no spoilers in this review, but the conversation between Robin and Will is one of the most vulnerable and real moments I’ve ever witnessed on a television series. It didn’t feel forced. It just transpired in such an authentic way, which truly moved me.

I also really loved seeing some supporting characters step up and I loved the introduction of Nell Fisher (Evil Dead Rise) who took over the role of Holly Wheeler. You can just tell that she’s going to be a star!

Also, shout-out to scene stealer, Erica Sinclair once again!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

It’s been some time…

Season 4 came out in 2022 so it’s been a huge gap for the audience. I didn’t have the time to do a re-watch so I was scratching my head quite a few times trying to put the pieces together during certain moments. Eventually things caught up for me, but I wish we didn’t have to wait so long for these episodes.

So far I really don’t have too many cons. I just hope that we have enough time to give each and every one of these characters the screen time they deserve because we’ve spent years watching them grow. I’m confident we’ll achieve it though.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in 100 percent!!!

Stranger Things season 5 is off to a fantastic start with plenty of heart-pounding and heartfelt moments packed in.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Stranger Things season five (part 1) 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 “Hell of a Summer” in Theaters: Silly Slasher Has Its Moments

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

“This summer’s gonna be huge for us…”

Hell of a Summer premiered in select theaters on April 4th 2025. The slasher horror comedy film stars Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk, and Pardis Saremi. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-eight minutes.

As a group of teens get ready to set up summer camp for the season, a masked killer begins picking them off one by one.

Here is the trailer:

Hell of a Summer attempts to bring us some slasher nostalgia with its fun premise, but does it do enough to be worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Neon

Entertaining concept.

I love slashers and when we add in an overused, but nostalgic setting like summer camp, this movie automatically starts out with three stars for me. I thought this film had a lot of potential to bring us some inventive kills while adding in some fun comedy.

Solid second half.

Even though this film was on the shorter side, it spent a lot of time in the first half focusing on excessive fluff. That being said, I think it did turn things around when we got to the heart of the plot, providing us with some entertaining moments involving the killer and our group in the second half. Not all of the humor landed for me, but I did laugh at some key parts.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Neon

Unlikable characters and not enough on screen kills…

I honestly couldn’t connect with anyone, making it extremely hard to root for them against the killer. This was extremely disappointing for me. I don’t know if it was a generation thing or what, but I literally could care less about who lived or died and the killer wasn’t that fun either…

My other big issue with this film was that the majority of the kills happened off screen. I know this is a horror comedy, but it’s dipping into the slasher end so I expected some gory kills. I think it would have helped this film in a lot of ways. The reveals were also just kind of meh…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Neon

I’m in about 75 percent…

Hell of a Summer has some fun campy moments, but it doesn’t fully capitalize on its slasher premise.

I’m being a little generous here with my review, but I do appreciate filmmakers willing to give us some new slasher material. I just expected more…

If you’re looking for a modern slasher to enjoy, I’d recommend Thanksgiving or Heart Eyes instead…but there are a few fun moments in this one.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Hell of a Summer 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 “Stranger Things” Season 4 Volume 2 on Netflix: Intense from Start to Finish

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

“Without heart we’d fall apart…”

Stranger Things season four (volume 2) premiered on Netflix on July 1st 2022 with two new episodes available to stream now. The sci-fi horror series stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, and Natalia Dyer. Each episode runs for approximately 90-140 minutes.

Our beloved group is put to the test as they face off against Vecna in an epic battle.

Here is the trailer:

Stranger Things season four started off with a bang, but does volume 2 stick the landing with the final two episodes of the season? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 spoiler free 1

Images courtesy of Netflix

Doesn’t hold back…

Volume 1 was absolutely fantastic to watch, but we got a lot of set-up and flashbacks so there were some breaks from the intensity. Volume 2 takes us on a thrill ride and never stops. It really felt like more of a movie and I loved every second of it. There were so many edge-of-your-seat moments in this one, along with a lot of really heartfelt and heartbreaking ones. The music was AMAZING and there was one musical moment in particular that I will be re-watching over and over for years to come for sure. Wow! Talk about entertaining…I think it’s safe to say that this was definitely one of my favorite seasons yet. 

Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 spoiler free 3

Images courtesy of Netflix

Other characters prove their worth!

I really liked that we got enough time to explore each character in volume 1 and I am happy to report that volume 2 filled in the blanks with a few other characters that needed a little bit more time and development. Everyone proved that they were worthy to the group in different capacities and I loved watching their journeys.

That’s why I like this show so much. It’s not just about the superhero. It’s about everyone else too. The show reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in that way. You have this one powerful girl who is destined to save the world, but her friends are just as capable and powerful and they all show just how special they are over the seasons.

The same thing can absolutely be said about the characters in Stranger Things. That’s why it makes it so incredibly hard whenever we lose one of these characters. There will be no spoilers in this review, but wow. I shed quite a few tears during volume 2.

A finale to be excited about!

That last shot took my breath away. We are all set up for the final fifth season of the show and I am confident that it will be out of this world. The only problem is…we have to wait for it!

The Cons:

Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 spoiler free 2

Images courtesy of Netflix

Unanswered questions.

That was a lot to take in and now I have all of these unanswered questions stirring in my brain. It’s not really much of a con, but I loved this season so much and it’s really hard to come up with something I didn’t like. I am sure that everything will be resolved in the final season, but there’s a lot left to explore and I’m just hoping that this series can finish strong because these characters all deserve a satisfying ending and so do we!

So am I in or out?

Stranger Things season 4 volume 4

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in 100 percent!!!

A satisfying conclusion to a fantastic season!!!!!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Stranger Things season four (volume 2) 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 “Stranger Things” Season 4 Volume 1 on Netflix: Delivers with 80’s horror vibe

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

“What have you done?”

Stranger Things season four (volume 1) premiered on Netflix on May 27th 2022 with seven new episodes available to stream now. The final two episodes of the season will air on July 1st 2022. The sci-fi horror series stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, and Natalia Dyer. Each episode runs for approximately 65-75 minutes.

It’s Spring Break in the town of Hawkins, but our beloved group encounters a new nightmarish threat targeting local teens.

Here is the trailer:

Stranger Things season four is more mature in a lot of ways, channeling classic 80’s horror films like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Hellraiser, while giving us plenty of reveals to be excited about. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Dark fast-paced plot.

Our characters have grown up a lot so it makes sense for the plot to mature as well. I absolutely loved the 80’s horror vibe. We got a great cameo/small role that furthered some of these similarities even more and the dark and twisted story really was quite frightening this time around.

I loved every second of it!

Standout episodes: 4 and 7!

Images courtesy of Netflix

Supporting characters get their chance to shine!

I appreciated that we took some time for each character on the series to get some well deserved screen time. There’s a lot of characters and a lot of subplots going on, but the longer episodes actually helped us catch up with all of them. The new characters really added something as well.

Standout performance goes to Sadie Sink as Max. Wow, she was absolutely incredible! I’m really glad we got a chance to see her character develop more.

The Nancy and Robin adventures were pure entertainment and the other characters had plenty of fantastic moments as well.

I would have liked for Erica to have gotten some more screen time, however.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

I have to wait until July to watch the last two episodes…

Seriously, that’s my only con. I love this series so much and I think that season 4 has been absolutely incredible so far. I can’t wait to see how it all ends!

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in 100 percent!!!!!

Dark, twisted, and so much fun to watch! Season 4 has been absolutely incredible so far and I highly recommend it!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Stranger Things season four (volume 1) 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 “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” in Theaters: All Around Fun

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

“Who you gonna call?”

Ghostbusters: Afterlife released in theaters on November 19th 2021. The film stars McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Connor, Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd. It runs for just over two hours.

After getting evicted from their home, a mom and her two kids move into their grandfather’s old farm house, as they soon unlock some secrets and connections to the original Ghostbusters.

Here is the trailer:

Ghostbusters: Afterlife attempts to continue the Ghostbusters story with some new characters while still sprinkling in some nostalgia for fans of the original film. Does it do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures

The new characters do a great job.

I was slightly worried about this, but I really loved all of the new characters. Phoebe was my favorite and really stole the show. The kids had a Scooby gang charm and Paul Rudd brought some humor into the mix as well.

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures

Good balance of nostalgia and something new.

I thought this worked for the most part. Fans got plenty to be excited about and we also got a lot of entertaining and new elements added in. I didn’t think the cameos or the nods at the original were too forced. Everything just worked naturally and it was a lot of fun!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures

The middle dragged…

I thought the film started off strong and the ending really brought it home, but I started to lose interest in the middle of the film. The pacing needed some work and I think that the film was slightly too long. I didn’t need something major happening at all times, but I think this could have been tightened up a little bit to make the film more seamless overall.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures

I’m in!

Overall, this was an entertaining watch. I loved all of the cameos and I think that the film did enough to keep fans happy. I think the pacing could have been a lot better and the plot didn’t do anything that extraordinary, but this was honestly a blast to watch and I had a lot of fun!

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