Tag: Freaky

Spoiler-Free Review of “It’s a Wonderful Knife” in Theaters: A Delightful Holiday Horror Entry that Slays with Slasher Cheer

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

“That night still haunts me…”

It’s a Wonderful Knife released in theaters on November 10th 2023. The slasher-horror film stars Jane Widdop, Jessica McLeod, Joel McHale, Katharine Isabelle, and Justin Long. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-seven minutes.

One year after saving her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve, Winnie wishes that she was never born, bringing her into an alternate reality where the killer has returned and her family doesn’t remember who she is.

Here is the trailer:

It’s a Wonderful Knife is utterly charming with some inventive kills and a cast worth cheering for. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of RLJE Films

This cast KILLED it!

OK, Justin Long can do no wrong for me and he was bonkers and brilliant in this one! I was super excited to see Katharine Isabelle and Joel McHale in this one too and thought they both did a great job.

Our main two leads had fantastic chemistry together, making the heartfelt moments of this film a lot more believable.

Images courtesy of RLJE Films

Solid balance of brutal kills and heartwarming moments.

This is a holiday film after all…

The kills delivered for the most part. I just wish there were more of them, but you’ll get some bloody moments to enjoy. I personally think the opening scene featured the best ones.

I really liked the development of characters and friendship here and appreciated the heartwarming moments, reminding me of films like Happy Death Day and Freaky while still channeling It’s a Wonderful Life in a clever way.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of RLJE Films

A few pacing issues and some odd choices with dialogue…

This film was on the shorter side, but I thought it needed a severe energy boost in the middle of it. There were some scenes between characters that could have been cut out and while I did find myself laughing out loud at some things (Katharine Isabelle mostly), some of the dialogue felt like it was used to over-explain things to the audience, which felt odd and forced.

As I mentioned earlier, I also wanted some more kills in this one since it is coded as a slasher…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of RLJE Films

I’m in!!!

It’s a Wonderful Knife is bloody charming with a few killer twists thrown in, making this a fun B-movie slasher that is worthy of your time.

I thoroughly enjoyed my watch and will be adding this one to my yearly holiday horror list for sure!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, HER NIGHT FROM HELL HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN…

After working the night shift, Ashley becomes entangled in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a local street gang, forcing her to come up with a plan to survive the night by turning the tables on them.

Ashley must fight for her life and take them out one by one if she wants to make it to morning…

My young adult revenge thriller comes out November 30th 2023! I hope you enjoy!

Make it Through the Night 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 “We Have a Ghost” on Netflix: By the Numbers Family-Friendly Ghost Flick

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

“This place is a dump…”

We Have a Ghost released on Netflix on February 24th 2023. The supernatural horror-comedy film stars David Harbour, Anthony Mackie, Tig Nataro, Jahi Di’Allo Winston, and Jennifer Coolidge. It runs for approximately two hours and seven minutes.

After moving into a new home, a boy and his family discover a ghost named Ernest already residing there.

Here is the trailer:

We Have a Ghost has some cute and heartfelt moments, but does it do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Fun idea.

Similar to Casper, this film takes on a family-friendly approach to the haunted house/ghost genre with some magical and sweet moments. I was super hyped about this film because it was directed by Christopher Landon, who brought us films like Freaky and Happy Death Day.

Landon’s films sometimes channel past films in a new and effective way while bringing us moments of pure brilliance in the horror comedy genre. I was all for a slightly different approach with the family-friendly entry here, but I’m not sure that it ever quite found its way despite having a cute plot.

Great cast!

I couldn’t have been more pleased with this cast although I’m still scratching my head over the decision to bench their star player…

There will be no spoilers in this review, but you’ll see what I mean.

Jennifer Coolidge’s part also seemed silly and pointless…

Either way, it was fun to see some familiar faces and I thought that Jahi Di’Allo Winston did a great job with his role.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Jam-packed with too much…

I think that this film would have been better if it had just focused on the main plot and stuck with it. It had some heartfelt moments, but these would have translated better without all the excess fluff.

This movie was way too long and a lot of the humor felt forced and exhausting. There was nothing original about this film and while it was certainly watchable, it wasn’t anything special, which is a shame.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in about 75 percent…

Some spooky fun moments and an entertaining cast, but I just wanted so much more from this film.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on We Have a Ghost 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…

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 “Freaky” on demand: The Slasher Version of “The Hot Chick” is lots of fun

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

“Having balls sucks.”

Freaky was released on November 13th 2020. The film stars Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Celeste O’Connor, and Misha Osherovich. The film runs for approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes.

After four teens are brutally murdered by a serial killer, wallflower Millie winds up being chased by the very same killer the next day. After being wounded by a ritualistic weapon, they end up switching bodies the next morning. And so the Freaky Friday fun begins…

Here is the trailer:

Freaky has been done before in several comedy films, but Blumhouse cleverly adds in some slasher gore to liven this plot up. Does the killer idea work out or does it fall flat? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Blumhouse Productions

Vince Vaughn is the best part of the movie.

I felt a lot of nostalgia for “The Hot Chick” with Rob Schneider during this film, but in a very good way. Vince Vaughn was laugh out loud funny and his bond with Millie’s two best friends was amazing. I thought that they all played good parts and the chemistry between them all was believable and a lot of fun.

Gory and inventive kills.

Images courtesy of Blumhouse Productions

The comedy was there, but I was a little worried that the kills would be glossed over, but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of violent gore present in this film. This allowed the film to truly embrace its horror/slasher side with flair.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Blumhouse Productions

The wallflower act.

I know Kathryn Newton from Supernatural and I was really excited to see her in this role, but I’m not sure that I really bought the shy, nerdy girl vibe. We’ve seen this in a lot of teen movies and all of a sudden the girl takes off her glasses and something magical happens. I think that Kathryn did a great job once she was playing the serial killer, but I wanted a little bit more from her before that. Either way, I’m a fan.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Blumhouse Productions

I’m in!

This movie was a lot of fun. It nailed the horror comedy vibe and actually brought us a lot of gore too which was great. If you enjoyed Happy Death Day and Ready or Not, this is another great film to add to your watch-list. Enjoy!

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

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!

Play 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!