*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*
“We’ve been waiting so patiently…”
The Conjuring: Last Rites is the fourth and final installment of the popular horror franchise. The supernatural horror film stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson, and Ben Hardy. The film runs for approximately two hours and fifteen minutes.
Ed and Lorraine Warren return to investigate a demonic presence from their past that threatens to wreak permanent damage on their family.
Here is the trailer:
The Conjuring: Last Rites is advertised as the last film of the franchise, but does it do enough to close the book on the Warren family in a proper way? Let’s find out…
The Pros:
Images courtesy of New Line Cinema
Bone-chilling moments!
The Conjuring movies do a spectacular job of creating some genuinely scary moments and I thought that Last Rites really held its own. There were a few moments that genuinely made me jump. Overall, I thought this film had the perfect amount of scares and disturbing occurrences that will satisfy fans of the franchise with plenty of nods at all of the films within this universe.
Images courtesy of New Line Cinema
Love and demons featuring our favorite couple in horror.
I’ve always said that the chemistry between Ed and Lorraine Warren in these movies is truly moving and the glimpse into their past made their bond appear that much stronger to me. Vera Farmiga is so powerful and convincing in these films and I’m always on the edge of my seat when these two are on screen because I don’t want anything to ever happen to them.
There was a solid balance in this film that allowed us a chance to understand the Warren family dynamic a little bit more without taking away from the terrifying core of the film. That’s not easy to accomplish and somehow this movie made everything unfold effortlessly.
The Cons:
Images courtesy of New Line Cinema
A touch too long…
I get why this movie was a little bit longer. There was a lot of backstory to fill in, but I still think there were a few moments that were dragged out. I think this movie should have been just under two hours, but I’m nitpicking here because I thought the movie was fantastic from start to finish.
So am I in or out?
Images courtesy of New Line Cinema
I’m in!!!
The Conjuring: Last Ritespossesses the perfect balance of bone-chilling scares and heartfelt moments, making this a consuming and moving conclusion for the Warren family.
I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Conjuring: Last Ritesin 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!
*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*
“We are connected…”
Odditypremiered in limited theaters on July 19th 2024 and is now available to watch on demand as of August 21st 2024. The supernatural mystery horror film stars Carolyn Bracken, Gwilym Lee, Caroline Menton, Tadhg Murphy, and Steve Wall. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty-eight minutes.
After the brutal murder of her twin sister, Darcy is determined to get revenge on those responsible by using haunted items.
Here is the trailer:
Oddity lures us into a compelling mystery with some terrifying moments weaved into the plot. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…
The Pros:
Images courtesy of Shudder
Chilling opening scene…
The opening scene draws you in completely without wasting time with unnecessary fluff. It was so eerie and I have a feeling it will give me quite a few nightmares in the future. This really set the tone for the rest of the film, effectively reeling its audience into an intriguing and eerie mystery.
Images courtesy of Shudder
Genuinely scary!
I haven’t jumped like this in a really long time! There were quite a few spine-tingling moments in this one that had me on the edge of my seat. It was quite refreshing to see some organic scares that didn’t feel cheesy or forced by any means. They just worked naturally with the plot of the story, enhancing my viewing experience that much more.
The Cons:
Images courtesy of Shudder
Slower parts at times.
I wouldn’t say that this was a major con and it didn’t take away from the overall impact of the film by any means. We started off with such a bang so it made sense for things to slow down a little bit after this. It still built up enough intensity leading to the reveals and I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed by that ending. Well done!
So am I in or out?
Images courtesy of Shudder
I’m in!!!
Oddity is a cleverly made horror film that unleashes some frightening moments upon its audience, never letting us off the hook.
This film exceeded my expectations and then some! I’m not sure that I’ll be sleeping for a while though…
I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Oddityin 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!
**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**
“I know it seems a little spooky here…”
Night Shift released in limited theaters and on Demand on March 8th 2024. The supernatural horror mystery film stars Phoebe Tonkin, Madison Hu, and Lamorne Morris. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-two minutes.
Gwen takes a job working the night shift at a remote hotel that she suspects may be haunted.
Here is the trailer:
Night Shift is a chilling version of The Shining meets Open 24 Hours with a worthy lead and an eerie premise. Is it worthy of your next watch?Let’s find out…
The Pros:
Images courtesy of Quiver Distribution
Genuinely scary!
I jumped quite a few times with this one and was impressed by the way it effectively created a lingering feeling of dread and terror with each scene. It was unsettling and really creepy! It’s been a while since a horror movie has actually frightened me and I thought this one did a great job of creating suspense in a single location.
Images courtesy of Quiver Distribution
Phoebe Tonkin is terrific!
I’m already a fan of hers from The Originals and have always thought that she would excel in horror movies and I was right! She dominated the screen and did an exceptional job with her portrayal, making this film believable and even more unsettling. I liked the other characters as well even though they didn’t get too much time to shine.
The Cons:
Images courtesy of Quiver Distribution
Mixed feelings about the twist.
Sure, it was unpredictable and really out there, but I’m still not sure how I feel about it. It disrupted my watch slightly and changed the overall tone of the movie, but I appreciate this film taking a risk with it and thought it was entertaining enough.
So am I in or out?
Images courtesy of Quiver Distribution
I’m in!!!
Night Shift is a chilling and satisfying treat for horror fans. It’s short, spooky, and it gave me nightmares in the best way possible!
I went into this one with lower expectations and was pleasantly surprised with the end result.
I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Night Shift 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!
**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**
“Mysteries were everywhere and I loved solving them.”
Your favorite amateur sleuth is getting her own show,but it seems like this Nancy Drew is darker and more mature, but can she measure up to the competition? The series premiere of Nancy Drew aired on the CW on October 9th 2019. The show will run weekly episodes and it comes on directly after Riverdale. Know your audience, right?
The show stars Kennedy McMann, Tunji Kasim, Leah Lewis, and Scott Wolf. Nancy Drew makes reference to how she started solving mysteries at a young age, paying tribute to the book series character we all know and love. However, after tragically losing her mother, Nancy Drew is all grown up and it seems like she wants to stay away from mysteries and ghosts, but it doesn’t look like they are ready to let her go just yet.
Nancy Drew has a lot of competition, especially since other shows like Riverdale, Veronica Mars, and Stranger Things all have a captivating female lead who likes to solve mysteries, but where does that leave the girl who started it all? Let’s find out…
The Pros:
Images courtesy of The CW
True respect for the original character.
Nancy Drew was the first book series I fell in love with and I lost myself in the mysteries again and again. I have seen several movie interpretations and I appreciate that this show is trying to do something different, but I also respected the clever Easter eggs thrown into the mix, including our girl Nancy investigating with the infamous flashlight.
Some potential for the new Scoobies.
I am still sorting out who is who and I’m not sure how I feel about Nancy’s friends just yet, but I like that they all want to help out. I always loved “The Scoobies” on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, reminding us that you don’t have to be the obvious hero to make a difference and save the day, so I think this could be the start of something really fun and nostalgic.
The supernatural horror elements are genuinely scary!
If you know anything about Nancy Drew, you know that even though you get your fair share of ghostly mysteries, there is always some kind of rational explanation to bring us back to the real world. Even this Nancy reminds us in the beginning of the show that she doesn’t believe in ghosts and yet there is this very real ghost story going on, which has captured my full attention.
I expected this show to be more focused on teenage drama with mystery sprinkled in, but I was genuinely surprised by the supernatural horror aspect and I think this might be something that can help Nancy Drew create a voice of its own separate from Riverdale. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina comes to mind, but so far they are doing much better with that deliciously dark component, but that doesn’t mean that Nancy Drew can’t step up to the plate too. More horror please!
The Cons:
Images courtesy of The CW
I can’t get a real read on Nancy yet.
Part of the reason why I like characters like Betty Cooper, Veronica Mars, and Nancy Wheeler is that they channel Nancy Drew while having this magnetic spark that really draws you in to their character. I’m missing something with Nancy Drew so far and while I get that she is dealing with her grief and seems closed off, I haven’t connected with her at all yet and that could be a problem. I’m only one episode in so I hope to get some more layers soon, but I want to ignite a fire within Nancy as soon as possible.
Forcing a ship.
Part of the way I fall in love with a ship, is that I see the progression of their relationship that leads to some epic moment between them that cannot be ignored. We dive into this relationship between Nancy and Nick (Ned Nickerson) and I just don’t feel the chemistry yet. I want to see some real moments between them leading up to something, rather than these bits and pieces that are being forced upon me.
The actual mystery is just kind of blah…
A dead body shows up and Nancy Drew is on the case, but there is nothing really unique or special about the murder and Nancy’s process to discover the clues seems very by the numbers and uninspiring. That being said, the mystery surrounding this ghost story and her parents might be the real winner, but I still want Nancy to surprise me and invest me in her other mysteries. Maybe she should call Betty Cooper up for some advice on this…
So am I in or out?
Images courtesy of The CW
As of right now, it’s about 50/50 for me. The show isn’t necessarily bad, but there’s nothing that magnetic or special about it just yet. I feel like right now it is in the shadow of its competition and it needs to do something spectacular to pave its own way. Maybe that’s the horror element I mentioned earlier, which has a lot of chilling potential.
I plan on giving the show another two episodes to really get a feel for it, but I’m hoping for some kind of a spark here. Out of every new Fall show premiering, this is the show I was really looking forward to and perhaps I set my expectations too high, but I’m keeping an open mind for now.
I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Nancy Drew in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!
Best,
Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl
[twitter-follow screen_name=’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 enjoydark 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!
**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!
