Tag: Havana Rose Liu

Spoiler-Free Review of “AFRAID” (2024) on Demand: The Screen Time Premise is Getting Exhausting…

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

“I feel like it’s listening to us all the time…”

AFRAID released in theaters on August 30th 2024 and is now available to stream on Demand as of September 17th 2024. The sci-fi horror film stars John Cho, Katherine Waterston, Havana Rose Liu, Lukita Maxwell, and David Dastmalchian. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-five minutes.

A marketing executive is selected to take home a new digital device named AIA to organize his family’s life, but when AIA thinks she knows what’s best for his family, she begins to take control of every situation, threatening their safety in the process.

Here is the trailer:

AFRAID channels M3gan in a lot of ways, but its gimmicky plot and cheap scares do little to enhance this viewing experience. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

Talented cast.

I’m always happy to see John Cho in horror films and I thought this film had a pretty recognizable cast, which was a plus. Havana Rose Liu stole the film for me. She is quickly becoming one of my new favorite actresses. I loved her in No Exit and Bottoms. She managed to be charming and eerie at the same time with her portrayal. I just wish she got a better film…

Unfortunately the pros stop here…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

Uninspiring plot.

I just recently watched Subservience starring Megan Fox (which also channeled M3gan), but that film was a lot more interesting than AFRAID. I’ve seen too many movies with the AI taking over theme recently and while some have clever takes on it, this film fails to say anything new. The plot felt lazy and that ending was atrocious.

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

Lack of suspense.

I would have been fine with the overdone plot if this movie was actually scary. Instead it relied on cheesy jump scares, which was beyond frustrating. There was one scene that actually had potential, but it cut away from it before showing us anything that violent or frightening. It just felt like they phoned it in with this film and didn’t really care to put in any real effort here.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

Unfortunately I’m out on this one…

AFRAID fails to deliver with nothing new to say, but at least Havana Rose Liu ate up every ounce of screen time.

Still better than Night Swim though…

I hope you enjoyed the review and please feel free to share your thoughts on AFRAID in the comments section!

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 is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Make it Through the Night is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Bottoms” in Theaters: Raunchy and Delightful!

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

“Welcome to our f*cking fight club!”

Bottoms released in theaters on September 1st 2023. The dark teen comedy stars Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebiri, Havana Rose Liu, Ruby Cruz, Kaia Gerber, and Marshawn Lynch. It runs for approximately 90 minutes.

Unpopular best friends, PJ and Josie decide to start up a self defense club for women to impress their two crushes.

Here is the trailer:

Bottoms manages to find the perfect balance of unrestrained humor and utter charm, setting the new standard for teen comedies. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of MGM

Outrageously funny!

I’ve been waiting for a movie like this for a long time. I’m a huge fan of 90’s and 00’s teen comedies and many of the entries for the new generation have paled in comparison. Well, I can’t say that anymore. This movie was laugh-out-loud funny and so much fun! I loved every second of it and thought these characters dominated the screen.

I can’t wait to go back and see this again. It was such a blast!

Images courtesy of MGM

Every single character was a stand-out!

Usually there are a few scene-stealers in films like this, but I am happy to report that every single character was bloody fantastic! I almost wish this movie was longer because they all deserved so much screen time. Our two leads were great. Rachel Sennott is dominating the industry right now and she did not disappoint. I’m so impressed that she also co-wrote this film.

Marshawn Lynch stole the film for me though. He was AMAZING and I loved his interaction with the girls.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of MGM

I don’t have any…

Honestly my only con is that this film didn’t release in my local theater until the second week. Let’s work on that…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of MGM

I’m in 100 percent!!!

Bottoms packs a punch with unforgettable characters, bloody violence, and over-the-top humor, making this an absolute dream come true for the teen comedy genre.

My favorite film of the year so far!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Bottoms 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 “No Exit” on Hulu: Edge-of-your-seat Thrill Ride

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

“Every day can be a fresh start if you want it…”

No Exit released on February 25th 2022 on Hulu. The horror-thriller film based on the novel of the same name stars Havana Rose Liu, Dennis Haysbert, Dale Dickey and Danny Ramirez. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty-five minutes.

When Darby leaves rehab to visit her mother in the hospital, she winds up stranded at a visiting center with a group of strangers after a blizzard strikes. 

Here is the trailer:

No Exit has plenty of twists, thrills, and chills to keep you glued to the screen, but is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Beyond intense!

This is my kind of thriller. I could not stop watching this film and I think it did a really great job with its twists and reveals. My heart was racing the entire time and I was completely invested in what would happen next. This was mostly a thriller, but there were some cringe-worthy moments sprinkled in that had me freaking out in the best way possible!

Images courtesy of Hulu

A strong female lead to root for!

Havana Rose Liu was so good in this! I was rooting for her character the entire time. I thought that her performance was really believable and we also got enough character layers balanced in to make me care about what happened to her. I’d love to see her in more horror and thriller films because she was truly fantastic!

Those twists though…

If you think you have everything figured out already, there will be plenty more twists to keep you on your toes. These are the best kind of thrillers for me. The formula was straightforward and simple, but it just worked and I thought that the twists made it that much more enjoyable.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Reveals too much too early…

I really liked the vibe of this film and I thought that there was such an unsettling tension between the group of strangers. I would have liked to have seen the guessing game go on for a little bit longer because I was trying to put the pieces together myself and one of the first reveals happened very quickly.

That being said, there were plenty of other twists to be excited about.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Hulu

I’m in 100 percent!!!

No Exit doesn’t hold anything back! It’s brutal, chilling, and beyond intense. If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers, you’re in the right place!

I highly recommend this one, especially if you enjoy films like Alone and Till Death. Much like those films, No Exit has a simple formula and a strong female lead to root for. My kind of movie!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on No Exit 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!

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