Spoiler-Free Review of “The Midnight Club” on Netflix: Mature version of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” has Heart

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

“The next chapter…like it’s already been written…”

The Midnight Club released on Netflix on October 7th 2022 featuring ten episodes available to stream now. Created by Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass), the horror mystery-thriller series stars Iman Benson, Annarah Cymone, Igby Rigney, Heather Langenkamp, Zach Gilford, and Samantha Sloyan. Each episode runs for approximately 53-56 minutes.

A group of terminally ill teens meet each night at midnight to share scary stories with one another at Brightcliffe Hospice, which may have its own supernatural mystery embedded in its walls.

Here is the trailer:

The Midnight Club follows a younger generation of characters, as they deal with unspeakable grief and horrors, unleashing a captivating mystery along the way. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Seamlessly transitions between the main plot and the vignettes. 

I was worried that I would feel disconnected between the main plot and the stories each character told, but there was a really nice balance here. While I enjoyed some stories better than others, I liked that they connected to each of the characters, revealing more layers in an effective way.

This was a different approach for Flanagan, but I think the style paid off. The audience became more invested in each character because of the stories, rather than just focusing on past flashbacks or key moments.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Characters to care about.

I thought the younger cast did a really phenomenal job with what they were tasked with. There was a lot of heavy and emotional content and yet they still managed to bring so much heart and soul to their characters, taking us on a roller-coaster ride of feelings.

There were also plenty of familiar faces from Flanagan’s other series to be excited about and I thought that A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Heather Langenkamp was absolutely wonderful in this!

Twist ending!

I did not see that one coming and although I have more questions now, I really liked the way this series ended. More please!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Difficult to binge-watch…

The mystery was addicting enough, but I couldn’t get through this series that quickly. The episodes were on the long side and there was just a lot of heavy and emotional content. I thoroughly enjoyed my watch, but I had to take a break at times because this series really tugged at my heart and then some.

I’m always impressed by how well Flanagan is able to bring out so many emotions while sprinkling in horror elements. This series was no exception, but I think you should pace yourself to get the most out of your watch. The scares weren’t as horrifying this time around either, but I think that’s OK since this had more of a YA feel.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in!!!

Meaningful, emotional, and an intriguing watch filled with extraordinary characters and a solid mystery to lure you in with each episode.

While not my favorite Mike Flanagan series, this show still has a lot of things going for it and is well worth a watch!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Midnight Club 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!

Ranking the Top 5 “Nightmare on Elm Street” Films

One…two…Freddy’s coming for you.

Three…four…better lock your door.

Five…six…grab your crucifix.

Seven…eight…better stay up late.

Nine…ten…never sleep again…

Happy Wednesday TV Fans! With the lack of new programming, I have been re-visiting several film series and I was beyond thrilled to discover that HBO Max has all of the Nightmare on Elm Street films available to watch!

After quite the marathon, I started to think about which films held up and which fell flat. There are 8 NOES films, (not including Freddy vs. Jason) but today I will be ranking my top 5 films of the franchise. Please note that some spoilers are ahead.

Freddy is cool. Freddy is funny and Freddy will give you some nightmare for sure…along with some disturbing images that will forever be embedded in my brain. Robert Englund is absolute perfection as Freddy Krueger and I am a huge fan of Heather Langenkamp as Nancy Thompson. Nancy will always be one of my favorite Final Girls.

After all, she’s into survival…

Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep!

These films really have everything. They are scary, funny, and addicting!

Stars like Johnny Depp, Laurence Fishburne, and Patricia Arquette appear in them as well and we get some pretty unique death and dream sequences that really make the NOES films stand out.

While I thoroughly enjoy the Friday the 13th and Halloween franchises, NOES certainly measures up with these iconic films. After all, Freddy did have an epic showdown with Jason…

Without any further delay, my top 5 Nightmare on Elm Street films are:

5

A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)

A Nightmare on Elm Street 5
Images courtesy of HBO Max

Alice is back in the fifth film and we discover that she is pregnant. However, Freddy is back as well and he begins attacking and killing her friends using her unborn child as a weapon. Alice and Freddy have an epic showdown, as she does everything in her power to eliminate him for good and protect her child.

The fifth film is pretty good. I enjoyed seeing Alice again and I thought the buildup to the showdown was decent.

Standout kill: Poor Greta is what she eats, as she is force fed at the table. Gross!

4

Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)

Wes Cravens New Nightmare
Images courtesy of HBO Max

Nancy is back! Well, Heather is technically back, but I was excited to see her either way. In this re-imagining of the NOES world, Robert Englund and Heather Langenkamp play themselves, but quickly learn that the world of fantasy may actually cross over into reality.

This movie actually really held up for me. I thought that it was unique and it gave fans a lot of nostalgia. Heather/Nancy even yells out “Screw your pass,” bringing us right back to the original film. While I love the NOES film franchise, the films can become repetitive. However, this film really stood out and did something truly unique and different, which I appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed.

Standout kill: Poor Julie gets tossed and thrown around against the ceiling while Heather’s child watches in horror.

3

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 Dream Master
Images courtesy of HBO Max

The Dream Warriors are back! But unfortunately, so is Freddy. As he begins to pick off the Dream Warriors one by one, Alice is dragged into this mess when Kristen Parker gives her the power. During Kristen’s fiery death, there is this weird electric blue energy floating around and Alice and Freddy’s abilities overlap.

Freddy collects souls and when he does, Alice begins to inherit a part of them. She starts smoking when she doesn’t smoke, she learns Kung Fu, and she wears a bad-ass leather jacket to prove she is ready to bring down Freddy by forcing him to take a good look in the mirror…

I really enjoy this film and I think it has a fantastic music soundtrack. The kills are really outrageous and Freddy’s humor takes on a life of its own in this one. More please!

Standout kill: Deb’s checkout at the Roach Motel still leaves a bad taste in my mouth…

2

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3
Images courtesy of HBO Max

Nancy is back! After the horrific sequel to the original film, we really needed Dream Warriors and it delivers! In this film, Nancy works as a doctor at a psych ward and helps troubled teens who may be having some fatal nightmares that she is all too familiar with…

Dream Warriors is fantastic. It allows Freddy to truly shine and we also get some interesting concepts on dreams and abilities and powers within them, which I thought was a welcomed and cool feature to prevent the films from becoming too repetitive.

Standout kill: “Welcome to Primetime, bitch” immediately comes to mind…be careful about what you are watching on television!

1

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

A Nightmare on Elm Street 1
Images courtesy of HBO Max

The original still remains as the absolute best film of the franchise for me. It really draws you in and the concept of someone killing you in your dreams is so terrifying, really allowing Freddy to reign as a supreme villain.

The characters are absolutely fantastic in this and Nancy really steps into the spotlight as a bad-ass Final Girl. Plus, she’s got her coffee machine ready under the bed! You have to admire her commitment to staying awake!

Standout kills: It’s probably a toss up between Tina being dragged up the wall in the opening scene and Glen getting sucked into his bed.

Overall, I had a blast re-watching these films. I may have some trouble falling asleep now, but it was worth it!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts on the NOES movies and your favorites in the comments section below. Thank you so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

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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!

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