Tag: Holiday horror

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!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “The Apology” on Shudder: Intense and Emotionally Brutal

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

“The hardest part is the not knowing…”

The Apology released on Shudder on December 16th 2022. The holiday horror-thriller film stars Anna Gunn, Linus Roache, and Janeane Garofalo. It runs for approximately 90 minutes.

Twenty years after the disappearance of her teenage daughter, a recovering alcoholic is preparing to host her family’s Christmas celebration when there is a knock at her door during a winter storm from an old friend with a secret.

Here is the trailer:

The Apology features a powerful and gripping performance by Anna Gunn with some edge-of-your-seat moments of intensity. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Anna Gunn is beyond brilliant.

I tend to associate her with the annoying character of Skyler White on Breaking Bad, but wow was she incredible in this film. There weren’t too many characters in this so she needed to command the screen and she did so in a big way! She showed so many emotions and I thought her character was very believable, making you want to root for her that much more.

A simple, but effective premise.

I love simple revenge thrillers and I thought this film took on a different approach, which I actually really enjoyed. We could have had her character running around outside in the snow or finding different ways to call for help, but she mostly had to focus on her own wit and resources. The ending was powerful and even though there was quite a bit of talking in-between, it made the scenario seem that much more horrifying and realistic in a lot of ways.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Reveals too much too quickly…

My biggest issue with this film was that we found out the hook way too soon. Sure, there were other details that needed to be revealed, but I would have liked for things to drag out a little bit more before we realized the situation that our main character was in. 

I also thought her character deserved a little bit more development, especially since Anna Gunn was so incredible in this role. It would have helped me connect with her character even more. Either way, I still enjoyed everything.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Shudder

I’m in!

A gut-wrenching emotional performance combined with a simple, but effective premise, making this a unique watch from start to finish.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Apology in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A VACATION TO DIE FOR…

Blood Rose Island Ad

When sisters, Nina and Gemma are vacationing in Hawaii with their friends, they get invited to an exclusive party on a private island that seems too good to be true. There’s only one rule…they can’t miss their ferry at midnight or they’ll have to wait until morning to leave the island. Only they didn’t realize that breaking this rule meant they would be hunted down on the island one by one.

Who will make it off the island alive?

I hope you enjoy my new island thriller!

Blood Rose Island 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 “Christmas Bloody Christmas” on Shudder: Campy Fun

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

“A killer Santa Claus…”

Christmas Bloody Christmas released on Shudder on December 9th 2022. The holiday horror film stars Riley Dandy, Jeff Daniel Phillips, and Sam Delich. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-seven minutes.

A record store owner just wants to spend Christmas Eve getting drunk, but her plans are interrupted when a robotic Santa Claus goes on a killing spree.

Here is the trailer:

Christmas Bloody Christmas is an absolute blast to watch as long as you don’t take it too seriously. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Lots of fun.

Sure, the plot was completely bonkers, but I had a lot of fun watching this one. Don’t expect to get any real answers about why a robotic Santa Claus is on the loose, but do expect to enjoy plenty of gory kills. I loved the use of color and how this film channeled an 80’s horror vibe in so many ways.

Images courtesy of Shudder

Riley Dandy is one to root for!

I absolutely loved her in this. Her character was fierce and then some! She was really inventive and I was cheering for her the entire time. She fully embraced this role and elevated this film in a lot of ways.

That ending image was perfection!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Takes a while to get going…

The film was on the shorter side, but we had to sit through some exhausting dialogue for quite a long time. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the random first-person camera angle in the beginning, but luckily this didn’t stick around for too long.

The first half wasn’t bad, but things drastically improved once Santa got going…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Shudder

I’m in!

Campy goodness filled with gory Christmas cheer!

Christmas Bloody Christmas lives up to its name and is a bloody good time!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Christmas Bloody Christmas in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A VACATION TO DIE FOR…

Blood Rose Island Ad

When sisters, Nina and Gemma are vacationing in Hawaii with their friends, they get invited to an exclusive party on a private island that seems too good to be true. There’s only one rule…they can’t miss their ferry at midnight or they’ll have to wait until morning to leave the island. Only they didn’t realize that breaking this rule meant they would be hunted down on the island one by one.

Who will make it off the island alive?

I hope you enjoy my new island thriller!

Blood Rose Island 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 “Elves” on Netflix: Holiday Horror Fun

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

“Stay on the coastal road…”

Elves (originally titled Nisser) premiered on Netflix on November 28th 2021 with six episodes available to stream now. The Danish horror series stars Sonja Steen, Milo Campanale, Vivelill Søgaard Holm, Lila Nobel, Peder Pedersen and Ann Eleonora Jørgensen. Each episode runs for 23-26 minutes.

A family travels to a remote island for a Christmas vacation, soon discovering that the island is inhabited by dangerous elves.

Here is the trailer:

Elves immediately gives off a Gremlins sort of vibe embedded in folk horror. The short episodes make it extremely easy to binge-watch, but is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Short episodes.

I finished this series really quickly and the pacing was done really well in each of the six episodes. Even though they are on the short side, we get to cover enough to keep us coming back for more and I thought that this worked in the show’s favor.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Solid folk horror entry.

I dug the vibe of this series. There were a lot of horrifying things we witnessed, but it was also balanced out with an adorable scene stealer named Kee-Ko. Seriously, I’m obsessed! The setting really highlighted the eerie feel and there was also plenty of gore and chilling moments sprinkled into the mix.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Dumb decisions made…

The adults in this series really made a lot of the dumb decisions or were just completely clueless for too long. 

I also just wanted more as soon as I got to the end. The short episodes worked, but I really hope that this show gets picked up for season two because now I’m hooked!

More please!

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in!

This was a quick and fun festive horror series. I was hooked from the very start and I hope that more horror fans discover this gem because it really delivers and then some!

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