Tag: horror film

Spoiler-Free Review of “Choose or Die” on Netflix: Are you worthy?

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

“You are worthy…”

Choose or Die (CURS>R) premiered on Netflix on April 15th 2022. The horror film stars Iola Evans, Asa Butterfield, Eddie Marsan, and Robert Englund. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-five minutes.

A coder finds an 80’s retro computer game with an unclaimed prize, but she soon realizes that she is actually playing for her own survival.

Here is the trailer:

Choose or Die has a fun premise with a retro feel, but does the film do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Killer concept.

Similar to horror films like Stay Alive, Truth or Dare, and Would You Rather, this film takes on a game gone wrong to the extreme. I actually really dug the retro feel and I thought that the opening was really strong. There was an 80’s horror nostalgia present from a familiar voice to some well-placed posters, which made me feel right at home.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Doesn’t hold back in the gore department…

There were actually a lot of moments in this one that had my skin crawling. If you’re looking for gore, you’ll get some here. Most of the games end in some kind of overly bloody and disgusting demise but if gore is not your thing, you may want to steer clear.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Wishy-washy female lead…

I like to have a strong or even a flawed female lead to root for in horror films. She doesn’t have to be a complete bad-ass, but I have to like her. I just couldn’t connect to this main character at all. I just watched this film and her name already escapes me because she was just kind of bland.

Killer concept, but fails in the execution.

I was really looking forward to this movie and I was disappointed by the time I got to the end. The movie isn’t bad. It’s short enough to hold your interest but I wasn’t really a fan of the ending and once things were fully explained, I think the film tried to do a little too much. Sometimes less is more…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m 50/50 on this one…

I loved the concept and the 80’s nostalgia, but the film fell flat for me in a lot of ways, which was really disappointing. If you have nothing else to watch this weekend, you can give it a whirl but you’re better off re-watching Stay Alive instead.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

Girl Number Thirteen Lurking Promo

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 new supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen 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 “Halloween Kills” on Peacock: Evil Dies tonight…or does it?

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

“He needs to die!”

Halloween Kills released in theaters and on Peacock on October 15th 2021. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, Anthony Michael Hall, Judy Greer, Cameron Elam and Kyle Richards. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes.

Michael Myers is back after escaping from Laurie Strode’s trap as the residents of Haddonfield work together to stop him once and for all.

Here is the trailer:

Halloween Kills has finally arrived with tons of bloody kills, but is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Plenty of gory kills to look forward to.

The film delivers in this department. If you are looking for lots of blood and gore, you will not be disappointed. Michael Myers is ruthless and unforgiving and he has quite a few inventive kills this time around.

Images courtesy of Peacock

Characters to root for.

The residents in town really work together to put forth a valiant effort against Michael and I was rooting for a lot of them. Sure, they may be out of their league, but I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between all of the characters and of course it’s always wonderful to see Jamie Lee Curtis on screen.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Messy plot.

I almost felt like they shot several pieces of the movie at different times and then just stuck them all together and hoped it would work. The first half of the movie took a while to get going for me, but I did think the second half was much stronger.

I also thought the film lost some of its edge this time around. The iconic music was present, but I wanted a little bit more suspense with Michael’s kills and some of them felt really over-the-top and almost silly, but it was still a lot of fun.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Peacock

I’m in about 75 percent…

Every horror and Halloween fan should absolutely watch this movie. There were some really entertaining moments and you will get plenty of gory kills to keep you invested. I had some issues with the plot and the overall pacing of the movie, which was slightly frustrating, but I still enjoyed my watch overall.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

HAVE A KILLER HALLOWEEN…

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!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Superhost” on Shudder: Bloody Campy Fun

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

“It’s going to be such a memorable stay…”

Superhost released on Shudder on September 2nd 2021. The film stars Osric Chau, Sara Canning, Gracie Gillam and Barbara Crampton. It runs for an hour and twenty-three minutes.

A couple decides to book an Airbnb to help revive their travel vlog. After several weird encounters with their host, Rebecca, they start to realize that they may be in immediate danger.

Here is the trailer:

Superhost reminds us that perhaps staying in a stranger’s house is never a good idea, but does this film do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Shudder

A creepy, deranged performance worth noting.

Gracie Gillam is so fantastic in this film. She really gives this role her all and she is the best part of the movie. Rebecca is out of her mind and just from the trailer you can clearly see that she is not quite adjusted, but it just works and it provides us with some crazy bloody fun!

The rest of the cast is really great as well. We have Supernatural’s Osric Chau, TVD’s Sara Canning and the iconic Barbara Crampton, who lights up the screen whenever she’s on it. More please!

Images courtesy of Shudder

Seamlessly blends two intriguing premises.

The film has many chilling moments throughout the first half. It takes an already scary premise (staying in a stranger’s house) and reminds us that perhaps this isn’t the best idea…especially if you are being a watched. Similar to Dave Franco’s The Rental, our main characters quickly learn that something beyond disturbing is going on during their vacation stay.

I also like that the film also incorporated the Vlog aspect to make it relevant. I’ve seen this in many films before, but this film did a good job of reminding us about the danger of needing to be validated or liked online. Our two main characters struggle with the reality of their situation because they are so motivated to do something to impress their viewers, which can lead to deadly consequences.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Needed a bit more in the first half.

The movie is very short which kept the pacing going, but there were some initial chills in the beginning that could have been explored more. The second half of the movie is really strong and I was hooked the entire time, but I wanted a little bit more build up to really make the second half pop.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Shudder

I’m in!

This film is really entertaining. It had some chilling moments, a bloody campy feel, and a Superhost to die for! But don’t forget to leave her a good review…

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

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!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” on HBO Max: Love and Hauntings

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

“We know the dangers…better than you might think.”

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is the third installment of the popular horror franchise. The film is in theaters and currently available to stream on HBO Max as of June 4th 2021. It stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Sterling Jerins, Ruairi O’Connor and John Noble. The film runs for approximately an hour and fifty minutes.

Ed and Lorraine Warren are back again to investigate the demonic possession of a young boy. After an exorcism is attempted, the demonic presence is far from gone as it begins to wreak havoc on the boy’s sister’s boyfriend. 

Here is the trailer:

The Conjuring 3 has a lot to live up to, but does the change in director and genre water things down too much or is it a welcomed addition? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Undeniable chemistry between Ed and Lorraine Warren.

These two are electric in the film and are probably one of my favorite couples in film history. There is something so real and believable about their chemistry with one another. They have such a strong love and relationship, which makes you root for them that much more.

I thought that both of them gave really incredible performances and their love for one another actually really lifted this film. Even during the quiet moments, you are just completely drawn to them. So many horror films center around younger stars and these two are blowing them all out of the water.

I think I would watch almost anything with them…

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Truly frightening moments.

There was this unsettling fear throughout the other two films that still haunts me even now. While I would say that this film is the least scariest out of them all, there are some moments of pure terror. The opening scene was really terrifying and some of the flashback moments had me on the edge of my seat as well.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Switching genres.

I thought that this film felt like more of a supernatural crime mystery rather than straight horror. The other films were true haunted house films where this film moved away from that and focused more on finding evidence to prove that the devil really made this guy start murdering people.

In a way, I almost felt like I was watching an episode of Supernatural rather than watching a Conjuring film. This isn’t necessarily a con because I really do love this genre and Ed and Lorraine were just so strong in it so I was along for the ride.

I’m not sure if this is because the director was not the same or if the film was trying to branch off into something else to stay original and fresh, but I think that some fans may have mixed reviews on this approach. 

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of HBO Max

I’m in!

I’ll be honest, I’d follow Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson just about anywhere and they really elevated this film for me. The chemistry between these two was incredible and they made up for some of the duller moments during the film. While it did jump genres, there were some truly terrifying scares embedded within the film and I was entertained from start to finish.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It 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!

**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!