Tag: horror mystery

Spoiler-Free Review of “Bone Lake” on Demand: A Bloody, Satisfying Thriller!

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

“They trusted each other more than they trusted themselves…”

Bone Lake released in the US on October 3rd 2025 in select theaters and is now available to stream on demand as of October 24th 2025. The horror mystery film stars Maddie Hasson, Marco Pigossi, Andra Nechita and Alex Roe. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty-four minutes.

Diego and Sage arrive at a rental estate on the lake for a romantic vacation, but their plans are interrupted when another couple arrives, claiming that they booked the house for the same exact weekend, which leads to a deadly game of betrayal and secrets between both couples.

Here is the trailer:

Bone Lake was an unexpected surprise, creating an erotic and dangerous game of cat-and-mouse to indulge in. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Bleecker Street

A gorgeous cast with a juicy and twisted premise.

I was so excited to watch this movie when I first saw the trailer. It seemed right up my alley. It screamed with guilty pleasure thrills and sinister potential. Sign me up!

This film was very pretty to look at from the setting to the hot cast, hiding its dark secrets beneath the surface. I loved the slow burn approach and felt so much chemistry between these characters. There were even some dark comedy vibes sprinkled in, which worked in the film’s favor.

Images courtesy of Bleecker Street

Brilliant final act!

I love it when a slow burn can pay off like this. Wow! The third act of this movie was INSANE in the best way possible. I was already thoroughly enjoying my watch, but this was such an unexpected surprise and I loved every bloody second of it!

This just became one of my favorite thrillers and I plan on watching it again and again.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Bleecker Street

Sluggish pacing at first.

I still was invested in what was going on, but be prepared for a lot of fluff and build up in the first half of this film after that killer opening. The character interactions still moved the film along, but it does take a drastic turn in the second half, so if you’re thinking of tuning out, I’d recommend sticking around for that. Just be aware that this is very much a slow burn.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Bleecker Street

I’m in!!!

Bone Lake is a fantastic mash-up of Speak No Evil, The Rental, and A Perfect Getaway with its twisty premise and INSANE final act, making it a welcomed addition to the vacation gone wrong genre.

This movie DELIVERED and then some! One of my favorite films of the year!

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

**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 “Somewhere Quiet” on Demand: An Eerie and Effective Slow Burn

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

“Sometimes the nightmares can feel really real…”

Somewhere Quiet released on demand on February 2nd 2024. The horror mystery film stars Jennifer Kim, Marin Ireland, and Kentucker Audley. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-two minutes.

After surviving a kidnapping, a woman tries to cope with what happened to her by traveling to her husband’s family home in the middle of nowhere, but her grip on reality begins to deteriorate as she tries to return to normal, causing her to question everything and everyone surrounding her.

Here is the trailer:

Somewhere Quiet is not your average slow burn film, creating a true sense of confusion for both the characters and the audience, as we try to piece together what is transpiring on screen, making this complicated, but also intriguing. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Vertical

Effectively creates a creepy and unsettling tone from start to finish.

The setting and score complimented this film so well. There was such an eerie vibe going on and it continued to build and build with great suspense. This film was honestly a complete mindf*ck. It was really out there and strange, but it kept my attention and brought me into everything in an unconventional way.

Images courtesy of Vertical

Marin Ireland and Jennifer Kim are beyond brilliant!

Wow, Marin Ireland nailed the extra creepy vibe here. She gave such a twisted performance and had my skin crawling several times just from some of her expressions. She was bloody fantastic!!! Jennifer Kim was really strong as our lead as well and I loved the dynamic between them. This movie was so weird and these elevated performances heightened this that much more, making this such a compelling watch.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Vertical

A lot of questions by the time I got to the end…

This was good and bad for me. I like when a movie resonates with me well after it’s over, but there were so many missing pieces here that were never explained. In a way, that mirrors what our main character was going through so I get the intention, but I did need a little bit more here.

If slow burns are not your jam, this may not be for you. The pacing is sluggish for a long time, but it still manages to create this sense of dread without doing much, which says a lot, so I wouldn’t say this was a major con.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Vertical

I’m in!!!

Somewhere Quiet is trippy and unsettling with two note-worthy performances!

This film wasn’t what I thought it would be, but it stuck with me well after I finished it.

If you enjoy films like Mother, May I? and The Night House, this one is right up your alley.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Somewhere Quiet 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 “Raging Grace” on Demand: Twisted and Unsettling

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

“I’ve got a job…”

Raging Grace released in select theaters on December 1st 2023 and is now available to watch on demand as of December 8th 2023. The horror mystery film stars Max Eigenmann, Leanne Best, and David Hayman. It runs for approximately an hour and forty minutes.

An undocumented immigrant takes a job at a lavish home as the caretaker of a terminally ill man, but as dark secrets are revealed, she and her daughter quickly realize that they may be in terrible danger.

Here is the trailer:

Raging Grace is a unique entry to elevated horror, revealing the ugly truth lurking within humanity, executed brilliantly by some convincing performances. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Brainstorm Media

The Gothic Horror vibe works well.

From the house to the style of this film, it had a Gothic Horror feel that I absolutely loved. However, it didn’t stop there. It could have very easily just gone with that theme and we would have been presented with an average film and yet it decided to present us with so many layered themes dealing with racism, class, and the darkest parts of humanity, making this such a captivating watch.

It didn’t hold back, reminding me a little of Soft & Quiet, which is another brutal gem that lingered with me well after it was over.

I expected a slow burn going into Raging Grace and yet I was drawn in the entire time, which was a welcomed surprise. Part of that was thanks to the powerful performance by Eigenmann, who did a great job with what she was given. I thought she was very believable. Her character was flawed in a lot of ways, but you still felt for her throughout the entire film.

Images courtesy of Brainstorm Media

Insane and shocking twists!

Wow, I honestly did not see them coming. This was such a crazy watch for me in the best way possible. I thought I knew what type of movie I was getting and then it twisted the knife and then some, creating a horrifying spiral of events that were uncomfortable and unsettling to see unfold on the screen.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Brainstorm Media

The jump scares were unnecessary.

They didn’t startle me at all and I don’t think they added anything to the film. In fact, they brought down the level of this one just a touch for me because they seemed like fluff meant to build up suspense when there were already plenty of creepy and disturbing things going on. 

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Brainstorm Media

I’m in!!!

An unexpected and horrifying surprise that gave me chills!

If you’re looking for a different kind of horror movie, I’d highly recommend giving this one a shot. I thoroughly enjoyed my watch.

I hope you enjoyed the review and please feel free to share your thoughts on Raging Grace 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!

**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 “1899” on Netflix: Eerie and Bizarre

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

“The brain is deeper than the sea…”

1899 premiered on Netflix on November 17th 2022 with all eight episodes available to stream now.  The German horror-mystery series (from the creators of Dark) stars Emily Beecham, Andreas Pietschmann, Aneurin Barnard, and Mathilde Ollivier. Each episode is approximately 50-58 minutes.

Passengers on a ship heading to New York get caught up in a mystery after finding an abandoned ship in the middle of the open sea.

Here is the trailer:

1899 is chilling and intriguing with a compelling mystery at its core, but does it jam-pack in too much? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

1899 no spoilers 1

Images courtesy of Netflix

Does enough at the end of each episode to keep you coming back for more…

At the end of each episode, there was another piece of the puzzle unlocked. Of course it created more questions, but I think the series did a good enough job hooking its audience with a unique mystery.

In a lot of ways, this series reminded me of a mashup of Ghost Ship, LOST, and The Terror. Unlocking the mystery was the best part of the series for me even though I had mixed thoughts on the ending.

Decent main character.

I had a little bit of trouble connecting to a lot of the characters, even though this series adapted a LOST style with character-centric episodes and flashbacks. However, the character of Maura had the most layers and kept me invested. I think she was a strong lead with a sympathetic story.

The Cons:

1899 no spoilers 2

Images courtesy of Netflix

This series dragged…

The pacing did not do this show any favors. The episodes were on the long side and the pacing felt so slow. I drifted off a few times because of this.

The series was able to bounce back at the end of each episode, but wow was this slow at times.

I also think there was way too much overstuffed into this show. The main mystery was interesting, but there were so many other parts and a lot of characters to focus on. This is not one of those shows you can tune in and out of. I felt like I needed to take notes the entire time to keep up and even then, I still had a lot of questions and was not thoroughly excited by the ending reveal…

So am I in or out?

1899 no spoilers 3

I’m 50/50 on this one…

This series had an interesting hook and a solid mystery, but the pacing really worked against it and I wasn’t a fan of the ending.

I have a feeling that some people will absolutely love this show because it is unique and I can see why, but it was a bit of an exhausting watch overall for me personally.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on 1899 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 “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!