Tag: horror mystery

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:

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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:

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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?

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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!

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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!