Tag: horror slasher

Spoiler-Free Review of “Hell Motel” on Shudder: Campy, Slasher Fun!

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

“I don’t feel good about this place…”

Hell Motel premiered on June 17th 2025 with the first two episodes available to stream now on Shudder or AMC+. The remaining episodes will air weekly. There will be eight episodes in total for the limited horror slasher series.

The series (from the creators of Slasher) stars Paula Brancati, Eric McCormack, Atticus Mitchell, Shaun Benson, and Genevieve DeGraves. Each episode runs for approximately 45-50 minutes.

A group of true crime obsessives are invited to the Cold River Motel thirty years after gruesome murders took place there, but they soon realize that they are also being targeted by a masked killer as they are hunted down one by one.

Here is the trailer:

Hell Motel has a fun premise with plenty of gory kills to be excited about, but does it do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Fun premise!

I loved the Slasher anthology series and Hell Motel already feels like it could be another extended season of that. I’m eagerly trying to figure out what twists will be thrown our way and it’s fun seeing some familiar faces from Slasher.

So far the series isn’t taking itself too seriously, which is working in its favor. I hope it continues to lean more on the camp side of things because that’s what I’m loving so far.

Images courtesy of Shudder

Gory kills.

If you’re a horror fan and looking for some over-the-top gory kills, you’ll get your fill here. I was impressed with them so far and I can’t wait to see more!

Sure, they’re a little silly at times, but I came into this one expecting to see some bloody gore and so far it’s delivering in that department!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Some pacing issues…

My only real con is that there seems to be a little bit too much fluff here between the kills. The episodes are on the longer side so I noticed this more than I normally would. I’m also having a difficult time connecting with some of the characters, but I’m hoping this will change as the episodes continue.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Shudder

I’m in!

Hell Motel is off to a bloody good start!

If you’re a fan of Slasher, I highly recommend checking this one out. As long as you manage your expectations and don’t take things too seriously, you’ll have a blast.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Hell Motel 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 “Fear Street: Prom Queen” on Netflix: A New Shadyside Slasher with a Killer Soundtrack

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

“I guess they were right…”

Fear Street: Prom Queen is a horror slasher film that premiered on May 23rd 2025 on Netflix. The film stars India Fowler, Fina Strazza, Ella Rubin, Suzanna Son, and David Iacono. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty minutes.

Inspired by the R.L. Stine books, this new film takes place on prom night in 1988, where a masked killer begins to target the candidates for prom queen one by one.

Here is the trailer:

Fear Street: Prom Queen seamlessly escorts us back in time, but does this slasher measure up to the other Fear Street films? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Loved the 80’s vibe!

A lot of films were recently using the 80’s era a little too much, but I have to say that I really liked it in this particular film. The overall vibe, fashion, and music were on point! I was seriously jamming out the entire time while watching it. I need this soundtrack on repeat!

Images courtesy of Netflix

Gory kills.

I’ve seen too many slashers lately that haven’t really embraced the gory kills so I was pleased that this one didn’t hold back in this department. Sure, a lot of them were over the top, but they were bloody, outrageous, and really entertaining.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Underdeveloped characters.

Probably my biggest issue with this film was the lack of layers for the characters. Sure, it’s a slasher, but I also want to somewhat care about some of these characters so that I invest more in what happens to them. Everything just felt very by the numbers here and I really didn’t care for any of the characters, which was disappointing.

The original film street trilogy did a good job in this department so I’m not sure why there was so much of a disconnect here.

The reveal was also underwhelming for me…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in about 75 percent…

Fear Street: Prom Queen channels 80’s slashers with a fantastic soundtrack and some stand-out kills, but there was definitely something missing here.

This film didn’t measure up to the Film Street trilogy for me, but I’m always a fan of unserious slashers.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Fear Street: Prom Queen 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…

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 “The Mouse Trap” on Demand: Mickey Mouse Becomes Our Latest Slasher Villain…

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

“Teleportation is still very much on the table…”

The Mouse Trap released on Demand on August 6th 2024. The horror slasher film stars Mackenzie Mills, Sophie McIntosh, Callum Sywyk, Wyatt Dorion, and Simon Phillips. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty minutes.

Alex’s friends decide to surprise her at the arcade she works at for her birthday, but when a masked killer inspired by Steamboat Willie shows up, they are all forced to play a game to survive the night.

Here is the trailer:

The Mouse Trap is basically a mix of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey and Five Nights at Freddy’s, placing another public domain character in the spotlight as a bonkers killer. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Gravitas Ventures

Unintentionally funny.

I’ve seen this film also billed as a horror comedy, but the serious moments were actually pretty entertaining to watch unfold. There were some lines that had me laughing out loud. I’m not sure that anyone would actually want a movie to be this terrible, but when it moves into that territory, it becomes so awful that it’s actually hilarious to watch…at least once.

The kills were silly and the plot was completely bonkers, but if you’re a fan of Bloody and Honey, you’ll probably get a kick out of this one. I have to say that I actually enjoyed this one a lot more than Blood and Honey, but that’s not saying much…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Gravitas Ventures

Takes too long for anything to happen.

This movie was only an hour and twenty minutes and yet we sat around for a really long time before the killing started. Mickey did a lot of skulking in the shadows and waving. The kills weren’t that inventive by the time we got to them and there could have been more of them.

The dialogue was insufferable! The characters started talking about what would happen if they were in a terrible 90’s slasher movie. Guess what? 90’s slashers are amazing and this film doesn’t come anywhere close to them.

I didn’t really care about any of the characters and I hated that we jumped back and forth between the past and the present. We didn’t need to overcomplicate things that much…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Gravitas Ventures

Unfortunately I’m out on this one…

The Mouse Trap attempts to do too much with its silly premise, making this a confusing watch overall. There were a few laugh-out-loud moments for fans of super cheesy and terrible slasher flicks, but nothing special.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Gil

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!