Tag: Jake Lacy

Spoiler-Free Review of “Apples Never Fall” on Peacock: A Straightforward Mystery-Drama Series

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

“Thank you for opening your door…”

Apples Never Fall released on Peacock on March 14th 2024 with all seven episodes available to stream now. The limited mystery-drama series (based on the book of the same name) stars Annette Bening, Sam Neill, Alison Brie, Jake Lacy, Essie Randles, Conor Merrigan, and Georgia Flood. Each episode runs for approximately 45-50 minutes.

After their mother goes missing, the Delaney family works together and unlocks secrets involving the introduction of a stranger on their doorstep, hoping to find their mother before it is too late.

Here is the trailer:

Apples Never Fall is a quick and effortless watch with an addicting premise and decent performances. Is it worthy of your next binge-watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Great cast.

Similar to Big Little Lies (from the same author), this miniseries had quite a few familiar faces in it and I thought the performances were solid for the most part. Annette Bening and Alison Brie stood out the most for me.

Some of the other characters could have been fleshed out a little bit more (I’m assuming they were in the book), but I didn’t need this to go on for longer than it did.

Images courtesy of Peacock

A soapy and simple enough mystery to indulge in.

I appreciated that this series kept things simple and didn’t try to do too much. I’ve seen similar series with outrageous twists and complex sub-plots and while I often love them, it was refreshing to just sit back and enjoy this one without having to think too much.

I thought that the balance between the soapy family drama and the core mystery worked well enough, keeping me engaged until the end.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Not a fan of the constant time jumps.

I eventually got used to them, but it felt erratic jumping back and forth between timelines. Initially it was very confusing and I think they jam-packed way too many of these past and present scenes in the pilot episode, which made it slightly overwhelming.

As the episodes continued, the transitions worked a lot better, but they were disruptive at times still.

I also felt like the ending was kind of a letdown. I guess I wanted something more shocking and darker. It just felt like we were leading up to something extraordinary and then the end result was lukewarm at best.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Peacock

I’m in about 75 percent…

Apples Never Fall did enough to keep me engaged until the very end with an impressive cast and a layered mystery.

If you enjoy guilty-pleasure mystery-dramas, you’ll have a satisfying binge-watch overall.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Apples Never Fall 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!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Significant Other” on Paramount+: Maika Monroe Stumbles upon Something Horrifying in the Woods

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

“I haven’t been feeling like myself…”

Significant Other premiered on October 7th 2022 on Paramount+. The horror film stars Maika Monroe and Jake Lacy. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-four minutes.

Something other-worldly is lurking in the woods when a young couple goes backpacking.

Here is the trailer:

Significant Other lures us back into the woods for something creepy and sinister, but does it do enough to be worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Paramount+

Strong leads.

Maika Monroe is quickly becoming one of my favorite horror actresses. She is just so magnetic on screen and this film was no exception. Even in the quiet moments, she still commanded every frame with perfection.

Jake Lacy did a decent job too, which was important, especially since this film featured a very small cast. I thought the film did a good job of highlighting the ups and downs of relationships in the midst of something sinister.

Creepy setting.

The woods continue to be one of the creepiest backdrops of all time for horror movies, setting the overall tone for this movie. There’s just something so terrifying about being basically trapped out in the middle of nowhere when something horrible is unleashed. The setting definitely worked in the film’s favor.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Paramount+

Not a fan of the reveal…

Sure, it was out there and shocking, but once I knew what was happening, I lost a lot of interest. The leads still did a great job with it, but this film took an unexpected turn that had me scratching my head. The idea was interesting, but I don’t think that it was executed that well.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Paramount+

I’m 50/50 on this one…

Significant Other was really strange and out there, but Maika Monroe saved it in a lot of ways with her believable and captivating performance. This film took a different route than I was expecting, which was slightly disappointing, but it was a quick watch and had some redeeming moments.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

Main promo smaller

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! I hope you enjoy!

READ IF YOU DARE…

Dash and Seek 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 White Lotus” on HBO Max: I’m On Vacation!

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

“Have a nice vacation…”

The White Lotus premiered on HBO Max on July 11th 2021. All six episodes are available to stream now. The limited series stars Alexandra Daddario, Jennifer Coolidge, Steve Zahn, Jake Lacy, Murray Bartlett, Sydney Sweeney, Brittany O’Grady, and Connie Britton. Each episode runs for approximately 60 minutes.

Written and directed by Mike White, the satire-dramedy follows several people on vacation in Hawaii as they attempt to deal with their issues while interacting with the staff at the White Lotus Resort and Spa.

Here is the trailer:

The White Lotus has a fantastic cast and a good balance of dark humor and drama to make a statement, but does it do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Exceptional characters.

I wasn’t really sure what I was going to get when I started watching this show, but I found myself really connecting to a lot of the characters. Some of them were outrageous and extreme while others were just trying to form a true sense of self-realization. None of the characters were perfect. In fact, they were all far from it and constantly making mistakes, but I thought this made this show that much more real and interesting.

Standout character for me: Paula (O’Grady).

A reveal worth waiting for.

The beginning of the series introduces a mystery, but it fades into the background for the majority of the show. However, once you get to the last two episodes, you start to piece things together as you discover everything with your own eyes, which I thought was extremely satisfying and I’m still in shock.

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Addicting with heart and humor.

There wasn’t really a lot going on in this show, but there was also SO MUCH going on when it came to the characters. When I got to the end of the first episode, I was intrigued but I didn’t really know what I was watching.

There were some moments that were really dark and dramatic and others that actually really had me laughing out loud, which created a necessary balance to keep me coming back for more. This show was more about the characters, but it also cleverly used satire to make a point about social class and how difficult it can be to accept any kind of change.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Extreme at times.

I know it’s HBO, but some scenes just seemed way over-the-top and slightly unnecessary. I also think that some episodes could have been a little bit shorter to keep the pacing going.

Supporting characters needed to have more development.

I really liked so many of the characters, but I thought we spent quite a bit of time on some without really developing others that were so interesting. I realize that’s sort of the point in some ways, but I really would have liked to focus more time on them because they were a lot more interesting than some of the other plot points going on.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of HBO Max

I’m in!

This show was really unique and I think it successfully created a dialogue worth having. The characters were great and there was a steady balance of dark humor and drama going on to keep you coming back for more.

While there was a mystery lingering in the air, it took a backseat to the characters and I think that was a smart decision after watching the entire show in one day. The show was really more about the people and the decisions they made. I was left with chills at the end of the season and that ending really did shock me.

The White Lotus will be returning for season 2 but with a different cast and setting.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The White Lotus 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 comes out October 7th 2021! 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!