Tag: Jamie Dornan

Spoiler-Free Review of “A Haunting in Venice” in Theaters: A Solid Halloween-themed Murder Mystery

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

“Time to put some life back into your life…”

A Haunting in Venice released in theaters on September 15th 2023. The murder mystery film stars Kenneth Branagh, Tina Fey, Kelly Reilly, Kyle Allen, Jamie Dornan, and Michelle Yeoh It runs for approximately an hour and forty-three minutes.

Belgian detective, Poirot, is back in this adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel, Hallowe’en Party, as he takes a break from retirement to solve a murder involving some deadly spirits.

Here is the trailer:

A Haunting in Venice gives fans of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile a chance to experience a new mystery with eerie potential involving Poirot, but does this film measure up? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of 20th Century Studios

A breathtaking setting.

I always find these films to be aesthetically pleasing, but this setting of Venice in the 1940’s was absolutely divine and so lovely to witness on the large screen. This film was beautifully shot and even the chilling and unsettling moments complimented the backdrop well, immersing the audience into a gorgeous world worth noting.

Images courtesy of 20th Century Studios

A compelling murder mystery with a satisfying reveal.

This film followed a similar pattern to other films based on Agatha Christie novels, but this one might have been my favorite. I may be partial because I absolutely adore Halloween and anything related to it, but I really loved the balance between logic and the supernatural in this one.

It really kept me on the edge of my seat and I thought the reveal was very well done.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Slow moving at times.

I come to expect this with these types of films, but the middle dragged a little bit for me. I appreciated that this film was shorter than Death on the Nile, however. This wasn’t a major con and I think that the film did enough in the beginning and end of the film to capture the audience’s full attention, but I’d recommend watching this one when you’re fully awake…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of 20th Century Studios

I’m in!!!

An eerie and unsettling murder mystery with a fun cast and gorgeous setting!

If you enjoy Agatha Christie murder mysteries, you’ll find enough in this one to enjoy with some spooky surprises along the way.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on A Haunting in Venice 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!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Heart of Stone” on Netflix: Gal Gadot Stars in an Action-Thriller By The Numbers

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

“Everything’s under control…”

Heart of Stone premiered on August 11th 2023 on Netflix. The action-thriller film stars Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan, Jing Lusi, Alia Bhatt, and Glenn Close. It runs for approximately two hours and five minutes.

An intelligence agent named Rachel Stone stands up against a powerful organization as she faces countless threats and betrayals along the way.

Here is the trailer:

Heart of Stone follows your standard formula of a female lead action thriller with some entertaining moments sprinkled in. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Flashy fight scenes and action.

If you’re here for action, there’s plenty to appreciate in this one. I wouldn’t say that any particular fight scene really stood out, but Gal Gadot showed off how bad-ass she can be with each scene. The action certainly helped the overall pacing of the movie.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Gal Gadot puts forth a valiant effort.

She’s the main reason why I tuned into this one and I thought she did a good job with what she was given. This film features a lot of girl power to the max and I thought she delivered in that department. I just wish she was given a little bit more to work with because she’s so talented.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Borrows too much from other action-thrillers…

I didn’t mind this, but this film really didn’t have its own identity, which was frustrating. I’ve seen too many Netflix action-thrillers that have lured us into this trap. A strong cast, flashy action, and a mediocre plot that becomes forgettable as soon as you turn the movie off.

This film was decent enough, but I thought it had the potential to be so much more. The twists were really predictable and as much as I love a film featuring female empowerment, I don’t need to be hit over the head with this…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in about 75 percent…

Even though I knew what to expect with this movie, there were some moments worth watching and I really enjoyed the performances by Gal Gadot and Alia Bhatt, who both elevated this one as much as they could.

If you’re looking for a quick action-thriller, this one will check off enough boxes for you, but don’t expect anything truly extraordinary.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Heart of Stone 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…

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!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “The Tourist” on HBO Max: Memento style action-thriller has its moments

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

“It’s what you do now that counts…”

The Tourist released on HBO Max on March 3rd 2022 with all six episodes available to stream now. The action-thriller show stars Jamie Dornan, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Danielle Macdonald and Damon Herriman. Each episode runs for approximately 56-58 minutes.

A man wakes up in the Australian Outback with amnesia as he quickly realizes that someone is trying to kill him.

Here is the trailer:

The Tourist has lots of intense moments and twists to keep you entertained, but is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Decent action scenes…

Each episode does just enough to lure you in for more. There are some really great fight scenes, explosions, and more to satisfy action fans. Jamie Dornan plays his character well and shows us plenty of layers. Fans of Reacher and Memento will most likely enjoy this one.

Twists to keep you coming back for more.

I really enjoyed the twists in this one. The end of the first episode pulled me in for more and I had to know what was going to happen next. The show does a good job of revealing bits and pieces along the way. We don’t know who to trust and we’re just as clueless as our main character in a lot of ways.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Slow moving at times…

The episodes are on the long side and there is a lot of unnecessary fluff that gets in the way. At times this show really dragged for me, but each episode managed to redeem itself with something intense to bring you back in. I just wanted a faster pace overall.

The ending was not really what I expected either but I’m sure there will be mixed feelings on it.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of HBO Max

I’m in about 75 percent…

The Tourist has a cool premise with lots of action and twists to keep you coming back for more. There were some pacing issues but I think there is plenty to enjoy with this one, especially if you like action-thrillers.

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