Tag: jump scares

Spoiler-Free Review of “Immaculate” in Theaters: A New Scream Queen Emerges!

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

“I hope you find what you’re looking for…”

Immaculate released in theaters on March 22nd 2024. The religious horror film stars Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte, Simona Tabasco, and Benedetta Porcaroli. The film runs for approximately an hour and thirty minutes.

Sister Cecilia is invited to a remote convent in Italy to take her vows as a nun, but she soon discovers that there are dark and sinister secrets lurking within that put her in immediate danger.

Here is the trailer:

Immaculate explores the horrors that can exist away from the rest of the world in an extremely disturbing way. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Neon

Unsettling and horrifying moments.

There was something so utterly terrifying about the overall tone of this film. Sure, some of it was utter nonsense but it still chilled me to my core and had my skin crawling during several key moments. I left the theater in complete shock after what I had just witnessed. It was extreme, intense, and absolutely insane in the best way possible.

Images courtesy of Neon

Sydney Sweeney proves her worth.

Wow, she was FANTASTIC in this role. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but as the film continued to build and build, her performance got stronger along with it. She poured so much into her portrayal and unleashed something spectacular. She’s an absolute star and she just carved her way into the horror genre, making this a performance to remember for sure.

More please!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Neon

The weak jump scares didn’t add anything…

I really hate when films do this because it disrupts the overall tone of the film. This film was already terrifying enough with its content. It didn’t need these at all to provide shock value. Trust me.

The film started off really strong, but the pacing did slow down for a while after this. This wasn’t a major con because I expected this to be a slow burn, but be prepared for some fluff to sit through before you get to the extreme insanity.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Neon

I’m in!!!

Immaculate is deeply disturbing, featuring a bloody captivating performance by Sydney Sweeney. 

A twisted gem for horror fans!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Immaculate 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 “Night Swim” in Theaters: Skip the Dip…

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

“I always wanted a pool…”

Night Swim (based off the 2014 short of the same name) released in theaters on January 5th 2024. The supernatural horror film stars Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amélie Hoeferle, and Jodi Long. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty-eight minutes.

A former baseball player moves into a new home and is hoping that their pool can give him the therapy he needs, but a malevolent force is unleashed instead, terrorizing those closest to him.

Here is the trailer:

Night Swim attempts to channel films like Jaws and The Amityville Horror, but goes off the deep end with its reveals. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Eerie premise with a decent enough opening.

The film started off with some potential. I liked the opening and thought we were on our way to experiencing a creepy supernatural flick, but sometimes a film can’t find its way past an initial concept.

That being said, there were some more disturbing moments sprinkled in throughout the film, but nothing to get too excited about…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Takes itself too seriously.

I think this was my biggest issue with this film. It really could have benefited from some campy fun. Instead, it was just laughable and silly in all the wrong ways. The reveal was not worth sticking around for and some of the dialogue was beyond atrocious. The actors were decent enough, but they were stuck in uninspiring roles so it made it difficult for me to really invest in any of them.

This film also relied too heavily on desperate jump scares, which didn’t add anything to the film. Instead, it just showed off how extremely shallow it was.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Unfortunately I’m out on this one…

Night Swim gets off to a creepy start, but it never quite finds its way past the concept, making this an uninspiring watch overall.

I was expecting a lot more from my first horror watch of the year.

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

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Ju-On: Origins” on Netflix: Stomach-Turning Terror

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

If you thoroughly enjoy the horror film franchise, Ju-On or The Grudge, you may have been counting the days until the release of the streaming television series, Ju-On: Origins.

Ju-On: Origins is a Japanese horror series that premiered on Netflix on July 3rd 2020. It features 6 episodes (28-30 minutes in length). The series is available with subtitles or dubbed in English.

It’s difficult to present fans with something truly unique and different when coming from such an extensive franchise, but the series manages to bring us back to the beginning. We witness several timelines involving a house with unexplainable connections to horrific acts of violence and murder, as a paranormal investigator tries to obtain as much information as he can to get to the truth.

This show has the potential to truly terrify you with a satisfying binge-watch, but does Ju-On: Origins do enough to step out from the shadows of the films? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Ju On Origins Netflix 1
Images courtesy of Netflix

The anthology style works.

Since there are only six episodes and each one is actually pretty short, the anthology style works well. We learn about several different characters who have all entered the house in question throughout the late eighties and into the nineties, presenting us with connections and a real mystery.

The series is supposed to represent the true events that actually inspired the franchise and this particular style allows Ju-On: Origins to branch out and form its own identity.

Moves away from jump scares/tropes.

I don’t know about you, but there are several moments from The Grudge movies that still don’t sit well with me. I’m constantly checking under the covers and that sound still haunts me to this day.

The series takes a different approach and moves away from the jump scares that we are all accustomed to. Rather, it leans more on some disturbing scenes of gore and a slow burn approach, revealing that sometimes cruel and unthinkable acts of humanity may actually be more terrifying in the end, which gives the audience something to truly think about.

While the show didn’t really scare me, there were some moments that really made my stomach turn. Seriously, I skipped breakfast today just because of it.

The Cons:

Ju Origins Netflix 2
Images courtesy of Netflix

Slow moving at first.

There are only six episodes, but things really didn’t pick up for me until episode 4. Once the mystery started unraveling more and more, I became more invested and I was actually really interested in some of the character connections and the reveals.

It would have been great if the show had this same feel from the very start, but there are moments in each episode that have that shock value to grab your attention.

Not for the faint of heart.

As I mentioned earlier, there are some real disturbing moments of gore featured in the series. However, there are also some scenes that are extremely difficult to watch and I hope that Netflix considers adding a few advisories to these particular episodes that show a violent sexual assault and an extremely disturbing scene involving a pregnant woman.

As of right now, Netflix codes the show as being for mature audiences, featuring violence. However, I think that extra advisories should be added for episodes 1 and 4. Please be aware of these scenes during your watch.

So am I in or out?

Ju On Origins Netflix 3
Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m about 50/50 on this one. I think that true fans of this franchise will thoroughly enjoy the series. If you are a horror fan looking for something quick to binge-watch, it only takes about three hours to get through all of the episodes.

The show does have some interesting qualities and I really did become more invested during episode 4, but I think we could have captured this feel from the very beginning and some of that was missed with the slower pace.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Ju-On: Origins 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…

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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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Do you love horror series? Of course you do! Please also check out 12 Nights of Horror Series Coming Soon. It’s your home for everything you need to know about new and returning horror television series including new trailers, premiere dates, reviews, recaps, and renewals!