Tag: Kid Cudi

Spoiler-Free Review of “Silent Night” (2023) in Theaters: A Revenge Thriller that Has its Moments

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

“Kill them all…”

Silent Night released in theaters on December 1st 2023. The revenge thriller-action film (directed by John Woo) stars Joel Kinnaman, Kid Cudi, Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-four minutes.

On Christmas Eve, a man witnesses the tragic death of his son when a stray bullet from a local street gang takes everything from him. After recovering from a wound that costs him his voice, he vows to take revenge on those responsible the following year.

Here is the trailer:

Silent Night features a strong lead performer accompanied by lots of blood-soaked action, but is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Lionsgate

Joel Kinnaman gives it his all.

Without being able to talk, I was pleasantly surprised by how well he commanded the screen. I loved him in The Killing and was super excited to see him in this. His acting was on point and I honestly felt his pain and grief throughout the film. This is no easy task when you can’t express yourself verbally and yet he managed to really make me feel something, which says a lot.

Images courtesy of Lionsgate

Brutal and flashy violence.

If that’s what you came to see, it will deliver on that…but it takes a while to get there. That being said, I thought a lot of the fight scenes were well done and John Woo fans will have something to be excited about.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Lionsgate

A revenge thriller I’ve seen before…

Sure, you can wrap a bow on it with a “no talking” gimmick, but the film doesn’t really stray far from your standard revenge thriller. I actually think the “no talking” aspect hindered it in a lot of ways and made this an exhausting watch at times.

It also took way too long to get to the heart of the film. Yes, the moments leading up to it added to the emotional motivation, but I felt like we were crossing off calendar dates for hours and I couldn’t take some of the silent stare downs much longer.

Luckily we got to plenty of satisfying action, but I wouldn’t say that this was anything that new or extraordinary…but it was still enjoyable enough for action fans. You just have to sit through a lot of boring fluff to get there.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Lionsgate

I’m in about 75 percent…

Silent Night delivers in the action category, but its slow burn approach and insistence on staying true to its gimmick loses a little holiday magic.

Perhaps I set my expectations too high because I thought the trailer was brilliant, but this wasn’t the revenge action film I was really hoping for.

I hope you enjoyed the review and please feel free to share your thoughts on Silent Night 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 “X” in Theaters: Sex and Gore Galore with a Killer Soundtrack

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

“You know what they say about too much of a good thing…”

X  released in theaters on March 18th 2022. The slasher horror film stars Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Kid Cudi, Martin Henderson, and Owen Campbell. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes.

Set in 1979, a group of actors head out to rural Texas to shoot an adult film. However, when their hosts catch them in the act, they find themselves fighting for their lives.

Here is the trailer:

X pays homage to classic films like Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Jaws while creating something wild, entertaining, and delightfully disturbing on its own. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of A24

Visually stunning with an amazing soundtrack!

This film really transported me back in time and the musical soundtrack complimented it so well. I also loved the camera effects and the use of lighting. There were so many shocking and horrifying moments during this film and everything was elevated that much more by the visual and sound effects.

This film took my breath away in the best way possible!

Images courtesy of A24

Creepy AF!

This movie was so creepy and disturbing. There was plenty of gore, but the horror went well beyond that. My skin was crawling during certain scenes and I was genuinely freaked out by what I was watching. This film did a great job of embracing the slasher genre while pushing the envelope that much more with its uncensored content.

So much fun!

There’s already such a close and wonderful relationship between sex and horror films and X took it one step further. I loved the film within a film and the actors did a fantastic job with every aspect of their portrayal. Don’t think about things too much. Just enjoy the film and you’ll love it that much more!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of A24

Takes a little while to get going…

I wouldn’t say that this was a major con, but the pacing was a little sluggish in the beginning. Once things took a turn for the disturbing, I was all in but it did take a little while to get there.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of A24

I’m in 100 percent!!!!!

Creepy AF and so much fun! I was so excited to watch this movie and I can happily say that it lived up to the hype and then some! If you enjoy slasher and horror films, you will feel right at home with this one. Enjoy it!

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

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