Spoiler-Free Review of “The Girl in the Pool” on Demand: Freddie Prinze Jr. Loses His Mind in this Vapid Thriller

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

“Am I a good person?”

The Girl in the Pool premiered on July 26th 2024 on Demand. The dramatic thriller stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Monica Potter, and Kevin Pollak. It runs for an hour and thirty minutes.

On his birthday, Tom’s life begins to unravel when he tries to piece together what happened to his mistress with his closest friends and family nearby.

Here is the trailer:

The Girl in the Pool has a heavy Lifetime feel with a few familiar faces, but does this film do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Quiver Distribution

Freddie Prinze Jr. and Monica Potter back together on screen!

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Freddie Prinze Jr. and his wonderful wife, Sarah Michelle Gellar. He’s the main reason why I tuned into this one and the only reason why I kept watching. I was also pleased to see Monica Potter in this. These two starred together in a lesser known 2001 rom-com called Head Over Heels and I was happy to seem them reunited on screen.

Unfortunately the pros stop there…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Quiver Distribution

Over-complicated and dull.

I really really wanted to like this movie for Freddie, but wow this was not great. There was more intensity when he performed his Hacky Sack bit in She’s All That. Part of the problem was that this film tried to over-complicate an overdone, but interesting enough premise. Sure, I’ve seen this kind of movie before, but the repetitive flashbacks and random scenes of Freddie yelling at himself in the mirror were distracting. If this film had followed its formula by the numbers, it would have been predictable, but probably more guilty pleasure worthy.

Instead, we got a super boring thriller thrown at us with very little to say. The dialogue was awful and these characters made so many dumb decisions over and over again. It was honestly painful to keep watching…

The twist wasn’t compelling enough.

I had my fingers crossed that maybe this movie could redeem itself in the end and it did throw a twist our way, but it was too late at this point. You could have given me literally any explanation and it wouldn’t have saved this movie, which was beyond disappointing.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Quiver Distribution

Unfortunately I’m out on this one…

Freddie, I’m still a huge fan and I’d love to see you in more films, but this one was really painful to sit through. I was hoping for a soapy thriller to indulge in with a glass of wine, but this just didn’t fit the bill.

The Girl in the Pool fails to deliver as a satisfying thriller, relying too heavily on puzzling behavior and tiresome flashbacks, making this a frustrating watch overall.

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

**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 “Cat Person” on Hulu: The Dangers of Dating…

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

“Am I going to have to take care of you already?”

Cat Person released on Hulu on February 9th 2024. It previously had a limited release on October 6th 2023. The psychological thriller film (based on the short story of the same name) stars Emilia Jones, Nicholas Braun, and Geraldine Viswanathan. It runs for approximately an hour and fifty-eight minutes.

Margot starts up a relationship with an older man she meets at a movie theater, but soon suspects that he may actually be a murderer.

Here is the trailer:

Cat Person takes a close-up look at why dating can be so volatile in today’s day and age, but does it do enough to be worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Realistic depiction of modern dating and what can go wrong…

I think that this movie nailed certain aspects of modern dating. It showed how a new relationship can progress through text messages without really knowing someone and how quickly the relationship dynamic can change when one party suddenly loses interest or realizes that maybe they don’t know that much about the other person…

Some of the doubts and fears shown in this movie were spot on. I was literally yelling at the screen at certain points because Margot was ignoring so many red flags and putting herself in bad situations. I also thought it was interesting how this film showed two sides of this story. It’s not always clear cut in relationships and this film did a good job of allowing both parties to express themselves.

Images courtesy of Hulu

Two solid performances.

I thought both actors did a good job with this one. In a way, I almost felt like I was watching a real story unfold. There were some really tense moments in the last forty minutes or so and both actors really committed to everything without holding back, but I’m not sure that they could fully redeem this one.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Hulu

All over the place…

The pacing was really slow in this one and the vibe changed drastically with each scene. I’m not sure if this was intentional or not, but I was really confused at times while watching this. The weird narrations and hallucinations were distracting at times and I don’t feel like everything progressed the way it was meant to. It had a thrilling premise, but I felt my attention wandering a lot because of this.

I also feel like this movie tried to do a little too much and got lost along the way because of it. Sometimes less is more…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Hulu

I’m 50/50 on this one…

Cat Person had some creepy potential with a Lifetime feel to it, but it never quite found its way, making this a confusing and disappointing watch overall.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Cat Person 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 “Brazen” on Netflix: Alyssa Milano gives it her all

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

“She didn’t expect to die that night…”

Brazen released on January 13th 2022 on Netflix. The mystery thriller film based on the novel by Nora Roberts stars Alyssa Milano, Samuel Page, Emilie Ullerup and Malachi Weir. The film runs for approximately an hour and 35 minutes.

Famous author, Grace Miller desperately tries to solve her sister’s murder with the help of a neighbor detective, as she soon stumbles upon dark and dangerous secrets along the way.

Here is the trailer:

Brazen has a decent premise with a guilty-pleasure mystery core, but does this film do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

A mystery that pulls you in.

I actually thought the mystery was a solid one. I was pulled in and I loved the secrets revealed along the way. There were plenty of twists and turns thrown our way as well to keep us invested until the end of the film.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Alyssa Milano puts forth a valiant effort.

As soon as I saw that she was starring in this film, it made me want to watch it that much more. The Charmed alum really tried her best with this one and she kept me watching even when things started to fall apart. I genuinely believed her performance and I was rooting for her the entire time.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Lifetime-esque nonsense.

I normally really like guilty-pleasure thrillers that have a slight Lifetime feel, but this one channeled it a little bit too much. There were ridiculous romance scenes that didn’t make sense with what was going on and a lot of overacting and silly dialogue. Even though the mystery was a good one, it was often drowned out by some of this unnecessary fluff.

Really predictable…

I was hoping for a major twist, but I saw the reveal at the end coming a mile away. It was just so obvious and I don’t think the film executed it properly. Perhaps I should have read the book instead because this was really disappointing.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m 50/50 on this one…

If you enjoy guilty-pleasure soapy thrillers, you can absolutely give this one a whirl, but I think you are better off watching My Secret Obsession on Netflix instead, which did a better job of balancing the Lifetime feel. The mystery is decent enough, but I would manage your expectations accordingly with this one.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Brazen 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 “You” Season 2 on Netflix: Lifetime Dexter Does It Again

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

Obsession looks good on Joe Goldberg, played brilliantly by Penn Badgley.  After season one became a streaming sensation on Netflix, I was slightly worried that season two would not be able to deliver, but starting over in a new town gave us plenty of opportunities to witness Joe’s dark narrative come alive once again.

You (season two) began streaming new episodes on December 26th 2019 on Netflix.  Season two features ten episodes (about 50 minutes in length).  It stars Penn Badgley, Victoria Pedretti, James Scully, Ambyr Childers, Carmela Zumbado, and Jenna Ortega.

In season two, Joe moves from New York to L.A. and is determined to get a fresh start as “Will,” but things get complicated when he falls in love with his new romantic interest, Love.  He quickly becomes entangled in her family drama, which mostly involves her twin brother, Forty.  Joe tries to be a better person, but the darkness within him continues to stir, as he starts to lose self-control once again.

If you loved season one, you are probably wondering if season two lives up to it?  Let’s find out!

The Pros:

You Netflix 6
Images courtesy of Netflix

Strong supporting characters that steal the show.

As much as I love listening to Joe’s moody narrative, it can get a bit stale if we don’t shake things up with some interesting characters.  My biggest issue with season one was that I actually really didn’t like Beck as a character.  In season two, I really thought that Love had a lot of potential, but I was also intrigued by her twin brother, Forty, who is absolutely hilarious.

Joe’s new neighbors, Delilah and Ellie, are also both fantastic.  You care about their stories and they really allowed us to see Joe/Will’s struggle to be a hero you can count on.  Being a serial killer can get in the way of this; however, but these characters spark a lot of goodness within him, which really helps him grow as a person despite all of his past inner demons.

Joe’s backstory is revealed and seamless connections to season one questions.

We get a lot of flashbacks sprinkled in during the episodes about Joe’s childhood, which help us understand him a bit more.  Even though we get a new setting and characters for season two, I thought the connections to season one worked perfectly.  They weren’t forced or excessive and they really answered a lot of questions that I had without hitting us over the head with unnecessary cameos.

Really great twists.

I did not see the ultimate twist coming and I was very impressed with it, bringing me in that much more.  This show is addicting and I tend to watch it all in one sitting because I don’t want anyone to spoil it for me.  Each reveal was well timed and I actually thought this season was even better than the first.

The Cons:

You Netflix 4
Images courtesy of Netflix

Less kills than season one.

I mean, I guess that shows growth in Joe’s character, but I kind of missed seeing all of the Dexter-like kills from season one, but the ones we do get are rewarding enough.  That being said, it’s hard to continue listening to Joe’s conflicted narrative when we don’t get some surprising kills thrown into the mix to balance that out.

Can’t escape that Lifetime feel.

The show actually did originally air on Lifetime and Netflix ended up picking it up, but there are a lot of scenes that just scream Lifetime with so many over dramatic moments.  But to be honest, that’s why we are watching this.  I can’t say that this surprised me and we witness so many real and honest performances to balance this out, but there were some scenes that were just a little bit too outrageous.

So am I in or out?

You Netflix 5
Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in 100 percent!  I really enjoyed season one of the show, but I loved season two even more. “I wolf you season two!”

This show is beyond addicting.  It’s dark and obsessive, but it also has so many genuine moments of compassion and humor. 

Stand out character:  Forty, who basically stole the show for me. 

Season two was also not afraid to make fun of itself, even having one of the characters comparing Joe’s actions to Dexter, which I appreciated.

The twists were so great and the pacing worked so well, making this show the perfect one to binge-watch.  I hope that we get a season three because this show is fantastic!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

[twitter-follow screen_name=’TV_Fanatic_Girl’]

**Do you love television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Once Upon a Time, Lost, Charmed, The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural?  Do you enjoy dark fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery?  Then you may like my book series, Dreaming of Wonderland…available on Amazon!  Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well.  I really hope you enjoy!

The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice 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!