Tag: Matthew Lillard

Spoiler-Free Review of “Scream 7” in Theaters: Neve Campbell Brings the Nostalgia

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

“There SHE is…”

Scream 7 released in theaters on February 27th 2026. The seventh installment of my favorite franchise of all time gives fans a chance to see Neve Campbell on the big screen as Sidney Prescott (Evans) once again. The slasher horror film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Isabel May, Joel McHale, Matthew Lillard, Anna Camp, Ethan Embry, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown. The film runs for approximately an hour and fifty-six minutes.

Sidney has built a quiet life with her family in a small town, but a Ghostface threat from her past begins to target her and her teenage daughter.

Here is the trailer:

Scream 7 has a nostalgic feel to it with Kevin Williamson directing, bringing fans of the franchise plenty of Easter eggs and heartwarming moments to appreciate, but does it do enough to measure up to the other films? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Welcome back, Sidney Prescott!

Even though I absolutely loved Scream VI and it was one of my favorite entries of the franchise, there was something missing…and her name is Sidney Prescott (Evans). Well, Sidney is back as our leading lady in the seventh film and it was amazing seeing her in this role once again. She was bad-ass and resilient, reminding everyone that she is definitely not “past her prime.”

If you came to see Sidney, you’ll get plenty of her in this film.

This film did have a lot of nostalgia surrounding it and I appreciated that we finally took the time to talk about certain character deaths that were always glossed over in the previous films. I thought this was a nice touch.

Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Solid cast with FANTASTIC cameos!

In addition to Neve Campbell returning, we got to see several more familiar faces and I thought everyone did a great job here. The cameos were amazing and Matthew Lillard is on another level! I loved every second of it!

The newcomers did an OK job, but I think they should have been given a little bit more to do…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures

The stakes didn’t seem as high…

For some reason, this felt like such a tame entry. There were too many survivors in the end and a lot of the kills felt toned down. I just never felt any sense of real danger for our characters here.

I also wasn’t a huge fan of Sidney’s daughter. I thought she was kind of boring and her friends were even worse. Usually I invest a lot in these characters so I care more when their lives are put in danger, but that didn’t really happen here with a few exceptions.

I thought the opening sequence was solid and there was a nice balance of laughs and slasher fun, but it did feel very dialed down. The killer reveal was also just kind of meh.

That being said, I’ll always love the Scream movies and I still had a lot of fun watching this one. I guess I just wanted more.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures

I’m in!!!

Scream 7 gives Neve Campbell a chance to shine once again as Sidney Prescott with some bloody fun cameos to be excited about. Overall this was a tame, but entertaining popcorn watch.

This was probably one of my least favorite entries to the franchise, but I still enjoyed it.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Scream 7 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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Spoiler-Free Review of “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” in Theaters: An Underwhelming Sequel

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

“Are you ready to start the show?”

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 released in theaters on December 5th 2025. Based on the popular video game, the horror film stars Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Mckenna Grace, Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard. The film runs for an hour and forty-five minutes.

After the horrific events at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, Mike, Abby, and Vanessa learn that a new threat has emerged at the original Freddy’s, threatening to destroy them all.

Here is the trailer:

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is an exhausting sequel with little charm, but it does feature two legendary scream kings on the big screen. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Billy and Stu are back! Well…kind of.

Look, I’ll take what I can get! I really didn’t enjoy the first film that much, but I was happy that Matthew Lillard was in it. The only reason I showed up to see the second one was to witness both Matthew Lillard AND Skeet Ulrich on screen. I mean…talk about a dream come true!

Sure…they needed more screen time, but it was fun seeing them both in this even though I’m pretty sure that the majority of the audience (kids under 14) had no idea who they were.

A cool new addition.

I thought the addition of the Marionette worked well for the most part. This movie didn’t have any major scares to it, but the creepy factor was there and I think that she was a cool character to explore. Things would have felt completely stale if we were just dealing with the same exact characters again so there’s that.

Unfortunately the pros stop here…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Forced character side plots…

This is one of those sequels that would have benefited from a completely new cast. Having Mike, Vanessa, and Abby back in the mix may have seemed like a good idea, but the execution didn’t come across well. Everything felt exhausting, boring, and drawn out. Every major plot point had a convenient solution and I lost the partial investment I had in these characters from the first film.

Silly scares.

I know this is more of a kid-friendly horror film, but it’s still horror so I would have liked a few more authentic scares. The jump scares felt gimmicky and I think they wasted the potential of the Marionette. The reveals at the end felt so desperate and I honestly couldn’t wait for this to be over. I sprinted out of the theater…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Unfortunately I’m out on this one…

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 exhausts everything from the original film, proving to be a completely unnecessary sequel with not much to say at all…

Sure, there were a few fun moments and I loved seeing Lillard and Ulrich in this, but this was lacking in some major fun.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 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 “He’s All That” on Netflix: The Bet is Back

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

“I can take anything or anyone and make them popular…”

He’s All That premiered on August 27th 2021 on Netflix. The reboot of 1999’s She’s All That stars Addison Rae, Tanner Buchanan, Madison Pettis, Rachael Leigh Cook and Matthew Lillard. It is approximately 90 minutes long.

It’s been 22 years since one of my favorite rom-coms first premiered and I had mixed thoughts going into this watch. The original film is far from perfect, but it is a cult classic in my opinion. It has humor, a fun cast, and an epic red dress. It’s one of those movies that you can watch over and over again.

He’s All That presents us with a role reversal which has the potential to shake things up. Two original cast members appear in the film, (Cook and Lillard) which may also help persuade you to give this a watch.

Here is the trailer:

He’s All That has a lot to measure up to. She’s All That is one of my favorite movies so this will be no easy task. The role reversal has the potential to make things interesting, but does this film find its own identity or is it a watered down imitation? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Matthew Lillard is the best part of the movie…

I absolutely adore Matthew Lillard. He is the best part of Scream and a hidden gem in She’s All That. I was super excited that he was going to be appearing in this movie along with Rachael Leigh Cook. Even in such a small role, he steals the show and I was literally cheering for him at one point.

You will too!

It was smart to bring these two back although I would have liked to have seen Freddie Prinze Jr. in it as well, but I’ll take what I can get!

Images courtesy of Netflix

Decent chemistry.

The two main characters actually had really good chemistry on screen. There were some genuine sweet moments between them and I actually really liked the karaoke party along with the Great Gatsby one. Sure, we didn’t have Taylor Vaughn spilling a drink on poor Laney Boggs, but there were some entertaining moments in this film.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Social media focus replaces humor…

There are so many laugh out loud moments in the original film and while I saw the attempt in the reboot, it did not translate well. The acting left a lot to be desired as well, although I thought Buchanan was actually pretty decent.

There was such a focus on social media in this film and I don’t think it actually made it stand out in any way. A lot of films have been relying on this with a new generation and audience, but it doesn’t replace pure entertainment…

A watered down version of the original.

The reboot actually had a solid idea with the role reversal, but it did not do anything new or unique to separate itself from the original. We had several of the same moments sprinkled into the film that didn’t have the same impact and although we had a decent make-over scene, nothing will ever compare to Rachael Leigh Cook walking down the stairs in her red dress.

The film tried to present us with a positive message at the end which I appreciated, but I really wanted this film to branch off and do something different and instead it followed the formula of the original by the numbers while losing its magic in the process.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m 50/50 on this one…

The movie is not bad and has some entertaining moments. Since it is on Netflix, you can easily turn this film on if you have nothing else to watch. The movie isn’t too long and plus you get to watch Rachael Leigh Cook and Matthew Lillard for a little while (the main reason I tuned in). 

I really wanted to like this movie and I think it could have really embraced the role reversal, but this film didn’t come close to the original one for me. 

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on He’s All That 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!

Ranking the “Scream” movies from Best to Worst

“What’s YOUR favorite scary movie?”

A timeless question for sure and the start of it all in the popular Scream franchise. With Courtney Cox’s recent announcement about confirming her role in Scream 5, I thought it would the perfect time to re-visit the other Scream films and rank them from best to worst.

There’s just something about Scream. It has it all. It nails the comedy, it gives us plenty of slasher horror scares, and it is just one of those movies you can watch over and over again. Trust me, it would alarm you how much I have actually watched these movies…

Please note some spoilers are ahead.

Without any further delay, let’s find out exactly how I ranked the Scream films and why.

1

Scream (1996)

Scream
Images courtesy of Miramax

The original film is the best one by far. It is actually my favorite movie of all time and I think that it really set the bar for slasher movies in the 90’s and the early 2000’s. The opening scene was so shocking the first time I watched it. I remember thinking that Drew Barrymore was going to be the star of the movie and then so much for that.

However, Neve Campbell was the perfect Final Girl as Sidney Prescott. I pretty much loved every single character in this movie and I still think that Tatum deserved better.

Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich also made quite the tag team and I will be forever woozy watching them.

Scream 1
Images courtesy of Miramax

There’s just something about the original movie that stands the test of time for me. I find something new every single time I watch it and I am so impressed by all of the clever Easter eggs and references sprinkled in to give fans a sense of nostalgia while creating something iconic at the same time.

Standout Death: 

Drew’s shocking demise in the opening scene of the movie is probably one of the most brutal and violent deaths. It still upsets me when I watch it now, but Tatum’s encounter with the garage door was also really memorable.

Scream Tatum
Images courtesy of Miramax

I mean, she did want to be in the sequel…

2

Scream 2 (1997)

Scream 2 Movie
Images courtesy of Miramax

The sequel actually really holds up. There is even a hilarious class discussion where sequels come up. It’s hard to live up to the original, but Scream 2 does a fantastic job of keeping up the pace.

We get a new environment for Sidney in this film. She’s in college now, which was a welcomed change as we got to meet new characters and say hello to some familiar faces as well. A copy cat killer is on the loose with the release of the movie, “Stab,” which actually ends up starring Tori Spelling. Well played!

There is a sense of maturity in the second film and some shocking reveals as well. Mickey, the creepy film student played by Timothy Olyphant, is a welcomed addition. We get a roommate for Sidney, a boyfriend, and some sorority sisters thrown into the mix. The second film really doesn’t hold anything back and wasn’t afraid to kill off a main character…even though I wish he would have stuck around.

Standout Death: 

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s demise was unfortunate, but this scene was pretty epic. I still yell at the television screen and tell her to use her Slayer strength, but SMG doesn’t always luck out in horror movies…

Scream 2 Sarah Michelle Gellar
Images courtesy of Miramax

We still love seeing her anyway though!

3

Scream 4 (2011)

Scream 4
Images courtesy of Miramax

It’s been quite some time since we checked in on Sidney, Gale, and Dewey, but Ghostface is back and ready to shed some new blood. We get a new set of characters in the fourth film and are introduced to Sidney’s cousin, Jill, played by Emma Roberts.

As the familiar kills return, everyone is danger…including Sidney. We get a shocking twist in this film that made it worth the watch and a lesson about not “fucking with the original.” Well said!

Standout Death: 

The word “clear” comes to mind for sure. Jill’s death was quite “shocking.” I also thought that Kirby deserved a lot better and really showed off her knowledge about horror films. There are some theories floating around that she could still be alive (similar to Stu) since we never actually saw her dead, but either way, she deserved better!

4

Scream 3 (2000)

Scream 3
Images courtesy of Miramax

Yeah, so on to the third film. It is my least favorite in the franchise. Courtney Cox’s micro bangs may have been the real horror of this film, but the third film always just fell a little flat. Part of that probably has a lot to do with the change in writer, but Scream 3 does have some entertaining moments.

I loved that we were able to see Randy on video with his rules about trilogies…even though Scream moved past the three films. There are some comedic moments between Gale and fake Gale along with Dewey, but the film just didn’t have the same balance of comedy and slasher fun that I was accustomed to.

Standout Death: 

The explosion killing Tom was kind of shocking, but overall the death scenes were all just kind of okay in this movie…

Overall, the Scream franchise is iconic for me and it always will be. Let’s not forget that we also got a short-lived television series on MTV. The first two seasons were actually pretty decent, but the third one was all over the map. However, I do know some fans who actually enjoyed it and there were some fun cameos.

Scream 5 is looking to release some time in 2021, which would be the 25th anniversary of the films. I am looking forward to seeing it, but I also think that we need to shake things up and kill off another main character.

Our Final Girl, Sidney Prescott, has certainly been through a lot over the years, but she will continue to be my favorite Final Girl of all time and I will always root for her.

Which Scream films did YOU enjoy most?

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on the Scream films in the comments section below. Thank you so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

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READ IF YOU DARE…

Dash and Seek is available here!

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