Tag: Melissa Barrera

Spoiler-Free Review of “Scream VI” in Theaters: New Sequel Takes a Killer Bite Out of the Big Apple

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

What’s your favorite scary movie?

Scream VI released in theaters on March 10th 2023. The sixth installment of my favorite franchise of all time brings us close to my home as Ghostface terrorizes New York City. The slasher horror film stars Melissa Barrera, Courtney Cox, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jenna Ortega, Samara Weaving and Hayden Panettiere.

The Carpenter sisters are trying to start over in New York City, but Ghostface begins targeting those closest to them in this new sequel to the requel.

Here is the trailer:

Scream VI brings us a solid entry to the franchise with inventive kills, fantastic twists, and a few chase scenes to die for. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Uses NYC in an effective way.

I was super excited that Scream was making its way to my state, but was slightly worried about how it would use this setting. Jason Takes Manhattan is one of my favorite slasher films, but Scream VI used NYC in a chilling and effective way, bringing us some edge-of-your-seat moments that were truly fantastic.

More please!

Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures

A cast to die for!

Sure, we were missing our star player, but this cast did such a wonderful job and I actually started to really care about these characters a lot more this time around.

Melissa Barrera was a SCREAM QUEEN and then some! Wow!

Our “legacy” characters really held their own as well and even stole the film at one point…

I don’t think I’ve cheered this much for a bunch of characters since Scream 2…and that had Queen SMG so that’s saying a lot!

The twists and reveals were also well-played and had me guessing! Loved them!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures

I don’t really have any…

This should come as no surprise since I adore this franchise, but after thinking about it, I really loved every aspect of this movie. There was enough nostalgia and Easter eggs to keep fans happy while still keeping things fresh and new.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures

I’m in 100 percent!

Already one of my favorite films of the franchise! Scream VI is bad-ass and beyond entertaining!

It’s safe to say I’ll be re-watching this one again and again!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Scream VI 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 “Keep Breathing” on Netflix: Melissa Barrera’s Survival Drama has its Moments

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

“I don’t give up…”

Keep Breathing premiered on Netflix on July 28th 2022. All six episodes are available to stream now. The survival drama limited series stars Melissa Barrera, Austin Stowell, Jeff Wilbusch, and Juan Pablo Espinosa. Each episode runs for approximately 32-35 minutes.

After her private plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness, Liv must find a way to survive as she copes with her past personal traumas during her journey.

Here is the trailer:

Keep Breathing has plenty of intense moments built in with a believable performance from Melissa Barrera, but does it do enough to earn a a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Keep Breathing Spoiler Free 1

Images courtesy of Netflix

Melissa Barrera gives an emotional performance.

I’ve seen a lot of survival dramas and thrillers and it’s far from easy to carry an entire film or series when you’re basically on your own. Melissa Barrera manages to captivate her audience with a heartfelt performance that redeemed this series in a lot of ways. Even the quiet moments felt real and made an impact. I enjoyed her in Scream (2022), but she took things to another level and really showed her range in this series.

I hope to see her in more things soon!

Keep Breathing Spoiler Free 2

Images courtesy of Netflix

The survival moments were really intense.

The episodes were on the shorter side which helped things, but I thoroughly enjoyed the survival moments during this series. I was actually on the edge of my seat quite a few times (especially in the beginning) and I thought the series really captured the trial and error parts of survival effectively. This was the most interesting part of the series for me and I was rooting for Liv the entire time.

The setting was also really beautiful and I think the series captured it well.

The Cons:

Keep Breathing Spoiler Free 3

Images courtesy of Netflix

The flashbacks made the series drag at times…

I totally understand the point of the flashbacks. Liv is trying to survive in a scenario that seems almost impossible and starts to think about her past and why she is trying to stay alive now. Even though the episodes were short, I often felt like I was watching this series for a long time.

Things just moved way too slow, which was really frustrating. The content was also really heavy and emotional. That’s not necessarily a con, but it didn’t help the pace when I was connecting more to other parts of the series. 

So am I in or out?

Keep Breathing Spoiler Free 4

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in about 75 percent…

I enjoyed my watch for the most part and was genuinely moved. I thought Melissa Barrera did a great job, but I don’t think that all the pieces came together seamlessly to make this into the entertaining watch I really wanted it to be.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Keep Breathing 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 “Scream” (2022) in Theaters: Fans have something to be excited about!

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

It’s always someone you know…

Scream (2022) released in theaters on January 14th 2022. The fifth installment of my favorite franchise of all time brings us back to Woodsboro as a killer dressed as Ghostface threatens the town once again. The slasher horror film stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Dylan Minnette, Jack Quaid, Jenna Ortega and Marley Shelton.

Sidney Prescott thought that she was done with Ghostface for good, but a new killer emerges twenty-five years later, targeting a group of teens in this new “requel.”

Here is the trailer:

Scream (2022) brings together our favorite characters from the original film while introducing a new generation to Ghostface, making us fear answering the phone once again. Does the new film deliver with gory whodunnit goodness? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures

For the fans.

The fifth film gives fans of the original plenty to be really excited about. We have returning characters, some welcomed surprises, and lots of nods to some of our favorite moments in the films. I thought the film did an excellent job with this nostalgia without overdoing it.

It just worked effortlessly and I loved all of the Easter eggs along the way. Scream is my favorite movie of all time and this film honored that in an effective way.

I also thought that there was a seamless balance between the original story and the new one. Everything connected and just worked, making this film really entertaining.

Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Not afraid to make fun of itself.

I really loved the well placed humor sprinkled into the film and I loved that it didn’t take itself too seriously. It recognized its place in the franchise and gave us plenty of laugh-out-loud moments to appreciate.

Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Welcomed new characters keep you guessing.

I really thought that some of the new characters did an excellent job fitting in and some of them were scene-stealers for sure.

Stand-out performances: Jenna Ortega as Tara and Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy.

This made me like the film even more because I didn’t need Sidney to be on screen in every scene to be entertained. A lot of the new characters really held their own.

I thought that the film embraced its whodunnit mystery and kept the audience guessing for the most part. The kills had a different feel to them, but it still kept the vibe from the original going, which is important.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Some performances were lacking…

I thought that the cast did a great job for the most part, but there were some performances stronger than others. While I loved a lot of the new characters introduced to us, a lot of other characters felt mostly filler and I didn’t really care if they made it out or not.

I also thought there were a few plot holes and some unnecessary tangents as well, but overall I was thoroughly entertained.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures

I’m in 100 percent!

I absolutely adored this film and I thought it did a great job of keeping the audience entertained. The film honored its fans with lots of nostalgia while giving us plenty of gory kills and surprises to be excited about!

A worthy entry to the franchise!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Scream (2022) 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!