Tag: missing sister

Spoiler-Free Review of “Until Dawn” in Theaters: A Forgettable Horror Flick

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

“That’s where people get in trouble…”

Until Dawn released in theaters on April 25th 2025. Based on the video game of the same name, the survival horror film stars Ella Rubin, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Odessa A’zion, Michael Cimino, and Peter Stormare. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-three minutes.

One year after her sister’s disappearance, Clover and her friends head to the spot where she vanished looking for answers, leading them into a never-ending trap that causes them to relive the same day over and over again after facing horrific deaths.

Here is the trailer:

Until Dawn has an eerie enough premise and some decent kills, but does it do enough to stand out in the horror genre? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Playstation Productions

Solid premise.

I was hooked by the trailer and thought this one had a lot of potential. I’m familiar with the game, but I wouldn’t say that I am that knowledgeable on it so I went into this with no real expectations. I thought the setup was a decent one and our cast did a good enough job with what they were given.

Images courtesy of Playstation Productions

Peter Stormare!

He voiced Dr. Hill in the game and I thought it was genius that they cast him in the movie. I’m a huge fan of his since Prison Break and thought he was the BEST part of the movie.

He embraced his role (even though it wasn’t a large one) and just went with it, bringing us plenty of creepy vibes.

Ella Rubin gave us a decent performance as well as Clover, but she needed some more layers. The backstory was there, but it wasn’t fleshed out enough. I liked her though!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Playstation Productions

Cheesy jump scares and too many forced tropes.

Ugh, I really wanted to like this movie. It wasn’t bad, but it really wasn’t good either. It was just kind of meh…?

I didn’t jump once despite all of the overused scares. I thought it was cool that they had some Easter eggs for fans of the game, but I think they could have used more of them.

The reliving the same day over and over plot has been done a million times before and I don’t think this film did anything that unique or new with it. Some of the effects were cool, but everything just felt really safe and by the numbers.

I wanted this movie to just break some barriers and go for something extreme, but we never reached that point.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Playstation Productions

Unfortunately I’m out on this one…

Until Dawn ultimately misses the mark, relying too heavily on cheesy jump scares and overdone plot gimmicks.

This was a boring and frustrating watch and I was really disappointed.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

CHECKING OUT WAS NEVER AN OPTION…

A weekend getaway goes horribly wrong when Charlotte suspects that a guest at her bed-and-breakfast has gone missing. A heart-pounding thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. We Hope You Enjoy Your Stay is available below! I hope you enjoy!

We Hope You Enjoy Your Stay is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Long Bright River” on Peacock: Amanda Seyfried Stars in this Emotional Crime Mystery Series

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

“Every single one of your actions is a choice…”

Long Bright River premiered on Peacock on March 13th 2025 with all eight episodes available to stream now. The limited crime drama series (based on the novel of the same name) stars Amanda Seyfried, Nicholas Pinnock, Ashleigh Cummings, and John Doman. Each episode runs for approximately 50-53 minutes.

When a series of murders involving young women occur in Philadelphia, a cop named Mickey suspects that there may be a connection to her own sister’s disappearance, leading her down a dangerous path to discover the truth.

Here is the trailer:


Long Bright River is very similar to Mare of Easttown with an emotional mystery at its core and a strong female lead. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Peacock

A layered mystery with emotional connections.

I thought the core mystery here was a solid one. I was invested more because of the believable bond between these sisters. Their relationship was far from perfect, but it made it more realistic and I truly felt Amanda Seyfried’s desperate struggle to find out the truth. I was engrossed until the very end and I thought the final reveal was a good one that kept me guessing.

Images courtesy of Peacock

Amanda Seyfried gives a note-worthy performance.

She’s the main reason why I tuned into this particular series and I thought she carried it in so many ways. She was believable, compelling, and very interesting to watch on screen. Her character was flawed in a lot of ways, but Seyfried clearly understood that with her portrayal.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Draining at times.

The episodes here were a little too long for my liking. The first two episodes felt extremely sluggish, but thankfully things turned around by the time I got to episode 3.

I also think this series tried to cover too much. This often happens when series attempt to bring over as many details as possible from a book, but I think it took away slightly from the main mystery, which was interesting enough on its own.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Peacock

I’m in about 75 percent…

Long Bright River is an emotional, gripping crime series with a solid performance by Amanda Seyfried.

There were some pacing issues to deal with, but I think the series got better and better with each episode.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A VACATION TO DIE FOR…

Blood Rose Island Ad

When sisters, Nina and Gemma are vacationing in Hawaii with their friends, they get invited to an exclusive party on a private island that seems too good to be true. There’s only one rule…they can’t miss their ferry at midnight or they’ll have to wait until morning to leave the island. Only they didn’t realize that breaking this rule meant they would be hunted down on the island one by one.

Who will make it off the island alive?

I hope you enjoy my island thriller!

Blood Rose Island is available here!

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