Tag: Natalie Morales

Spoiler-Free Review of “The Beast in Me” on Netflix: Carrie Mathison is Back…Kind of!

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

“Sometimes bad things just happen…”

The Beast in Me premiered on Netflix on November 13th 2025 with all eight episodes available to stream now. The crime thriller mini-series stars Claire Danes, Matthew Rhys, Brittany Snow, Jonathan Banks, David Lyons, and Natalie Morales. Each episode runs for approximately 48-52 minutes.

After a family tragedy, Author Aggie Wiggs has trouble writing her next book until her new neighbor, Nile Jarvis moves in. After his wife went missing, he was blamed for her murder, but it was never proven, but Aggie begins to discover some connections of her own leading to a dangerous new friendship.

Here is the trailer:

The Beast in Me has a talented cast, an addicting premise, and quite a few entertaining reveals along the way to keep you invested until the end. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Claire Danes is back!

I’ve missed watching Claire as Carrie Mathison on Homeland and have been waiting for her to appear in a series like this. She was in Max’s series, Full Circle a few years back, but I thought this one was much more suited to her.

If you missed the over-the-top emotional crying and yelling…it’s back! But seriously, Claire Danes is absolutely terrific in this series and Matthew Rhys was charming in such an eerie way. The rest of the cast is stacked as well and there were quite a few familiar faces in this one.

Images courtesy of Netflix

A consuming watch!

I was hooked right from the opening episode. I loved the setting (I’m very familiar with it) and I thought it worked well against the chaos and turmoil going on between these characters. Each episode did just enough to pull me in for more and I found this series very easy to binge-watch. I finished all eight episodes in two days.

There were a few side-plots to deal with, but everything connected enough in the end so I didn’t mind this. Episode 7 was incredible!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Predictable at times…

Even though I enjoyed it, you can pretty much guess what’s going on in this one. None of the reveals were that surprising, but they were still satisfying enough. I really enjoyed my watch, but I would have appreciated at least one shocking twist here to keep me guessing.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in!

The Beast in Me is an engrossing watch enhanced by two powerhouse performances by Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys. 

This was such a nice surprise. I haven’t been able to get into a show in a while, but this one really hooked me and never slowed down for one second. Loved it!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Beast in Me 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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Spoiler-Free Review of “Self Reliance” on Hulu: Jake Johnson and Anna Kendrick are Absolutely Charming!

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

“Congrats…you’ve been selected…”

Self Reliance premiered on Hulu on January 12th 2024. The comedy-thriller film stars Jake Johnson (he also wrote and directed the film), Anna Kendrick, Natalie Morales, and Andy Samberg. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty minutes.

Tommy receives a mysterious invitation to participate in a game where he is hunted for thirty days. If he survives, he wins a million dollars, but his friends and family think that it’s all in his head, making him question his own sanity along the way as he tries to come up with loopholes to stay alive.

Here is the trailer:

Self Reliance features a quirky and fun performance by Jake Johnson, who lights up the screen with the always delightful Anna Kendrick by his side. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Hulu

An entertaining premise.

Think the comedic version of The Game and that’s kind of what you get with Self Reliance. The concept behind this film is pure genius and I think that it executed everything really well for the most part. As long as you recognize that this is more of a comedy than a thriller, you’ll enjoy your watch.

The opening was really strong and I was just as curious as Jake Johnson’s character, which motivated me to see this one through until the end.

Images courtesy of Hulu

The chemistry between Johnson and Kendrick is the best part of the film.

I thought I was all in for this killer game and yet I was more intrigued by the bond forming between Johnson and Kendrick’s characters. If you enjoy Jake Johnson’s dry humor, you’ll get plenty of that here since he also wrote and directed the film. Once Anna Kendrick joined the mix, things got a lot more entertaining and I thought they were magic together on screen.

I almost wish we got even more screen time for them together.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Needed some more thrills…

Since this was billed as a thriller, I expected a little bit more in this department. I still enjoyed my watch overall, but I think it would have been more enjoyable to see Jake Johnson’s character in real danger more often. The times that this did happen were kind of watered down and they lacked the suspenseful edge I was hoping for.

I also had mixed thoughts on the ending. I didn’t need anything that complicated, but  I would have welcomed a clever twist to really throw the audience for a loop…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Hulu

I’m in!

Self reliance is offbeat, quirky, and a lot of fun.

This film wasn’t perfect, but it was unique and the performances by Johnson and Kendrick made it worth the watch.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Self Reliance 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…

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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!