Spoiler-Free Review of “Archive 81” on Netflix: Chilling and Consuming Watch

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

“Please find me…”

Archive 81 premiered on January 14th 2022 on Netflix. All eight episodes are available to stream now. The horror mystery series stars Mamoudou Athie, Dina Shihabi, Matt McGorry, Ariana Neal and Evan Jonigkeit. Each episode runs for approximately 55-57 minutes.

An archivist named Dan takes a job restoring old videotapes up in the Catskills, uncovering a mystery surrounding the missing director and a supernatural cult.

Here is the trailer:

Archive 81 reels you in with a slow burn approach that manages to transform into something truly disturbing as we are along for the ride to discover what truly happened to the girl on the tapes. Is it worthy of your next binge-watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

A mystery that pulls you into the rabbit hole with each episode.

I love feeling like I’m a part of the mystery and I thought that this series managed to bring the audience in effortlessly. I found myself trying to piece together all of the clues and my eyes were glued to the screen the entire time. Much like the archivist, Dan, I felt a need to find out what truly happened to the girl on the tapes, luring me in more and more.

The series gave me some Last Night in Soho and 1BR vibes, so if you enjoyed those films, you will feel right at home with this one.

A show you’ll think about long after it is over.

I can always tell when I truly appreciate and love a series. It always comes back to the shows that create a dialogue worth having, leaving you with even more questions and theories. It’s a show that you just want to talk to someone about. It’s that good! It will resonate with you and really make you think even after we witness many of the reveals.

We also got that major cliffhanger at the end to contemplate so I’m crossing my fingers that we will see a season two!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Slow moving at times…

The episodes are super long and the opening episodes dragged a little for me. At one point I thought I had been watching it for over two hours and realized I had only been actually watching for thirty minutes. I think the pacing drastically improved by the time we got to episode three and thinking back on it, I actually felt like the slow burn approach worked because it mirrored what Dan was going through as the archivist.

That being said, I would have preferred the episodes to be just a little shorter but I still managed to watch this series in almost one day!

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in 100 percent!

Chilling and disturbing on so many levels! A worthy mystery that will keep you guessing until the end and well after that!

I absolutely loved this series and I can’t stop talking about it!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Archive 81 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 new 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 “Loki” on Disney+: Mischief and Mayhem

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

“Guilty of being the god of mischief? Yes…”

Loki premiered on Disney+ on June 9th 2021. The series will feature six weekly episodes that air on Wednesdays. Each episode runs for approximately 40-50 minutes. The show stars Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. 

The series takes place after the events of Avengers: End Game, as the god of mischief embarks on a confusing adventure of his very own, as he tries to figure out his place in the world.

Here is the trailer:

Loki has the potential to reel its viewers back into the MCU while charming us with one of our favorite antiheroes, but does its confusing plot get in the way of pure greatness? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Disney+

Tom Hiddleston is charming as ever.

Loki has always been one of my favorite characters and whether you love him or hate him, there’s an undeniable presence and charm to Tom Hiddleston’s portrayal. He is witty, devious, and beyond entertaining, and having a show completely dedicated to him seems like a brilliant idea to me.

I’m excited to see him really flourish in his own show and I have to say that Owen Wilson is doing a fantastic job of keeping up. I was worried that he might be a little bit too cheesy or over-the-top, but his dry humor is balancing nicely with Loki’s and they are both really fun to watch on screen.

More please!

The antihero can be redeemed.

If you haven’t watched all of the Avengers movies yet, you probably shouldn’t be watching Loki, but his moment of redemption was needed, but it also left me wanting more from our beloved character and we basically get a second chance to see Loki go on a real path toward self-discovery and purpose. There is a lot to this character and he isn’t just a trickster. He has a lot of layers and I am excited that we will finally be able to uncover his full potential in this series.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Disney+

Muddled and confusing.

I’m not going to lie, I was really confused by the first episode. There is A LOT going on and the TVA is not making things easy for the viewers at home. The mystery is intriguing enough to keep me coming back for more, but I’m hoping we can get some concrete answers soon since we only have six episodes to explore.

I am giving the show a chance despite the confusing premise and pacing issues especially since I was equally confused with the beginning of WandaVision and that quickly became one of my favorite shows of the year.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Disney+

I’m in!

Tom Hiddleston is charming and entertaining enough to keep you coming back for more, but this show has some real potential. There is a lot going on and I hope that the pacing picks up with the coming episodes, but it has captured my attention and I am really interested to see Loki’s character develop even more.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Loki 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 comes out October 7th 2021! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “A Discovery of Witches” Season 2 on Shudder: Let’s do the Time Walk again

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

“Wherever they are, they can’t stay gone forever…”

A Discovery of Witches season 2 premiered on Sky TV, Sundance Now, Shudder, and AMC plus on January 8th 2021 with the first episode available to stream now. There will be ten episodes in total that will air weekly. The series stars Teresa Palmer, Matthew Goode, Malin Buska, and Owen Teale. Each episode runs for approximately 45 minutes. 

Picking up right where we left off at the end of season one, A Discovery of Witches season 2 seems to be following the second book in the All Souls Trilogy series. Diana Bishop is a witch and a time walker, which allows her and Matthew the chance to travel back in time to find the lost text that everyone is desperate to get their hands on.

Here is the trailer:

A Discovery of Witches season 2 has the opportunity to really pick things up, but it looks like the plot may be straying slightly off course from the beloved book series. Will it measure up? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

A Discovery of Witches Diana Bishop

Images courtesy of Shudder

Visually stunning and gorgeous costumes.

The change in time and scenery really helped this show stand out visually. I almost felt like I was watching several paintings come to life through each transition and it looks like Teresa Palmer will be getting quite the wardrobe while stuck in the late 1500’s.

Intriguing plot.

The second book of the series is my favorite so I am very excited to see how the show measures up. So far the premiere is off to a good start, leaving us with a cliffhanger ending and some dark theories potentially tainting the love between Diana and Matthew. Deborah Harkness has posted that there will be some differences between the book and the show, which could be a very good thing. I often like to see a good balance between the two and so far the show has been succeeding with this.

The Cons:

A Discovery of Witches season 2

Images courtesy of Shudder

Slow pacing.

Much like the first season, the second season is already moving at a slower pace. This isn’t necessarily a con because I think it has a Gothic romance type of feel in many parts, but I’m ready for Diana to unleash some crazy power already. We have a ways to go with season two and I’m hoping we will reach that point, but I don’t want the episodes to feel overly long at only 45 minutes each.

So am I in or out?

A Discovery of Witches season 2 2

Images courtesy of Shudder

I’m in!

I am a devoted fan to this book series and I was satisfied with season one. I’m looking forward to the change in time and scenery for season 2 and I am confident that we will see Diana start to tap into more abilities to liven things up.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on A Discovery of Witches (season 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…

Girl Number Thirteen Lurking Promo

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 new 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!