Tag: Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin

Spoiler-Free Review of “Play Dead” on Demand: Twisted Thriller Delivers

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

“Now it’s time to die…”

Play Dead released on Demand on April 7th 2023. The horror-thriller film stars Bailee Madison, Jerry O’Connell, Anthony Turpel, and Chris Lee. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes.

Chloe fakes her own death to break into a morgue, but quickly discovers that the coroner is involved in a dangerous business that is more deadly than she could have imagined.

Here is the trailer:

Play Dead is a fast-paced thriller filled with edge-of-your-seat moments that keep you invested from start to finish. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Voltage Pictures

A solid game of cat and mouse.

I personally love horror-thriller films like this. Our focus is mainly on Chloe as she winds up trapped in a morgue with a coroner with deadly secrets. There are so many intense moments in this film and it kept my undivided attention the entire time. Sometimes less is more and this film understood that, focusing on the little moments in-between that were terrifying enough on their own.

The pacing was also really on point. The movie was a touch longer than it needed to be, but I think they did a solid job with this and I never lost interest.

Images courtesy of Voltage Pictures

Bailee Madison is fierce and bad-ass!

I really loved her in The Strangers: Prey at Night and she was also just recently in the Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin series, but she was absolutely terrific in this film and really commanded the screen. Much of our attention is focused on her and her alone and she really put forth a valiant effort here and I really hope that she does more films like this because I think that she will quickly become a force to be reckoned with in the horror genre.

Jerry O’Connell did a great job with his role as well.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Voltage Pictures

Far-fetched and outrageous at times…

I would manage your expectations in this department and expect things to be a little ridiculous and unbelievable at times. However, as long as you just go with it, you’ll have an entertaining watch.

There was one twist I saw coming a mile away, but I still thought this film had plenty going for it so I didn’t really mind at all.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Voltage Pictures

I’m in!!!

Play Dead brings a terrifying premise to life with a strong female lead to root for and plenty of intense moments.

This film was such a wonderful surprise!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Play Dead 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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Ranking my Top 10 Television Shows of 2022: Which Shows Made The Cut?

It’s that time of year again! As we get closer and closer to approaching 2023, I thought it would be the perfect time to count down my Top 10 TV Shows of 2022. 

While some returning shows continued strong, others fell off slightly. Meanwhile, some other new shows completely captivated my attention, paving their way into my top 10.

Without any further delay, let’s get to my list!

My Top 10 Television Shows of 2022 are:

10

Peacemaker

Image courtesy of HBO Max

I didn’t know how I felt about this particular character getting a spin-off series at first, but this show was an absolute blast to watch. It had lots of action, humor, and amazing supporting characters that stole the show at times.

9

Stay Close

Image courtesy of Netflix

My top ten list wouldn’t feel complete without adding a Harlan Coben series and Stay Close did an exceptional job of hooking the audience from the very start with surprising reveals, insane twists, and two wacky villains who somehow made everything work seamlessly.

8

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin

Image courtesy of HBO Max

After a few other PLL spin-off series, I managed my expectations with this one, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. Pretty Little Liars always had undertones of a teen slasher and this series made it a reality, bringing us some intense chase scenes and a solid mystery surrounding our new characters.

7

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Image courtesy of Prime Video

Whether you’re a fan of the book series or watching this for the first time, you’re in for a beautiful and emotional ride. At first glance, this series seemed like every other coming-of-age teen series on television, but it quickly stood out with moving performances and characters to root for.

6

Only Murders in the Building (season 2)

Image courtesy of Hulu

Season one was absolutely fantastic to watch and I was thrilled that our beloved trio was back for season two. While it didn’t pack the same punch as the first season, it was still a lot of fun with a decent mystery at its core.

5

Wednesday

Image courtesy of Netflix

Jenna Ortega was so incredible in this series! I loved the vibe of this show. It really allowed the character of Wednesday to shine with a welcomed YA feel that never overdid it with the teen drama. This was such a delightful treat!

4

Better Call Saul (final season)

Image courtesy of AMC

Incredible performances, a satisfying ending, and some truly intense moments that made television history. This series was absolutely fantastic and I will miss watching it!

3

All of Us Are Dead

Image courtesy of Netflix

I didn’t think I needed another coming-of-age zombie series, but this South Korean series was one of the best shows I have watched in a long time. It was brutal and bloody with incredible characters. I absolutely loved this one and could not stop watching it!

2

The White Lotus (season 2)

Image courtesy of HBO Max

Season two was much better than season one. The characters were fantastic with a returning favorite and the mystery was much more interesting this time around. I loved the setting and that ending was incredible!

Honorable Mentions:

Ozark (final season)

The Flight Attendant (season 2)

Archive 81 

Killing Eve (final season)

Who Killed Sara? (final season)

What We Do In the Shadows (season 4)

Welcome to Eden

Drum roll please…

1

Stranger Things (season 4)

Image courtesy of Netflix

Season four was jam-packed with so many epic moments! I loved the 80’s horror vibe and the music was the best it’s ever been. Season four really allowed some of its characters to shine while giving some newcomers a chance to light up the screen as well in the best way possible. This show is always so entertaining, but season four took things to the next level!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and comments about your favorite television shows of 2022. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing in the new year!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

Spoiler-Free Review of “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” on HBO Max: A Teen Slasher Series done right!

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

“You can’t ignore the past forever…”

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin premiered on HBO Max on July 28th 2022. The teen mystery drama series (based on Pretty Little Liars) stars Bailee Madison, Chandler Kinney, Maia Reficco, Malia Pyles, and Mallory Bechtel. There are three episodes available to stream now. The remaining seven episodes will air weekly. Each episode runs for approximately 50-52 minutes.

After a tragic event twenty years ago, a group of friends are targeted by A, connecting the past to the present.

Here is the trailer:

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin may be the most entertaining spin-off series yet, as it gives fans of the original show plenty to be excited about with a clever slasher spin. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Pretty Little Liars Original Sin Spoiler Free 1

Images courtesy of HBO Max

The slasher spin is genius!

I absolutely loved the original Pretty Little Liars series and looked forward to coming up with crazy theories about A every week. I watched both spin-off series after that and was really excited about this new series. 

The other series all focused on a teen mystery and so does this one, but it has a slasher vibe that will remind you more of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. A is still sneaky with the signature unknown texts and secret messages, but they are also a lot more brutal this time around and I am personally loving every second of it!

The past and present timelines are both interesting!

Similar to Yellowjackets, this new spin-off series does a good job of presenting us with an addicting mystery surrounding two timelines. Sometimes when shows go down this route, I prefer one timeline to the other, but so far I am invested in both and I am curious about how everything connects even though some parallels seem fairly obvious so far.

The Cons:

Pretty Little Liars Original Sin Spoiler Free 2

Images courtesy of HBO Max

The characters need some work…

I’m not really connecting to any of the characters yet, which is slightly disappointing. I loved the characters in the original series and we have some potential here, but I think that we need to learn more about everyone. So far we are spending a lot of time on two of the potential leads of the series, but I want to get to know everyone else too so that I care about what happens to them.

The forced pop culture and movie references are also a little nauseating at times. I get that the show is trying to be relevant, but it is a bit much so far.

So am I in or out?

Pretty Little Liars Original Sin Spoiler Free 3

Images courtesy of HBO Max

I’m in!

This show is really addicting and I am loving the slasher style! It’s not easy pulling off a reboot or spin-off, but so far this series is headed in the right direction and I can’t wait to watch more!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A Halloween they’ll never forget…

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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