Spoiler-Free Review of “Swarm” on Prime Video: A Disturbing Watch…

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

“Who’s your favorite artist?”

Swarm released on Prime Video on March 17th 2023 with seven episodes available to stream now. The psychological-thriller series stars Dominique Fishback, Chloe Bailey, and Damson Idris. Each episode runs for approximately 30-35 minutes.

An obsessed fan goes on a violent killing spree while trying to get close to her favorite artist.

Here is the trailer:

Swarm is eerie and dark filled with truly disturbing moments. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

A terrifying premise…

Part of the reason why this show was so disturbing was because we kept getting a reminder at the beginning of each episode that this is not a work of fiction. It is based on a series of real events, which makes what we witness on screen that much more horrifying.

There were some genuinely shocking moments that had me on the edge of my seat and by the time I got to the end, I still felt uneasy about what I had just witnessed.

The vignette style worked.

The episodes were on the short side and I actually really liked that we got a vignette approach as Dre traveled to different states across a period of time. I think that it would have been more of an exhausting watch if it didn’t take this approach. It broke things up for me and allowed us to see some fun guest stars as well.

The Cons:

A boring main character…

I’ve watched plenty of shows centering around a serial killer and while the actions were dark and distressing, the person doing them was often uninspiring to watch. I think I needed some more layers for her even though we got a few and a hint of a possible personality would have helped…

This just made the pacing feel incredibly slow at times until we got to the end of each episode and witnessed another shocking moment.

The order of episodes felt odd as well. By the time you reach episode 6, you’ll get a completely different feel and approach, which was perfectly fine. Episode 6 was actually my favorite one, but then we went back to the main story-line for the final episode and I no longer felt pulled in for the very end. The transition felt disjointed and forced.

So am I in or out?

I’m in about 75 percent…

Obsession takes a dark turn in this chilling thriller.

I mostly enjoyed my watch, but I wanted more from our main character, which would have elevated this series that much more.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Swarm 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 “Class of ’07” on Prime Video: An Absolute Gem!

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

“Is this our reunion?!”

Class of ’07 premiered on Prime Video on March 17th 2023 with eight episodes available to stream now. The Australian comedy-drama series stars Emily Browning, Megan Smart, Caitlin Stasey, Steph Tisdell, and Sana’a Shaik. Each episode runs for approximately 30-35 minutes.

After tempers flare at a ten year reunion at an all-girls high school, a global catastrophe strikes, leaving them stranded together on an island as they must figure out a way to survive.

Here is the trailer:

Class of ’07 is the perfect mix of The Wilds and Mean Girls, making this a binge-watcher’s dream. Does it do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Fantastic characters with layers.

I was worried that a lot of the characters would fit neatly into tropes and while some did, others broke through barriers with charm. These girls were hilarious, fierce, and such a pleasure to watch on screen. The chemistry between them was so believable and I really thought I was witnessing former frenemies at a high school reunion under the worst possible circumstances ever!

Stand out performances go to Emily Browning as Zoe and Caitlin Stasey as Saskia, who could give Regina George a run for her money! I loved them!

Short episodes.

If you’re looking for a lighter take on shows like The Wilds and Yellowjackets, Class of ’07 finds a happy medium and is a lot of fun! The episodes are short, which made this perfect to binge-watch over the weekend. There wasn’t too much fluff to sit through, which allowed the audience a chance to connect to these characters while enjoying all of the end-of-the-world outrageous fun.

The Cons:

Gross-out humor…

This series was really close to perfection for me and exactly the kind of show I love, but the crude/gross-out humor wasn’t my cup of tea. I would have been fine with just a little bit of it, but it really kept pushing the envelope in this department when it could have taken more time to flesh out some of the other characters instead.

Either way, by the time I got to the end of the series, I wanted more! I hope this series gets picked up because it really is a lot of fun.

So am I in or out?

I’m in!!!

Class of ’07 is a delightful treat with incredible characters and an addicting premise that doesn’t disappoint!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Class of ’07 in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A VACATION TO DIE FOR…

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 new island thriller!

Blood Rose Island is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Shotgun Wedding” on Prime: Light and Entertaining

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

“I just want everything to be perfect…”

Shotgun Wedding released on Prime Video on January 27th 2023. The rom-com-action film stars Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Coolidge, and Lenny Kravitz. It runs for approximately an hour and forty minutes.

Darcy and Tom bring their families to a destination wedding in The Philippines, but things go horribly wrong when pirates hold them hostage.

Here is the trailer:

Shotgun Wedding has enough entertaining moments and some believable chemistry between Lopez and Duhamel, making this an enjoyable rom-com. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Fun cast.

Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel were both a lot of fun in this one and I actually really loved the chemistry/banter between them. The rest of the cast was great too and having Jennifer Coolidge in this was a dream come true. She really brought the humor and saved this film from falling flat in a lot of ways.

Good balance of action and romance.

These are honestly my favorite kinds of rom-coms. If you enjoyed The Lost City with Sandra Bullock, you’ll get a similar vibe with this film. While I enjoyed the romantic moments, I preferred Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel on the run from the pirates. That’s where the magic was and it worked for the most part.

The Cons:

The humor is hit or miss…

I did genuinely find some parts of this movie actually really funny. However, not all of the humor landed. Some of the dialogue was really odd and it felt like the film was trying too hard in certain scenes.

The pacing also needed some work as well. I thought it took a little too long for things to happen, but once they did it improved, so this wasn’t a huge con.

So am I in or out?

I’m in!

Far from perfect and definitely not my favorite Jennifer Lopez film, but if you’re looking for a quick rom-com/action flick, you’ll find enough to enjoy with this one.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A VACATION TO DIE FOR…

Who will make it off the island alive?

I hope you enjoy my new island thriller!

Blood Rose Island 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 “The People We Hate at the Wedding” on Prime Video: Some moments of heart and humor

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

“Weddings can be stressful…”

The People We Hate at the Wedding premiered on November 18th 2022 on Prime Video. The rom-com film stars Kristen Bell, Allison Janney, Ben Platt, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, and Dustin Milligan. It runs for approximately an hour and forty minutes.

Tensions flare between siblings when they travel to their half-sister’s wedding.

Here is the trailer:

The People We Hate at the Wedding has a fun cast with a predictable, but fun premise. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Fun cast.

Kristen Bell was the best part of the movie. Her dry humor landed quite a bit and she elevated a lot of the scenes. The other characters put forth a valiant effort as well and I believed the dynamic between the family, but she really shined here and then some.

There was good chemistry between her and her love interest as well.

Good balance of heart and humor.

Even though this film stumbled quite a bit in the beginning, it eventually settled in and found a happy medium of heart-warming family moments and outrageous humor. I enjoyed the second half of the movie a lot more than the first and the ending was actually really cute.

The Cons:

The crude humor didn’t always work…

The first half of the film felt very unsure of itself. The majority of the crude humor didn’t work and everything just seemed very forced and unbalanced. Thankfully this improved later on, but it was a rough start.

The film was also really predictable and generic in a lot of ways, but as long as you accept that and manage your expectations accordingly, you’ll still have some fun watching this.

So am I in or out?

I’m in about 75 percent…

Entertaining enough for a quick watch with a worthy cast, but there were some rough edges to work around.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The People We Hate at the Wedding 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!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “The Devil’s Hour” on Prime Video: Creepy and Bizarre

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

“You don’t know me…”

The Devil’s Hour released on Prime Video on October 28th 2022 with six episodes available to stream now. The supernatural crime drama series stars Jessica Raine, Peter Capaldi, Nikesh Patel, Phil Dunster, and Thomas Dominique. Each episode runs for approximately 58-60 minutes.

Every night at 3:33 am, a woman wakes up during the devil’s hour as she starts to wonder if her nightmares and hallucinations are all too real.

Here is the trailer:

The Devil’s Hour has an intriguing mystery at its core and an interesting mashup of genres. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Solid performances…

Jessica Raine and Peter Capaldi were both so good in this. I really believed Jessica’s portrayal of Lucy. She elevated this series in a lot of ways. Peter Capaldi had such a creepy presence throughout the entire series. He gave me the chills several times and I’ll probably have a few nightmares of my own thanks to him.

Well played!

An interesting mystery.

I personally enjoyed the mashup of a serial killer crime drama with something supernatural. The pairing was slightly odd, but it somehow worked for the majority of the series. As we got to more of the reveals later in the series, we lost this magic a little, but the overall tone and vibe of this series was chilling and captivating.

The Cons:

Goes off course…

By the time I got to the end of the series, my head was spinning. There were so many different elements jam-packed into this series and I’m not sure that all of them worked. I preferred the first half of the series. Once things were out in the open, I felt exhausted and I’m still not sure that all of my questions were answered.

I also thought the episodes were too long and I lost interest a few times because of the pacing.

So am I in or out?

I’m in about 75 percent…

A chilling and eerie premise with top-notch performances.

This series was far from perfect, but it still had a lot going for it, making this an interesting watch.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A VACATION TO DIE FOR…

Who will make it off the island alive?

I hope you enjoy my new island thriller!

Blood Rose Island is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Run Sweetheart Run” on Prime Video: Twisted and Thrilling!

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

“The only thing that matters now is our little game…”

Run Sweetheart Run released on Prime Video on October 28th 2022. The thriller-horror film stars Ella Balinska, Pilou Asbæk, Clark Gregg, Betsy Brandt, and Dayo Okeniyi. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes.

A single mother attempts to survive the night after her blind date turns violent.

Here is the trailer:

Run Sweetheart Run has non-stop thrills and plenty of twists to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Fast-paced and unpredictable!

This movie was so entertaining and fast-paced. There was barely any set-up at all. It got right into things and kept the intensity going with every scene. I didn’t see the twists and reveals coming. Some of them were a little insane, but I embraced them and just went with it, which made this so much fun to watch!

Killer premise with a strong female lead.

I absolutely loved the premise of this movie. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of a mix between Ready or Not and Fresh. Our female lead was incredible and it was very easy to root for her. She was inventive and bad-ass!

I loved our villain as well and there were plenty of other characters with lots of potential too.

The Cons:

Some unanswered questions…

Since we got several twists thrown our way, I was left with a lot of unanswered questions by the time we got to the end. There was just a lot jam-packed into this movie and I think a few things could have been fleshed out more.

So am I in or out?

I’m in!!!

A pleasant surprise! Twisted and absorbing!!!!

If you’re looking for a quick horror film to enjoy, you’re in the right place!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A VACATION TO DIE FOR…

Who will make it off the island alive?

I hope you enjoy my new island thriller!

Blood Rose Island 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 “My Best Friend’s Exorcism” on Prime Video: YA Friendly “Jennifer’s Body” has some Potential

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

“We’ll always be friends…”

My Best Friend’s Exorcism released on Prime Video on September 30th 2022. Based on the novel of the same name, the teen horror comedy stars Elsie Fisher, Amiah Miller, Chris Lowell, and Rachel Ogechi Kanu.

Set in the 1980’s, the friendship between Abby and Gretchen is tested when one of them gets possessed by a demon.

Here is the trailer:

My Best Friend’s Exorcism has a cute premise with a killer soundtrack, but does it do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Fun idea with a great soundtrack!

This film was pretty much a mashup of Jennifer’s Body and Saved! If you enjoy those films, you’ll find some decent content here, but the scares are really watered down. I am a big fan of the author, Grady Hendrix, and I had high hopes for this one. It did have plenty of entertaining moments to enjoy even though the plot went off course as the film continued…

Believable performances and a friendship to root for.

The friendship between Abby and Gretchen kept me around until the end. I thought both actresses did a really great job and Chris Lowell was a scene-stealer! Some of the issues seemed heavily based in tropes and you’ll get your typical high school drama in this one, but the friendship made it feel more authentic at times.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Prime Video

Watered down scares…

I wouldn’t have minded the watered down scares so much since this was more of a YA film, but there were a few scenes that had the potential to be really incredible if they had gone a little bit darker with them. Don’t expect to see too much horror in this one, although there are some glimmers here and there.

The plot also went off the rails, which was disappointing, especially since it started off really strong and with a lot of potential. I think it still found its way in the end, but I’m not sure it really honored the novel as well as I wanted it to.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Prime Video

I’m in about 75 percent…

A fun idea with a believable friendship, but it needed a little more edge at times. Overall, this was a decent watch, but I just wanted a lot more.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on My Best Friend’s Exorcism in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A VACATION TO DIE FOR…

Who will make it off the island alive?

I hope you enjoy my new island thriller!

Blood Rose Island 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 “Paper Girls” on Prime Video: Coming-Of-Age Time Travel Story has its Moments

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

“We could stick together…”

Paper Girls premiered on Prime Video on July 29th 2022 with eight episodes available to stream now. The sci-fi series (based on the comic series of the same name) stars Riley Lai Nelet, Ali Wong, Sofia Rosinsky, Camryn Jones, Fina Strazza, and Adina Porter. Each episode runs for approximately 42-45 minutes.

After Halloween night in the 1980’s, a group of paper girls start their morning route, but wind up caught in the middle of a time travel war.

Here is the trailer:

Paper Girls features a fantastic group of characters worth getting to know in the middle of a sci-fi time travel story. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Believable characters with layers.

The characters are the strongest part of this series. I really liked that they weren’t already friends at the beginning. It made their eventual bond together that much more compelling. They all learned so much from each other, but each individual was really strong on her own.

I’m also always happy to see Adina Porter in pretty much anything so that was a plus!

Starts things off right away.

I was worried that we would get way too much set-up with this particular series, but the pacing was actually pretty solid for the most part. We didn’t have to wait too long for things to actually happen.

The Cons:

Doesn’t really explain the time travel war/world that much…

I felt a little bit lost watching this. I didn’t really understand what was going on with the time travel war and I wanted more information. I felt like I needed a crash course before watching this. The focus was more on the journey of the characters, which was fine, but I wanted a little bit more sci-fi action to balance things out.

Some of the special effects were a little cheesy and silly as well, but if the series is targeting a younger audience, I’m not sure that it matters that much.

So am I in or out?

I’m in about 75 percent…

This series has its moments and I absolutely love all of the characters. If you enjoy series like Stranger Things, you’ll probably find plenty to like with this particular one, but be prepared to do your homework on what’s actually going on with the time travel war.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

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 “Chloe” on Prime Video: A Seductive Thriller with a Deeper Mystery at its Core

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

“I just like to decide how people see me…”

Chloe originally premiered back in February 2022 on BBC One, but released on Prime Video on June 24th 2022. The mystery-drama series stars Erin Doherty, Poppy Gilbert, Billy Howle, Pippa Bennett, and Brandon Michael Hall. There are six episodes in total, which are all available to stream on Prime Video. Each episode runs for approximately 56-58 minutes.

A lonely girl named Becky spends most of her time following Chloe’s account on Instagram, but when Chloe mysteriously dies, she decides to create a new identity to get close to the people in Chloe’s life.

Here is the trailer:

Chloe takes on a Single White Female premise, but also unravels a more complex mystery below the surface, stepping away from your standard stalker thriller series. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

More than your average stalker-thriller series…

At first glance, I thought I knew what I was going to get with this series and I was prepared for a guilty-pleasure watch. However, I was pleasantly surprised that there was a lot more to this particular series. The trailer was kind of deceiving, but luckily the mystery was solid enough to keep me invested. There were a lot of layers in this one, which helped it find its own separate identity in the genre.

Good performances.

Everyone did a really great job in this one. I thought the actors understood their characters and they delivered with their portrayals. Even though I wasn’t a fan of every character, the performances kept me coming back for more.

The Cons:

The episodes were way too long…

There were only six episodes, but it took me forever to get through each one. I think there was way too much extra fluff in these. The pacing just didn’t work. This improved by the time I got to the last three episodes, but I really struggled before that and kept dozing off. This could have been easily avoided if the episodes were a little shorter and if the plot had stayed on course.

I wasn’t a huge fan of our main character either. I didn’t like how she treated those around her and even though there were reasons for some of her actions, I couldn’t excuse others, which made it difficult for me to connect with her. I would have liked to have seen more flashbacks and scenes with Chloe because she had a mysterious charm to her and I wanted to know more.

I also didn’t get some of the answers I wanted by the time I reached the end of the series, which was really frustrating. I wasn’t a fan of the ending at all.

So am I in or out?

I’m in about 75 percent…

This series is definitely more than meets the eye with top-notch performances, but it struggled with its overall pacing.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

This competition is killer…

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!

Spoiler-Free Review of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” on Prime Video: Seasonal Heartfelt Treat

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

“This could be my summer wish…”

The Summer I Turned Pretty released on Prime Video on June 17th 2022. The young adult drama series (based on the novel of the same name) features seven episodes available to stream now. The show stars Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Rachel Blanchard, and Jackie Chung. Each episode runs for approximately 45 minutes.

Belly and her mother visit their family friends every summer, but this particular summer becomes one to remember when she winds up caught in a love triangle as she tries to figure out who she is and what she truly wants in life.

Here is the trailer:

The Summer I Turned Pretty may seem like your average coming-of-age teen drama at first glance, but it is such a refreshing and enjoyable watch filled with emotional and heartwarming moments. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Truly moving.

Sometimes it’s good to watch something that really makes you feel. I felt like I was on an emotional roller-coaster while watching this one. I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love with each and every one of these characters. This series was just so well done and so perfect. I went into this one thinking I would be getting a generic teen series and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I am hooked and I can’t wait to see what happens in season 2 since that has already been confirmed prior to the season 1 release. Yay!

Fantastic characters!

Usually when I watch these types of shows, I gravitate toward one or two stand-out characters. Well, it was hard to do that with this series because I absolutely loved every single character. Everyone brought something different to the table and the actors did a great job with their portrayals. The friendships were truly magical to watch and I felt like I was transported on vacation along with them.

The Cons:

Predictable at times…

I’ve seen this type of show before and I’ve read this type of book before. You will probably be able to figure out what’s going on and the outcome with very little effort. That being said, I didn’t really care. This was such an enjoyable and real watch for me. Even though there were a lot of clichés, this show still managed to reel us in anyway.

The series made some changes from the book, but I still think that fans will be happy with it overall.

So am I in or out?

I’m in 1000 percent!!!!!!

A magical and heartfelt watch!

Pure and honest perfection…

This has now become one of my favorite series of all time and I can’t wait to watch season 2!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

THIS COMPETITION IS KILLER…

Scream Hunt is available here!

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