Spoiler-Free Review of “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” on Demand: “You were almost a Jill Sandwich.”

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

“There’s something seriously wrong with this place…”

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City released in theaters back in November 2021 and is currently available to stream on demand. Based on the popular video game series, the action-horror film stars Kaya Scodelario, Robbie Amell, Tom Hopper, Hannah John-Kamen and Avan Jogia. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes.

After plenty of films, we now get a prequel/reboot with Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, as a group tries to survive the night when all hell breaks loose thanks to the Umbrella Corporation. 

Here is the trailer:

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City attempts to follow the actual story-lines from the first two games, but does it bring anything truly necessary to the franchise? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Brings the game to life.

This entry to the Resident Evil franchise does a decent job of bringing the story-lines from the first two games to life, following the timeline and giving fans the chance to recognize plenty of scenes and settings. I thought this was the film’s strongest point and was the only thing that really set it apart from the other films. I liked all of the Easter eggs and thought the film put forth a valiant effort here.

Fun cast.

We got an entirely new cast this time around but I thought they did a good job and I liked a lot of the actors. I think they tried their best with what they were given and it was easy to root for some of them.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Unnecessary flashbacks…

I don’t really remember any of this from the games but I guess the writers behind the film felt the need to give our main character a backstory to further its plot along, but it felt like excess fluff and I’m not really sure that it did too much for the overall story.

Did we really need another Resident Evil movie?

My biggest con is that the film didn’t really do anything that unique or different. I appreciate that it tried to bring fans the “gamer” angle, but I much prefer the original films. This has been done before and it felt stale at times. The scares didn’t have the same impact on me because I knew what to expect, but it wasn’t a bad movie. It just wasn’t really necessary in my opinion.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

I’m 50/50 on this one…

The film wasn’t a complete dud and it had a fun cast and some cool moments for fans of the game. That being said, it didn’t really do anything truly extraordinary to earn a rightful place in the franchise. I think I’ll go re-watch Resident Evil: Apocalypse now…

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City 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 Babysitter: Killer Queen” on Netflix: They’re Back

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

“Join us and be the best version of yourself…”

The Babysitter: Killer Queen is the sequel to the brilliant horror comedy, The Babysitter, which starred Samara Weaving. The sequel was released on Netflix on September 10th 2020 and runs for an hour and forty-five minutes. It stars Judah Lewis, Emily Alyn Lind, Jenna Ortega, Bella Thorne, and Robbie Amell.

In the sequel, we catch up with Cole approximately two years after that fateful night when his babysitter and her demonic cult friends tried to have him sacrificed to the devil.

Here is the trailer:

The Babysitter: Killer Queen has a difficult job, as it is tasked with keeping up with the original film, which was just pure horror comedy fun. The sequel lacks the presence of Samara Weaving as its lead, which does give other supporting characters the chance to step into the spotlight. But does it measure up? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

 

The Babysitter Killer Queen Netflix 1

Images courtesy of Netflix

Our favorite characters return!

Well, we are missing one key character, but I have to say that it was a lot of fun to see our favorite demonic cult misfits return from the dead. Sonya is back with cookies, Allison explains the difference between “fuck-me pumps” and “fuck-you pumps,” John shows off his dance moves, and Max just wants to kill people and is actually really psyched to see Cole showing some improvements since he was last here.

The humor and chemistry between these characters is pure magic. More please!

The Babysitter Killer Queen Netflix 2

Images courtesy of Netflix

Jenna Ortega steals the show.

If you’re like me, then you may be worried that the film is missing something without Samara Weaving, but luckily Jenna Ortega steps in perfectly as the character to root for. New girl, Phoebe, is bad-ass and then some. She really gave quite the performance and I have to say that I actually preferred her to Cole.

He could really learn a thing or two from her…and perhaps he will. I loved Jenna Ortega in You season 2 and I am looking forward to seeing her in Scream 5, but she definitely delivered in this film.

A satisfying ending.

There will be no spoilers in this review, but let’s just say that you will definitely want to stick around for the end. A lot is revealed and it actually helped turn the film around for me. 

The Cons:

The Babysitter Killer Queen Netflix 3

Images courtesy of Netflix

Too much set-up and way too long.

The first film ran for about 85 minutes, which was the perfect length. We got a little set-up in the beginning and then we were thrown into the heart of the movie rather quickly, which kept up the fun and pace. In the sequel, the movie really drags and is much too long. We get a lot of set-up about Cole’s life in the beginning which I could have personally done without.

Flashy over-the-top scenes.

Even though the kills were outrageous in the first film, they somehow felt more raw and believable. The kills and effects in this film were way over-the-top and just felt silly at times. The magic from the first film was absent in a lot of scenes, but there were some flickers of it here and there.

So am I in or out?

The Babysitter Killer Queen Netflix 4

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m about 50/50 on this one.

I absolutely adored the first film and I had high hopes for the sequel, but it felt like the same plot in a different setting for the majority of the movie. There wasn’t anything really original about the film, but it did have its charms. While not all of the humor landed, there were some parts that were genuinely funny and I loved the chemistry between the characters.

The ending helped make this film a lot more enjoyable, but not every film should get a sequel…

That being said, there are glimmers of fun and nostalgia in this film and I think that it is worthy of a watch if you are a fan of the first film. 

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

If you have time, I would love it if you would check out my book, Dash and Seek in the link below. Thank you and I hope you enjoy!

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!

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