Spoiler-Free Review of “The Midnight Club” on Netflix: Mature version of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” has Heart

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

“The next chapter…like it’s already been written…”

The Midnight Club released on Netflix on October 7th 2022 featuring ten episodes available to stream now. Created by Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass), the horror mystery-thriller series stars Iman Benson, Annarah Cymone, Igby Rigney, Heather Langenkamp, Zach Gilford, and Samantha Sloyan. Each episode runs for approximately 53-56 minutes.

A group of terminally ill teens meet each night at midnight to share scary stories with one another at Brightcliffe Hospice, which may have its own supernatural mystery embedded in its walls.

Here is the trailer:

The Midnight Club follows a younger generation of characters, as they deal with unspeakable grief and horrors, unleashing a captivating mystery along the way. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Seamlessly transitions between the main plot and the vignettes. 

I was worried that I would feel disconnected between the main plot and the stories each character told, but there was a really nice balance here. While I enjoyed some stories better than others, I liked that they connected to each of the characters, revealing more layers in an effective way.

This was a different approach for Flanagan, but I think the style paid off. The audience became more invested in each character because of the stories, rather than just focusing on past flashbacks or key moments.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Characters to care about.

I thought the younger cast did a really phenomenal job with what they were tasked with. There was a lot of heavy and emotional content and yet they still managed to bring so much heart and soul to their characters, taking us on a roller-coaster ride of feelings.

There were also plenty of familiar faces from Flanagan’s other series to be excited about and I thought that A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Heather Langenkamp was absolutely wonderful in this!

Twist ending!

I did not see that one coming and although I have more questions now, I really liked the way this series ended. More please!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Difficult to binge-watch…

The mystery was addicting enough, but I couldn’t get through this series that quickly. The episodes were on the long side and there was just a lot of heavy and emotional content. I thoroughly enjoyed my watch, but I had to take a break at times because this series really tugged at my heart and then some.

I’m always impressed by how well Flanagan is able to bring out so many emotions while sprinkling in horror elements. This series was no exception, but I think you should pace yourself to get the most out of your watch. The scares weren’t as horrifying this time around either, but I think that’s OK since this had more of a YA feel.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in!!!

Meaningful, emotional, and an intriguing watch filled with extraordinary characters and a solid mystery to lure you in with each episode.

While not my favorite Mike Flanagan series, this show still has a lot of things going for it and is well worth a watch!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Midnight Club 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!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Nightbooks” on Netflix: Wicked Fun with Krysten Ritter

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

“Is there anything special about you at all?”

Nightbooks released on Netflix on September 15th 2021. The dark fantasy film is based on the book by J.A. White and is co-produced by Sam Raimi. The film stars Krysten Ritter, Lidya Jewett and Winslow Fegley. It runs for approximately an hour and forty minutes.

Scary story enthusiast, Alex, ends up trapped in a magical apartment with a wicked witch. He must create a new scary story each night to entertain her…or die.

Here is the trailer:

Nightbooks has a kids friendly horror feel with some Evil Dead vibes thrown in for good measure. Krysten Ritter is promising as the wicked witch, but does this kids horror entry do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Krysten Ritter is fantastic!

I love a good villainess and Krysten Ritter is perfection in this movie as Natacha. She is so entertaining and she brings some humor in as well to lighten up the movie. Her wardrobe is incredible and she really dominates this film in a great way!

LOVE!

Images courtesy of Netflix

Clever use of stories and films.

In a way, this film is a modern take on Hansel & Gretel but I thought it did a really great job of referencing other stories and iconic films along the way without hitting the audience over the head. It was a real adventure and it reminded us that we can find our own adventures and stories within books and movies. They can be an escape, but they can also be a motivation, teaching us important life lessons.

Kids horror with bite.

I don’t think that kids horror gets mentioned enough but I absolutely adore films like The House with a Clock in Its Walls and the new Goosebumps. That being said, it’s difficult finding a balance for kids horror films and this one may be a little bit too scary for the younger generation, but it has plenty going on for fans of Sam Raimi and The Evil Dead franchise.

I definitely felt the vibe and LOVED every second of it.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Wavering with character development.

I absolutely adored Krysten Ritter as the evil witch and the kids put forth a valiant effort. We got more of a journey for Alex than we did with Yazmin, however. I wanted to know more about her backstory and I think that would have helped me connect with their characters a bit sooner, but we did eventually get there. It just took a little while…

I also think the film could have used a bit more humor sprinkled into the mix, but Krysten Ritter made up for it in a lot of ways. Having someone like Jack Black as a secondary character could have made things really fun, but I think we still witnessed plenty of entertaining moments.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in 100 percent!

This movie was so much fun and it really gave me a sense of nostalgia. Krysten Ritter is bloody fantastic and I loved all of the references to fairy-tales, stories, and horror films. I adored this film from start to finish and I highly recommend it!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Nightbooks 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 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 “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” (2019) Reboot on Nickelodeon: The Midnight Society gives us a Halloween treat!

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

“I declare this meeting of the Midnight Society…”

Nickelodeon provides kids and adults with a fun Halloween treat, releasing the Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2019) reboot as a three part mini-series event.

Are You Afraid of the Dark? was a spooky anthology series that aired in the 1990’s for kids and I can tell you that I was absolutely a fan of this!  The Midnight Society would gather around a campfire to share some creepy stories.  When the narrator began their story, we would be transported to that actual story away from The Midnight Society, diving into a tale filled with terror and suspense.

Originally, the reboot was supposed to be a movie from my understanding, but they decided to go with the limited mini-series event for television instead.  The reboot features three episodes (50-55 minutes in length) and began airing on October 11th 2019 on Nickelodeon.  It stars Lyliana Wray, Sam Ashe Arnold, Miya Cech, Jeremy Ray Taylor, and Tamara Smart.

There is definitely room for this type of kids friendly horror, as we have recently seen Goosebumps and The House with a Clock in Its Walls provide us with some horror fun without scaring us to death.  But where does the Are You Afraid of the Dark? reboot fit in?  Let’s find out!

The Pros:

Are you afraid of the dark 10 26 2
Images courtesy of Nickelodeon

The new Midnight Society still gives you a sense of nostalgia from the original show.

I love that we have a new Midnight Society for the kids of this generation, as they can discover this spooky adventure for themselves.  Even though this is a reboot, I thought that the show captured enough of the feel from the original series, while presenting us with some new and welcomed additions.

I love that the new show decided to use the scary story as a starting point, but it actually became all too real for the characters of the Midnight Society, which made it more interesting, allowing the story to branch out over three episodes, truly coming to life.

Horror Easter eggs and discussions for adults!

If you are watching with your child, fear not!  There is plenty for you to enjoy during this series.  We get several references to well known horror movies and some discussions that will make you laugh, as the kids start breaking down the difference between horror and sci-fi and how to truly classify it.  I thought this was super fun and it really helped me relate to the series that much more.

The characters are fantastic!

I was a little skeptical at first when I met the characters, but I loved seeing the friendship and bond between them grow as they all handled this threat together.  I’m a fan of horror shows and movies that include a group of Scoobies and the new Midnight Society certainly makes the cut!

The Cons:

Are you afraid of the dark 10 26 3
Images courtesy of Nickelodeon

The effects are really cheesy at times.

But I kind of expected that going into this since the show is targeted at a younger audience. The scares are not really scary, but there are some interesting foes and fears that come to light, which kept my attention.

The show ended so soon!

I know that this was meant to be a limited series, but there was a lot of setup in episode 1 and I didn’t start to really like the series until the following episode, which is tough since there are only three episodes in total.  Once I got to the end of the series, I was so invested and I wanted to see the new Midnight Society take on some more scares and threats.  These kids are fantastic and I want to see more!

So am I in or out? 

Are you afraid of the dark 10 26 1
Images courtesy of Nickelodeon

I’m in!  I went into this show expecting to be underwhelmed and instead I was pleasantly surprised.  The show balanced a nostalgia for the original series while creating a voice of its own, allowing a new generation of horror fans to emerge. 

The release of the limited series works well with this spooky time of year and I think it’s the perfect addition for your family friendly Halloween lineup!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2019) in the comments section below.  Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

**Do you love television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Once Upon a Time, Lost, Charmed, The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural?  Do you enjoy dark fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery?  Then you may like my book series, Dreaming of Wonderland…available on Amazon!  Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well.  I really hope you enjoy!

The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

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Do you love horror series?  Of course you do!  Please also check out 12 Nights of Horror Series Coming Soon.  It’s your home for everything you need to know about new and returning horror television series including new trailers, premiere dates, reviews, recaps, and renewals!