Tag: Shark Bait

Spoiler-Free Review of “Something in the Water” on Demand: Sharks Crash a Girls Trip

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

“Take a deep breath…”

Something in the Water released on Demand on May 3rd 2024. The survival horror film stars Hiftu Quasem, Natalie Mitson, Lauren Lyle, Nicole Rieko Setsuko, and Ellouise Shakespeare-Hart. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-five minutes.

Five best friends must fight to survive in open water when their vacation excursion turns into a nightmare.

Here is the trailer:

Something in the Water has a few suspenseful moments sprinkled in, but it would have benefited from some more shark appearances. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

Some genuinely suspenseful moments.

There definitely needed to be a lot more of them, but there were a few well-done scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. It’s no secret that the shark aquatic horror genre is one of my favorites and I did get invested here.

The setting was aesthetically pleasing and I’m always up for any kind of trip gone horribly wrong…so this film had a lot going for it on paper.

There were a few stand-out characters to root for as well. Usually I’m rooting for the shark in these types of films, but I actually did care about the outcome for a few of the girls.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

Minimal shark action…

This was probably my biggest con with this film. I think I would have liked it a lot better if more sharks had actually shown up.

It seemed like we were spending an eternity treading water and by the time we got to the more suspenseful moments, I had lost some interest.

I came for the sharks and I expected a lot more in this department…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

I’m 50/50 on this one…

Something in the Water doesn’t offer the audience anything new here, but I’m addicted to shark films so I’ll keep coming back for more.

If you’re looking for a solid shark flick that isn’t Jaws or Deep Blue Sea, I’d recommend The Shallows, 47 Meters Down, or The Reef. For some silly fun, try Shark Bait.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Something in the Water 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!

**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 Reef: Stalked” on Shudder: A Shark Addicted to Paddling

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

“All we can do is paddle…”

The Reef: Stalked released on Shudder on July 29th 2022. The survival horror film stars Teressa Liane, Saskia Archer, Ann Truong, and Kate Lister. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty minutes.

A group of friends head out on kayaks for a relaxing day of diving and fun, but wind up stalked by a great white shark instead.

Here is the trailer:

The Reef: Stalked gives kayaks a whirl for our toothy friend, but does it do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Some intense moments!

Some of the jump scares were a little much, but there were some really intense moments during this film when the shark was stalking these characters. I was on the edge of my seat and was genuinely terrified. The Reef is one of my favorite shark movies so I had very high hopes for this and I think it did deliver some nail-biting moments for sure.

Images courtesy of Shudder

Pretty scenery and a different approach.

I’m not sure where this one was shot, but I thought the scenery was absolutely beautiful. When the characters initially set out on their kayaks, I was thoroughly enjoying the views under and over the water. 

I’ve seen close to every shark movie ever made and the formula has become very predictable, but still enjoyable. That being said, I thought that this film took a different approach with how these characters were ultimately going to stay alive while the shark was stalking them. It broke the formula a little bit, which was a plus for me.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Repetitive flashbacks and some crazy bad acting…

Our main character went through a trauma that is explained during the film. She repeatedly gets flashbacks of this (even though she didn’t technically witness it). I totally understood the parallels given her current situation, but I thought they really dragged these out.

There were also a few supporting characters that had laughable reactions to the shark. I enjoyed the main characters, but wow…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Shudder

I’m in about 75 percent…

I’m always going to give any shark movie a try and I thoroughly enjoy this genre. There’s plenty to enjoy with this one, but I don’t think it did anything that extraordinary to set itself apart from similar films that have come out recently.

I’d recommend watching Shark Bait or Deep Blue Sea 3 first for a more entertaining ride. There’s still enough here to have fun with, but I would manage your expectations accordingly.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Reef: Stalked 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!

**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 “Shark Bait” (2022) on Demand: Playing Chicken with Jet Skis may not be the best idea…

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

“Jet skis?!”

Shark Bait released on demand on May 13th 2022. The survival horror film stars Holly Earl, Catherine Hannay, and Jack Trueman. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-five minutes.

A group of friends steal a couple of jet skis, but end up stranded in the middle of the ocean after colliding into one another, now stalked by a shark.

Here is the trailer:

Shark Bait is the latest shark film entry, but does it have enough bite to provide us with some real entertainment? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Doesn’t take too long for things to happen…

This movie was a quick watch and I was very happy that it didn’t take too long for things to happen. We didn’t get too much set-up and once everyone was in the water, our toothy friend decided to make his first appearance early. After watching The Requin, this was a very nice change of pace and it worked in the film’s favor. After all, we’re watching this for the shark action…

Images courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Fun premise and some intense moments.

I don’t know about you, but this premise was a dream come true for me. We got a bunch of spring breaker type teens playing chicken with stolen jet skis, which made it easy to root for the shark in this one…

There were a lot of intense moments and even though we got the typical waiting around for the shark to pick them off one by one formula, there was plenty of action to keep me invested from start to finish.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Superficial characters and a predictable formula…

We didn’t get much character development here and I didn’t really care about the characters. It was easy to pick out who would potentially survive and the film followed the same formula as The Requin and Great White in a lot of ways. Instead of a floating villa or a raft, we got a jet ski, but the plot was basically the same. That being said, I love shark films so this will never get old for me…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

I’m in!!!

Shark Bait was a lot of fun!

Our toothy friend got lots of screen time and there were actually some edge-of-your-seat moments throughout the film that made this an entertaining watch. If you enjoy shark films, you’ll have a blast watching this one.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Shark Bait 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!

**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!