Tag: Shaun of the Dead

Spoiler-Free Review of “The Parenting” on Max: Horror Version of Meet the Parents Fails to Find the Fun.

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

“Are you sure there’s nothing I need to know about your parents…”

The Parenting premiered on Max on March 13th 2025. The comedy horror film stars Brandon Flynn, Nik Dodani, Lisa Kudrow, Edie Falco, Parker Posey, Brian Cox, and Dean Norris. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty-four minutes.

Boyfriends Josh and Rohan set up a weekend getaway so that their parents can meet one another, but they soon realize that the place they are renting may be haunted by a dangerous spirit.

Here is the trailer:

The Parenting has a fun premise and cast, but does it do enough to earn a a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Max

Terrific ensemble.

Honestly, this cast was practically perfection. The dynamic between the families was fun at times and Lisa Kudrow stole the show as always. I wanted a little bit more screen time for some of the other characters, but I thought that everyone put forth their best effort here.

The premise for this one was actually really fun…Meet the Parents, but make it horror. Sounds entertaining, right? It should have been, but unfortunately the idea worked a lot better than the execution…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Max

Cheesy scares…

I get that it’s not easy delivering a fantastic horror comedy. Films like Shaun of the Dead, Happy Death Day, and Tucker and Dale vs. Evil managed to do so, but I usually appreciate the effort for most horror comedies as long as they can deliver on at least one side of the genre.

Unfortunately, The Parenting was neither funny nor scary. The scares were so ridiculous. I would have been fine with this if it could have delivered from a comedy angle (similar to Scary Movie), but I didn’t really find this film that funny. There were a few moments that got me to chuckle, but most of it felt drawn out, over-exaggerated, and silly.

The final act went way off course and dragged this film down even more, wasting the talent of these great actors.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Max

I’m out on this one…

The Parenting should have been tons of fun with such a spectacular cast, but it failed to deliver as a horror comedy, leaving me wanting so much more. 

This wasn’t the worst film I’ve seen by any means, but there really wasn’t anything that enjoyable about it. I was thoroughly disappointed because I love horror comedies.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Parenting 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 “Truth Seekers” on Prime Video: The Paranormal can be fun

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

The dream team is back!

Truth Seekers premiered on Amazon Prime Video on October 30th 2020 with eight episodes available to stream now. The series stars Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Samson Kayo, Malcom McDowell, and Emma D’Arcy. Each episode runs for approximately 30 minutes. 

The show is about a group of part-time paranormal investigators who uncover several mysteries involving ghost sightings.

While you may know Nick Frost and Simon Pegg best from Shaun of the Dead, this show tends to follow a different path despite its horror comedy label.

Here is the trailer:

Truth Seekers has all the ingredients to quickly become a cult favorite among fans, but can Nick Frost and Simon Pegg pull off this mystery while maintaining their dry sarcastic humor? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Truth Seekers Prime Video

Images courtesy of Prime Video

The perfect balance of paranormal mystery and quirky fun.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I started this show, but I was surprised at how quickly I became obsessed with it. I actually watched all eight episodes in one sitting and part of that is because of this balance. Sure, there are plenty of moments that will make you chuckle and laugh out loud, which we have come to expect from both Nick Frost and Simon Pegg, but the mystery itself is actually really good.

There are some investigations that are a little bit silly, bringing a welcomed SPN Ghostfacers vibe into the mix, but once we start unraveling the pieces behind the main mystery, I was hooked!

Truth Seekers Prime Video 2

Images courtesy of Prime Video

Supporting characters are a delight.

I was slightly disappointed when I realized that Nick Frost and Simon Pegg would not be working together on the paranormal team. Simon Pegg plays Nick Frost’s boss, but I changed my tune when I was introduced to the supporting characters of the show who really lit up the screen and added to the dynamic perfectly.

The Cons:

Truth Seekers Simon Pegg Prime Video 3

Image courtesy of Prime Video

Simon Pegg’s wig…

Honestly it’s the only con I can come up with and they even poke fun at it later so I can’t really say that much about it, but it was really distracting!

So am I in or out?

Truth Seekers Prime Video 4

Images courtesy of Prime Video

I’m in!

I loved this series from start to finish. It was the perfect binge-watch and it was actually really cool to see Nick Frost and Simon Pegg in something a little bit different. They really nailed the paranormal investigator vibe while managing to sprinkle in their well-known humor. Bring on season two!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

Girl Number Thirteen Lurking Promo

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 new 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 “Zomboat!” on Hulu: Zombies can’t swim…can they?

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

It seems like the zombie apocalypse trend may be here to stay, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  Now that TWD is taking a break until February, you may be going through some zombie withdrawal.

Fear not, as Zomboat! is the perfect show to provide you with some campy zombie apocalypse fun, while even making mention of the great and powerful Rick Grimes!

The UK show began streaming episodes on Hulu as of October 25th 2019 and currently features six episodes for season one.  It stars Leah Brotherhead, Cara Theobold, Hamza Jeetooa, and Ryan McKen.  We follow a group of survivors after a zombie apocalypse occurs in Birmingham, as they decide to escape using…a canal boat.

If you are a fan of Shaun of the Dead and Anna and the Apocalypse, you will feel right at home with this horror comedy, but is Zomboat! original enough to find its own identity?  Let’s find out!

The Pros:

Zomboat Hulu 2019 1
Images courtesy of Hulu

The dynamic between sisters Kat and Jo is fantastic.

You will immediately fall in love with these two, as they battle the zombie apocalypse while bringing us some welcomed dark comedy.  The banter between them is hilarious and they are really believable as sisters, as you start to root for them from the very start of the show.

Short episodes.

Each episode runs a little under 25 minutes, which makes binge-watching this show really easy.  The episodes are fast-paced and I’m glad they went with the shorter length because this show could easily go off track, but it stays on point, which I appreciated.

References to your favorite zombie shows and movies!

If you are thinking about watching this show, you are most likely a fan of the zombie genre and this show does a great job of presenting the audience with these references.

From The Walking Dead to Contagion, you will be chuckling quite a bit during the conversations, which gave this show a very real feel to me.

Sure, it’s the zombie apocalypse and all, but maybe we should be planning out our strategy according to how we play Call of Duty?  Either way, this was a lot of fun!

The Cons:

Zomboat Hulu 2019 2
Images courtesy of Hulu

There’s nothing too original about the zombies.

While the show goes out of its way to point out some of the flaws of zombie shows and movies we love, they don’t really do anything drastically different here.  You can’t kill the zombies in Zomboat! in traditional fashion and we do get some interesting twists thrown our way, but the interactions with the zombies were very routine.

That being said, we do get some hilarious fights and some interesting choices of weapon, but if you are looking for something really unique or different in the genre, I’m not sure that you will find it here.

So am I in or out? 

Zomboat Hulu 2019 3
Images courtesy of Hulu

I’m in!  I went into this show without any real expectations and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  The dark sarcastic humor was spot on for me even if I wasn’t laughing out loud hysterically all the time. 

We are left with a huge cliffhanger at the end, so I am hoping we get a second season soon, but I would love to hang out with Kat and Jo during the zombie apocalypse, although we might need to change up our wardrobe a little bit.

If you are looking for some zombie fun or a quick show to binge-watch while all of your other shows go on break, this is the perfect one for you!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Dreaming of Wonderland Holiday 1

The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

**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!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice 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!