Spoiler-Free Review of “Influencer” on Shudder: Wickedly Fun Thriller

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

“Traveling is all about experiencing new things…”

Influencer premiered on Shudder on May 26th 2023. The horror-thriller film stars Emily Tennant, Cassandra Naud, and Rory J. Saper. It runs for approximately 92 minutes.

A social media influencer seeks inspiration in Thailand when she befriends a woman named CW, who offers to show her the local hot spots. But CW’s interest in the woman takes an unexpected and dark turn.

Here is the trailer:

Influencer takes a stab at the dangers of “becoming famous” on social media, exploring a disturbing take on obsession and the desire to be known. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Fresh take on the social media genre…

I’ve seen way too many films about this lately, but I have to say that Influencer presented the audience with a unique take on things. It crafted the perfect balance of a Single White Female-esque obsession in today’s world without overthinking things. The idea may not be new, but I thought the execution was really entertaining and twisted, making this an interesting watch overall.

Images courtesy of Shudder

Super strong start and finish!

Wow, I was completely hooked by the opening of this movie. It took me for surprise in such a gut-wrenching way. The ending was FANTASTIC and so bad-ass. I absolutely loved it. 

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Goes off course in the middle…

While this film started off with a bang and stuck the landing, the middle was a little murky and confusing. It was still interesting enough and it held my attention, but I was worried about where the film was going and I think it lost its way a little bit. The pacing also slowed down as well, but luckily things picked up.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Shudder

I’m in!!!

Deranged and disturbing with plenty of shocking moments sprinkled in.

I thoroughly enjoyed my watch and recommend this one…especially if you enjoy films like Single White Female, The Roomate, and Swimfan.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Influencer 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 “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:

Images courtesy of Prime Video

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.

Images courtesy of Prime Video

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:

Images courtesy of Prime Video

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?

Images courtesy of Prime Video

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…

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 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!

Checking in on “Cruel Summer” on Freeform: 5 Questions I’m Dying to Know the Answers to

Greetings TV Fans! Freeform’s Cruel Summer has really been picking up the pace lately and I’m excited to watch the final three episodes. While each episode shows us things from Jeanette and Kate’s perspectives, there are a lot of other characters jammed into the mix with potential secrets and motives.

I have a lot of questions and theories, but will we be able to answer them all by the end of the series?

**Please note spoilers are ahead if you are not caught up on the series.**

My top 5 questions I’m dying to know the answers to on Cruel Summer are:

5

Can Mallory be trusted?

Cruel Summer question 5

Images courtesy of Freeform

I’m still somewhere in the middle with the whole Kate vs. Jeanette debate, but how does Mallory fit into it all? I find it odd that she jumped sides and is now best friends with Kate, especially after she even admits that she used to hate her.

So, can we trust her?

I like Mallory a lot. I think she really brings a real and authentic quality to her character, but could she be the wild card making trouble?

It’s certainly possible and we still don’t really know why she and Jeanette stopped being friends. 

The parents are also really suspect and Jeanette’s mom clearly has more secrets, but what else is she capable of?

I started to form some theories about Mallory after Jeanette talked about how Mallory wants to be in control and make everyone follow her ideas. When she left Jeanette high and dry after the CD incident, I started wondering more about her true intentions.

We’ll have to see how this plays out, but I always love a good twist!

4

How did Jeanette’s necklace end up with Kate?

Cruel Summer question 4

Images courtesy of Freeform

Jeanette claims the necklace found isn’t hers, but how did Kate wind up with it? Did Jeanette leave it behind while going through Martin’s house? Maybe Martin found it and gave it to Kate as a token of his weird love for her?

I don’t know, but things aren’t adding up. Mallory could also have a part in this too, but I think this piece of evidence should not be ignored.

3

Were Kate and Martin romantically involved?

Cruel Summer question 3

Images courtesy of Freeform

After that major reveal at the end of episode 7, we know that Kate went to Martin’s house willingly, which “changes everything,” according to Jeanette.

But we also witnessed Kate swooning over her stuffed animal and touching Martin’s hand, which gave out some signals. Sure, Martin should not take advantage of her period, but was there more to this relationship than we know?

If Jeanette thought that Kate was romantically involved with Martin (maybe she saw them previously together), she could have thought that Kate was cheating on Jamie with him and that could have caused her to flee the scene, but there is still a lot left to uncover here.

2

Did Jeanette actually see Kate?

Cruel Summer question 2

Images courtesy of Freeform

It’s the initial question we were presented with during this mystery, but I’m still kind of wondering about it myself. I saw this really interesting theory online about there being some kind of two-way mirror in Martin’s house and we did see Jeanette with mirrors in one of the flash-forwards. Maybe Kate did see Jeanette, but Jeanette never saw her?

I also still think it’s possible that maybe Jeanette thought Kate was doing wrong by Jamie, but Jeanette seemed like an innocent girl who was just trying to fit in. Even though we are presented with some serious Single White Female vibes, Jeanette seems more stable than that and I’m not sure that’s what is actually happening here.

But why is she hiding that key?

1

Who is Annabelle?

Cruel summer question 1

Images courtesy of Freeform

This is my number one question. After Kate’s creepy campfire story about a girl named Annabelle, she learns from her therapy tapes that she saw Annabelle before she was rescued, and she also has some serious memory loss.

The obvious answer is that Annabelle is a version of Kate and maybe she had a psychotic break, which would also explain the memory loss.

But I really want there to be more to this story. Maybe there really was an Annabelle. We know that another girl came forward about Martin from a different school. What if he was keeping more than one girl prisoner?

Maybe she helped Kate?

If we want to go with the split personality route, maybe Martin is Annabelle?

I have a lot of theories about this and I really hope we devote the time to this question because it is the most interesting part of the mystery for me.

We have three episodes left and a lot of questions that are still unanswered, but I’m excited to reveal more pieces of the puzzle.

Stay tuned, Cruel Summer fans!

I hope you enjoyed today’s post and please leave your own thoughts and theories on Cruel Summer in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

Main promo smaller

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!

Play if you dare…

Dash and Seek 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 “Cruel Summer” on Freeform: Mean Girls with Bite

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

“Who do you believe?”

Cruel Summer premiered on Freeform on April 20th 2021. The series is set to air ten weekly episodes. It stars Olivia Holt, Chiara Aurelia, Harley Quinn Smith, Michael Landes, and Froy Gutierrez. Each episode runs for approximately 50 minutes.

The events we witness take place over three summers in the 1990’s as a teen goes missing and another girl mysteriously takes her place.

Here is the trailer:

Cruel Summer adapts a typical teen thriller formula into something different by presenting us with three timelines that jump back and forth. It’s something bold and unique, but does it get in the way of this already entertaining plot? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Cruel Summer Spoiler Free Review 1

Images courtesy of Freeform

Mean Girls meets Single White Female.

Sure, it’s been done before, but this is a formula for success. I really loved this vibe and I was drawn into the plot and mystery completely. I can’t predict what is going on and I am actually really excited to see what happens next.

I also really like that I’m not sure who to root for just yet. The opening two episodes present us with different perspectives and of course things are not as they seem.

The performances are actually pretty on point and I thought that Kevin Smith’s daughter, Harley Quinn Smith was really great and I’m excited to see her in this role.

Cruel Summer Spoiler Free Review 2

Images courtesy of Freeform

90’s nostalgia.

Much like Little Fires Everywhere, this show is also bringing us some 90’s nostalgia with the fashion and music soundtrack. I’m not sure it was truly necessary for this show, but it’s an added bonus and I am enjoying the throwback so far.

The Cons:

Cruel Summer Spoiler Free Review 3

Images courtesy of Freeform

Trippy time jumps.

While I appreciate that this show is trying to do something different, the trippy time jumps become really confusing and distracting. I actually think that the show is really good without these flashes every few minutes and while the actresses do a great job of reminding us which Jeanette and Kate we are dealing with, my head started to hurt after a while.

So am I in or out?

Cruel Summer Spoiler Free Review 4

Images courtesy of Freeform

I’m in!

Even with the trippy time jumps, this show is really addicting. I think that it might quickly become one of my favorite shows and I am really excited to see the mystery unfold over the next several weeks.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

Main promo smaller

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!

Play if you dare…

Dash and Seek 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!

5 Reasons why you should watch “Light as a Feather” on Hulu: “Light as a feather…stiff as a board.”

“So who wants to go next?”  If you have ever watched the movie, The Craft, then you know about the slumber party game, “Light as a feather, stiff as a board.”  Maybe you tried this out in your own basement and failed miserably or maybe you called your mom to pick you up early from a sleepover party just to avoid this very type of game.  No judgment please.  Either way, this show focuses around that very same game with an added twist that will have you wondering if any slumber party game is safe.  After watching Truth or Dare earlier this year, I’m having my doubts.

The Hulu series is based on the book by Zoe Aarsen and follows a group of teenage girls who enjoy pre-gaming at a cemetery as part of their Halloween tradition.  A night of seemingly harmless fun turns into something dark and twisted, as each character hears a description of how they will die before they are levitated by the group.  While this is not the version of the game I remember, it certainly adds for dramatic effect, especially when the characters realize that they are in danger of dying that way in real life.

The show features 10 episodes and they are all currently streaming on Hulu as of October 12th 2018.  After watching all of the episodes in one day, I can tell you that the series can best be described as cotton candy sweet with some light and fun horror sprinkled on top.  Yes please!  The show reminded me of a mix between Pretty Little Liars and The Craft and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised overall.  If you are looking for jump scares or nightmare-worthy horror, this is not necessarily the show for you, but there are some cringe-worthy moments for sure.  October is the perfect month to watch your fair share of horror and and Light as a Feather delivers as a binge-watching worthy treat.  Please note that major spoilers have been left out for your convenience.  My top 5 reasons to check out Light as a Feather are: 

5

A concept that immediately draws you in.

The fact that we are all familiar with the slumber party game, “Light as a feather, stiff as a board,” definitely helps draw you into this show right away.  The show also does a great job of diving right in and not giving you too much back story that will have you tuning out.  While we do get to learn about each character, I thought that the flashbacks flowed together perfectly.  Sure there are some moments featuring teenage drama that you may find unnecessary, but let’s not pretend like that’s a reason to turn off the show.  Think Mean Girls, Heathers, and Pretty Little Liars. 

4

Short episodes.

I don’t know about you, but I love to binge-watch.  Each episode is about 25 minutes long so it is absolutely possible to finish this show in a weekend or even a day if you are feeling ambitious.  The writers did a great job of ending each episode on a cliffhanger that will have you automatically pressing play for the next one to start.  Sometimes you don’t even realize how far you have gotten because each episode is fast paced.  It’s also OK to walk away for a moment and grab your popcorn if needed because you will not need to analyze every second of the show to understand what is happening.  No need to rewind unless you really want to.  The show is pretty straightforward and the recaps at the beginning of each episode fill you in on everything that’s important.  The show is just pure entertainment without all the fuss and I have to say that I appreciated that, especially while taking a break from other shows and films that require more attention.

3

You can’t easily predict what is going to happen next.

You may think you have already figured out the show just from watching the preview and maybe you have, but I think that the show does a really nice job of keeping you on the edge of your seat.  The mystery behind the game unravels with each new episode and the questions that you may have stirring around in your brain are answered, but the answers aren’t completely obvious, which is refreshing.

2

McKenna Brady played by Liana Liberato.

I have to admit that I wasn’t entirely invested in the characters on this show and no one stood out in particular other than McKenna Brady, played brilliantly by the talented Liana Liberato.  I always look for a connection to a character and McKenna is someone I could see as my own best friend.  While her friends and family have redeeming qualities, there is something magnetic about McKenna.  She is smart and capable, but she is not perfect.  She falls into the classic scenario of hanging out with the mean girls at school and knows that she is guilty of this.  However, McKenna has a lot on her plate and I commend her strength and loyalty.  While I initially got a Single White Female vibe from the antagonist, Violet, I saw some potential here as well.  Either way, I was pleasantly surprised by Liberato’s performance and she really helped elevate the rest of the show, redeeming some other performances that were leaving a little something to be desired.

1

Throwback to fun horror movies in the 90’s.

What I really enjoyed about this show was that it was the perfect throwback to films like I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream, Urban Legend, and The Craft.  I grew up watching these movies and I enjoyed that they were the perfect blend of slasher and terror scares with some predictable, but fun teenage drama thrown in.  I personally enjoy fun horror movies like this that don’t have me terrorized with nightmares for the rest of my life, but everyone likes something different.  Either way, I thought that this show provided me with the entertainment I expected and even pleasantly surprised me, leaving me wanting more.  Ready to watch?

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

**I would love it if you would take a moment to check out my Whizbuzz Book page via the link below for everything you need to know about my new book, The Search for Alice, including my author bio page and links to my website and social media sites!  Thank you!

My Whizbuzz Book Page

Stay up to date on upcoming premieres of horror TV series 12nightsofhorror.com/horror-series-coming-soon

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

@TV_Fanatic_Girl

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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!

I am so excited to announce that my book, The Search for Alice, is now available!  If you enjoy fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery, then this might be the book for you or someone you know!  Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well.  I hope you enjoy!

When Kallie Bennett, a jaded teenage girl plagued by her alcoholic mother and her peers molded out of sheer bubble gum perfection, chases after Alice in Wonderland herself, she ends up lost in her own version of Wonderland, which forces her to face her utmost fears and introduces her to familiar characters with a dark twist. Among these characters is Ches, a gorgeous vampire with a conflicted conscience, who becomes Kallie’s guide and blossoming love interest. She also crosses paths with Queen Hartley, a manipulative witch who has the power to strip away one’s memories and imagination, which brings a bone chilling new meaning to “off with their heads.” In The Search for Alice, Kallie starts to realize that her Wonderland is just as frightening as her own reality and that she cannot always run away from her problems. She must figure out a way to defeat Queen Hartley and return home before it is too late, but she soon learns that escaping Wonderland means leaving Ches behind forever.

Want to read more?  You can click the link directly below for a free preview.  Thanks for your support!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice is available here!

The Search for Alice is available here!

The Search for Alice Cover