Spoiler-Free Review of “The Housemaid” in Theaters: A Soapy & Campy Thriller Worth your Time!

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

“Would you like to see what you’re getting yourself into?”

The Housemaid premiered in theaters on December 19th 2025. The mystery thriller film (based on the novel of the same name) stars Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, and Brandon Sklenar. It runs for approximately two hours and ten minutes.

Millie has a troubled past and is looking for a fresh start by interviewing for a live-in housemaid position in an extravagant home, but she soon discovers that her new bosses may be hiding deadly secrets that put her in danger.

Here is the trailer:

The Housemaid is a guilty pleasure thriller with plenty of juicy and shocking moments built in. Is it worthy of your next watchLet’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Lionsgate

Sweeney and Seyfried are a dream duo!

I thought both actresses did a really great job here. Amanda Seyfried is such an exceptional actress and she really went all out here. Sweeney kept up with her as well and I loved the back-and-forth between them.

Brandon Sklenar is popping up quite a bit now in movies (It Ends With Us, Drop) and I hope to see him in more as well. His wardrobe was fantastic…among other things.

This movie was very pretty to look at from the gorgeous cast to the beautiful Long Island home they were living in. I love pleasing aesthetics like this that tend to hide something dangerous and sinister beneath them.

Images courtesy of Lionsgate

Entertaining reveals.

I wouldn’t say that they were that shocking. I sort of saw the main twist coming a mile away. That being said, it was still so much fun to watch unfold on screen. I had a packed audience with me in the theater and they were cheering along during certain parts, which made this a blast to watch. In a lot of ways, this felt like an elevated Lifetime movie…but that’s my favorite kind of guilty pleasure thriller so I’m not complaining here.

The ending was satisfying as well.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Lionsgate

A little too long…

I was never bored, but I think things could have been wrapped up a little bit sooner. I like my movies to hover around 90 minutes or so. There were a few parts in the middle that were drawn out, but luckily things turned around for the explosive conclusion.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Lionsgate

I’m in!!!!

THE HOUSEMAID is sultry, satisfying, and so much fun to indulge in.

Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried go all out here in the best possible way!

Loved it!

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

**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 “PULSE” on Netflix: Soapy Version of The Pitt Has Its Moments

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

“Let’s get through this day…”

PULSE premiered on Netflix on April 3rd 2025 with all ten episodes available to stream now. The medical drama series stars Willa Fitzgerald, Colin Woodell, Jack Bannon, Jessie T. Usher, Jessica Rothe, Néstor Carbonell, and Justina Machado. Each episode runs for approximately 45-48 minutes.

In the middle of a dangerous hurricane in Florida, a hospital team works together to handle every emergency thrown their way, but tensions flare when a doctor is forced to work side by side with someone she just accused of sexual harassment.

Here is the trailer:

PULSE is a essentially a mix of The Pitt and Grey’s Anatomy, trying to find the balance between tense life-threatening moments and juicy drama. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

A cast to be excited about!

I was about to give this one a pass because medical dramas aren’t really my thing with a few exceptions, but the cast drew me in. The show is produced by LOST’s Carlton Cuse and we even have LOST alum Néstor Carbonell starring in the series.

That’s already enough for me, but then we have the talented Willa Fitzgerald, the underused Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day), and the always fantastic Justina Machado.

Everyone plays their parts well, but some deserved a little more screen time to shine. Either way, this is a worthy and talented cast.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Some adrenaline-filled moments.

I thought that the first half of this series was a lot stronger than the second half. While not nearly as exciting and intense as The Pitt, there were some moments that held my attention and had me on the edge of my seat. Just manage your expectations accordingly…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Rushed flashbacks and time jumps that felt forced.

Honestly, they took away from the core plot for me. I get that they were trying to make us care about the characters, but the layers revealed felt soapy and superficial, glossing over any real moments of understanding and growth.

Starts out as one show and then quickly  becomes another.

I was really confused by this. At first, this series tried to be like The Pitt with its approach and there were a lot of similarities, but then it named dropped Grey’s Anatomy and quickly became a cheaper version of that show, focusing more on the soapy side of things.

This show clearly tried to channel what makes both shows great for their target audiences by mashing these genres together, but it failed to capture a real sense of intensity and grit, making it seem like a desperate imitation at times, which was disappointing.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in about 75 percent…

PULSE is a medical drama by the numbers despite having a talented and recognizable cast.

This series is more of a popcorn watch, but it does have some glimmers of potential. If you’re looking for a consuming medical drama, I’d recommend watching The Pitt instead, however.

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

**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 “Brazen” on Netflix: Alyssa Milano gives it her all

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

“She didn’t expect to die that night…”

Brazen released on January 13th 2022 on Netflix. The mystery thriller film based on the novel by Nora Roberts stars Alyssa Milano, Samuel Page, Emilie Ullerup and Malachi Weir. The film runs for approximately an hour and 35 minutes.

Famous author, Grace Miller desperately tries to solve her sister’s murder with the help of a neighbor detective, as she soon stumbles upon dark and dangerous secrets along the way.

Here is the trailer:

Brazen has a decent premise with a guilty-pleasure mystery core, but does this film do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

A mystery that pulls you in.

I actually thought the mystery was a solid one. I was pulled in and I loved the secrets revealed along the way. There were plenty of twists and turns thrown our way as well to keep us invested until the end of the film.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Alyssa Milano puts forth a valiant effort.

As soon as I saw that she was starring in this film, it made me want to watch it that much more. The Charmed alum really tried her best with this one and she kept me watching even when things started to fall apart. I genuinely believed her performance and I was rooting for her the entire time.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Lifetime-esque nonsense.

I normally really like guilty-pleasure thrillers that have a slight Lifetime feel, but this one channeled it a little bit too much. There were ridiculous romance scenes that didn’t make sense with what was going on and a lot of overacting and silly dialogue. Even though the mystery was a good one, it was often drowned out by some of this unnecessary fluff.

Really predictable…

I was hoping for a major twist, but I saw the reveal at the end coming a mile away. It was just so obvious and I don’t think the film executed it properly. Perhaps I should have read the book instead because this was really disappointing.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m 50/50 on this one…

If you enjoy guilty-pleasure soapy thrillers, you can absolutely give this one a whirl, but I think you are better off watching My Secret Obsession on Netflix instead, which did a better job of balancing the Lifetime feel. The mystery is decent enough, but I would manage your expectations accordingly with this one.

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