Spoiler-Free Review of “Long Bright River” on Peacock: Amanda Seyfried Stars in this Emotional Crime Mystery Series

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

“Every single one of your actions is a choice…”

Long Bright River premiered on Peacock on March 13th 2025 with all eight episodes available to stream now. The limited crime drama series (based on the novel of the same name) stars Amanda Seyfried, Nicholas Pinnock, Ashleigh Cummings, and John Doman. Each episode runs for approximately 50-53 minutes.

When a series of murders involving young women occur in Philadelphia, a cop named Mickey suspects that there may be a connection to her own sister’s disappearance, leading her down a dangerous path to discover the truth.

Here is the trailer:


Long Bright River is very similar to Mare of Easttown with an emotional mystery at its core and a strong female lead. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Peacock

A layered mystery with emotional connections.

I thought the core mystery here was a solid one. I was invested more because of the believable bond between these sisters. Their relationship was far from perfect, but it made it more realistic and I truly felt Amanda Seyfried’s desperate struggle to find out the truth. I was engrossed until the very end and I thought the final reveal was a good one that kept me guessing.

Images courtesy of Peacock

Amanda Seyfried gives a note-worthy performance.

She’s the main reason why I tuned into this particular series and I thought she carried it in so many ways. She was believable, compelling, and very interesting to watch on screen. Her character was flawed in a lot of ways, but Seyfried clearly understood that with her portrayal.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Draining at times.

The episodes here were a little too long for my liking. The first two episodes felt extremely sluggish, but thankfully things turned around by the time I got to episode 3.

I also think this series tried to cover too much. This often happens when series attempt to bring over as many details as possible from a book, but I think it took away slightly from the main mystery, which was interesting enough on its own.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Peacock

I’m in about 75 percent…

Long Bright River is an emotional, gripping crime series with a solid performance by Amanda Seyfried.

There were some pacing issues to deal with, but I think the series got better and better with each episode.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A VACATION TO DIE FOR…

Blood Rose Island Ad

When sisters, Nina and Gemma are vacationing in Hawaii with their friends, they get invited to an exclusive party on a private island that seems too good to be true. There’s only one rulethey can’t miss their ferry at midnight or they’ll have to wait until morning to leave the island. Only they didn’t realize that breaking this rule meant they would be hunted down on the island one by one.

Who will make it off the island alive?

I hope you enjoy my island thriller!

Blood Rose Island is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Grotesquerie” on FX on Hulu: Off to a Chilling Start!

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

“Something about it seems so familiar to me…”

Grotesquerie premiered with its first two episodes on September 25th 2024 on FX (episodes air next day on Hulu). There will be ten episodes in total that will air weekly. The horror crime drama series (written and created by Ryan Murphy) stars Niecy Nash-Betts, Micaela Diamond, Courtney B. Vance, Raven Goodwin, Travis Kelce, and Nicholas Chavez. Each episode runs for approximately 42-50 minutes.

A detective investigates a series of violent crimes in a small town and is certain that they are connected to her in some way. With few leads to follow, she teams up with a nun to put the pieces together.

Here is the trailer:

Grotesquerie hooks its audience from the start, luring us into a twisted and disturbing investigation. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of FX on Hulu

The unlikely partnership works!

OK, I didn’t know how I originally felt about this particular team-up, but it is working really well and is the best part of the show. Niecy Nash-Betts is fantastic in this series. I’m used to seeing her in more of a comedic role (shout-out to Denise Hemphill from Scream Queens), but she has some serious range and is putting forth a believable and layered portrayal of her character.

I love Sister Megan and can’t wait to find out more about her character. She’s quirky and offbeat, which is needed when dealing with some dark and disturbing content. There are some other interesting characters as well and it looks like we haven’t met a few key people so I’m intrigued to discover more.

Images courtesy of FX on Hulu

A twisted mystery worth exploring.

These crimes were extremely violent and disturbing, but I’m very intrigued to put the puzzle together along with our main characters. There is enough of a captivating mystery here to keep me coming back for more. This series isn’t holding anything back and I think it’s doing a solid job so far of giving us enough of a hook to fully grab our attention. The religious theme may be overdone, but it’s still interesting.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of FX on Hulu

Dark and heavy content.

There is a lot to deal with in this series. The crimes are beyond awful and then Lois’s own personal demons don’t leave us too much room to breathe. This isn’t a major con, but I think I need to be in the right mindset each week to watch this one.

The pacing moved a little sluggish at times, but I think it did enough each episode to bounce back. I’m hoping this will smooth itself out as the episodes continue and I’m confident we’ll get there.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of FX on Hulu

I’m in!!!

Grotesquerie draws us in to an intriguing and disturbing mystery worth unfolding, featuring a stand-out performance by Niecy Nash-Betts.

I didn’t know I needed this series, but it was a fantastic surprise and I’ll be tuning in for the rest of the episodes!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Grotesquerie 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 “The Nun II” in Theaters: A Worthy Sequel

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

“You send that thing back to hell…”

The Nun II is the sequel to the 2018 film, which is part of the Conjuring universe. It released in theaters on September 8th 2023. The supernatural horror film stars Taissa Farmiga, Storm Reid, Jonas Bloquet, Katelyn Rose Downey, Anna Popplewell, and Bonnie Aarons. The film runs for approximately an hour and fifty minutes.

After a priest is brutally murdered in France, Sister Irene must face her past and investigate the cause, leading her back to a powerful evil.

Here is the trailer:

The Nun II has returning characters and plenty of unsettling moments, but does it do enough to be worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

New and returning characters to root for.

Once again, Taissa Farmiga was exceptional as Sister Irene and I’m glad she got to really step into the limelight for this film. I was rooting for her the entire time.

We also got some new characters to liven things up. Storm Reid was a nice addition and I thought that Katelyn Rose Downey was really fantastic as Sophie. Having characters to cheer for is important in films like this and I thought the sequel did enough to keep us invested in that department.

Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

An interesting story this time around.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the first film. I thought it was a little boring even though the character was super creepy. The second film did a much better job creating an intriguing mystery around everything. I was never bored and I liked the investigation parts. They really captured my attention.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Predictable reveals at times…

This wasn’t a huge con, but I could see a lot of the big reveals coming a mile away. I’m also not a huge fan of movies over-explaining things to the audience through repetitive flashbacks as if we can’t figure out what’s going on ourselves.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

I’m in!

The Nun II surpasses the original with a solid mystery and plenty of unsettling moments to keep you entertained up until the end.

I was surprised by how much I liked this film and make sure you stick around for the after credits scene at the end!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Nun II 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 “School Spirits” on Paramount+: A Charming YA Supernatural Mystery

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

“Welcome to the club…”

School Spirits released on March 9th 2023 on Paramount+ with the first three episodes available to stream now. The remaining five episodes will air weekly. The YA supernatural mystery series stars Peyton List, Kiara Pichardo, Kristian Flores, and Spencer MacPherson. Each episode runs for approximately 44-48 minutes.

Maddie winds up stuck in limbo in her high school as she attempts to investigate her own mysterious disappearance with the help of other ghosts who reside there.

Here is the trailer:

School Spirits is a delightful mix of Ghosts and Nancy Drew with a mystery that really pulls you in. Is this YA series worth your time? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Paramount+

Light and fun.

This series could have easily overdone it with teen drama and excess fluff, but it already managed to find the perfect balance of mystery and fun from the very start, which is not always easy to do. 

The show is filled with likable characters and I really like Maddie, which has kept me more invested in the mystery revolving around her own disappearance.

The episodes aren’t super long and the pacing has been on point for the most part, knowing just how to hook the audience at the end of each episode, reeling us back in for more.

Images courtesy of Paramount+

A solid mystery.

Sure, it may not be that original, but I’m already forming my own list of suspects and I really want to know what happened to Maddie. The time jumps were a little jarring at first, but I started to get used to them as the series progressed, giving us more clues to ponder over. I’m hoping for a shocking reveal, but it’s too early to tell how this mystery will unfold. 

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Paramount+

Weekly episodes…

I watched the first three episodes in one sitting and was ready for more, but we’ll have to wait for the rest of the episodes to release each week, which is a bummer. This is one of those shows where you get really wrapped up in the story so I’m just afraid that viewers may forget to tune back in or could lose interest without the binge-watching option available. You may be better off waiting until all the episodes drop before watching this one…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Paramount+

I’m in!!!

School Spirits has a super cute premise and a charming cast with an addicting mystery at its core.

This series has been a pleasant surprise so far and I can’t wait to watch more episodes!

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