Tag: survival horror

Spoiler-Free Review of “Thrash” on Netflix: A Forgettable Shark Flick that Lacks Bite

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

“This better work…”

Thrash released on Netflix on April 10th 2026. The survival horror film stars Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak, Alyla Browne, and Djimon Hounsou. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-five minutes.

After a deadly hurricane hits a small coastal town, the remaining residents are flooded in with no hope of rescue when a group of sharks make it in from the storm.

Here is the trailer:

Thrash has a familiar, but solid enough premise for shark film fans, but does it do enough to be worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Doesn’t take too long for the sharks to show up…

There are numerous entries now to the shark genre and usually I find myself anxiously waiting around for the sharks to finally show up. That didn’t happen here. Things got right to the point and the sharks were attacking before I knew it, which was a pro.

There were a few intense moments sprinkled into this as well. I’m a big fan of shark movies and in a lot of ways this reminded me of those weekly shark flicks that used to air on SYFY.

The pros stop here unfortunately…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Terrible acting and so cheesy.

I was so disappointed with this film. There were a few recognizable faces in this and yet the acting was really really bad. There were also so many unbelievable moments in this and the most awkward placing of Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles.”

I think this film tried to copy films like Crawl and Bait (both are fantastic) and failed miserably. There was just never any real sense of suspense. I would have preferred this movie to lean more into a campy, humorous side since it was already so bad, but it took itself seriously also, which didn’t work in its favor…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

Unfortunately I’m out on this one…

Thrash is a dull shark movie that borrows too much from its predecessors, presenting us with an absurd and disappointing entry to the shark genre.

If you’re looking for a shark movie on Netflix, I’d recommend Under Paris instead.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts on Thrash 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 “Dangerous Animals” in Theaters: A Bloody Good Time!

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

“Welcome aboard…”

Dangerous Animals will release in theaters in the US on June 6th 2025 and on June 12th in Australia. The survival horror film stars Hassie Harrison, Jai Courtney, Josh Heuston, and Ella Newton. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty-three minutes.

A shark obsessed serial killer holds a woman named Zephyr against her will. She must figure out a way to escape before he feeds her to his beloved sharks.

Here is the trailer:

Dangerous Animals gives us the perfect heart-pounding combination: a psycho serial killer and sharks. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Jai Courtney is BRILLIANT in this!

I was excited when I saw he was cast as the villain in this from the trailer and he did not disappoint! Wow! Think Wolf Creek’s Mick Taylor. He honestly could have been his son.

He was twisted, diabolical, and out of his mind, but he was also really entertaining to watch and elevated this film in so many ways for me.

He will definitely be a villain I remember! I loved every second of his performance!

Images courtesy of Shudder

A strong, resourceful female lead to root for.

I love a strong female lead…especially in films like this. Zephyr was such a cool character and it was very easy to cheer for her against all odds. She didn’t accept her circumstances. She was a “fighter” and I thought she was absolutely terrific!

Intense from start to finish!

This movie had a killer opening and it really kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I have seen countless shark movies over the years and this one was one of the best I have seen in a very long time. The serial killer angle certainly helped things, but there was also some great shark action!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Shudder

I don’t have many…

This film was pretty close to perfect. While it may not be for everyone, it checked off every box for me. I love simple thrillers like this. My only con would be that maybe there was a touch too much fluff after the opening scene, but I really had to think of a con here.

I loved every second of this movie!

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Shudder

I’m in 100 percent!!!

Dangerous Animals is the shark movie I’ve been waiting for!

Think Wolf Creek, but with sharks. Jai Courtney as Tucker just became one of my favorite horror villains of all time!

I loved this movie so much and I can’t wait to watch it again and again!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

CHECKING OUT WAS NEVER AN OPTION…

A weekend getaway goes horribly wrong when Charlotte suspects that a guest at her bed-and-breakfast has gone missing. A heart-pounding thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. We Hope You Enjoy Your Stay is available below! I hope you enjoy!

We Hope You Enjoy Your Stay 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 “Until Dawn” in Theaters: A Forgettable Horror Flick

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

“That’s where people get in trouble…”

Until Dawn released in theaters on April 25th 2025. Based on the video game of the same name, the survival horror film stars Ella Rubin, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Odessa A’zion, Michael Cimino, and Peter Stormare. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-three minutes.

One year after her sister’s disappearance, Clover and her friends head to the spot where she vanished looking for answers, leading them into a never-ending trap that causes them to relive the same day over and over again after facing horrific deaths.

Here is the trailer:

Until Dawn has an eerie enough premise and some decent kills, but does it do enough to stand out in the horror genre? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Playstation Productions

Solid premise.

I was hooked by the trailer and thought this one had a lot of potential. I’m familiar with the game, but I wouldn’t say that I am that knowledgeable on it so I went into this with no real expectations. I thought the setup was a decent one and our cast did a good enough job with what they were given.

Images courtesy of Playstation Productions

Peter Stormare!

He voiced Dr. Hill in the game and I thought it was genius that they cast him in the movie. I’m a huge fan of his since Prison Break and thought he was the BEST part of the movie.

He embraced his role (even though it wasn’t a large one) and just went with it, bringing us plenty of creepy vibes.

Ella Rubin gave us a decent performance as well as Clover, but she needed some more layers. The backstory was there, but it wasn’t fleshed out enough. I liked her though!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Playstation Productions

Cheesy jump scares and too many forced tropes.

Ugh, I really wanted to like this movie. It wasn’t bad, but it really wasn’t good either. It was just kind of meh…?

I didn’t jump once despite all of the overused scares. I thought it was cool that they had some Easter eggs for fans of the game, but I think they could have used more of them.

The reliving the same day over and over plot has been done a million times before and I don’t think this film did anything that unique or new with it. Some of the effects were cool, but everything just felt really safe and by the numbers.

I wanted this movie to just break some barriers and go for something extreme, but we never reached that point.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Playstation Productions

Unfortunately I’m out on this one…

Until Dawn ultimately misses the mark, relying too heavily on cheesy jump scares and overdone plot gimmicks.

This was a boring and frustrating watch and I was really disappointed.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

CHECKING OUT WAS NEVER AN OPTION…

A weekend getaway goes horribly wrong when Charlotte suspects that a guest at her bed-and-breakfast has gone missing. A heart-pounding thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. We Hope You Enjoy Your Stay is available below! I hope you enjoy!

We Hope You Enjoy Your Stay 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 Last Breath” on Demand: Decent Shark Flick

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

“We have to stick together…”

The Last Breath released on Demand on July 27th 2024. The survival horror thriller film stars Kim Spearman, Jack Parr, Alexander Arnold, and Julian Sands. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty-five minutes.

A group of old friends reunite and agree to go on a diving trip to explore a long lost WWII battleship, but they soon discover that they’re not alone, now surrounded by a group of great white sharks as their oxygen runs dangerously low.

Here is the trailer:

The Last Breath is far from perfect with terrible CGI and questionable decisions made by the characters, but it still manages to hold on to an entertaining level of intensity underwater. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of RLJE Films

Shot well underwater!

I was actually quite impressed by how well this film was shot underwater. I’ve seen other movies try the same thing and a lot of scenes end up really blurry. This one captured everything well.

There was a solid level of intensity once we got to the ship and I think the film did a good job of maintaining that until the very end. I was on the edge of my seat during a lot of key moments, making this a fun watch for fans of shark films.

Decent characters.

Usually I’m always rooting for the sharks, but a couple of the characters stood out here, which helped me invest in them more. I cared about what happened to a few of them, which isn’t always easy to accomplish. The friendships weren’t fleshed out completely, but I didn’t really need them to be. We got enough layers and info to figure out who to root for.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of RLJE Films

Terrible CGI!

Wow, the CGI on these sharks was awful. They zipped around in the water like they were on crack, which was far from believable. Even though there were a lot of intense moments in this one, I couldn’t take the sharks seriously. I think we could have done a little bit better in this department.

I also thought that we wasted too much time on unnecessary fluff in the first thirty minutes of the movie. Things improved drastically once the characters got to the dive, but it was a struggle before that.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of RLJE Films

I’m in about 75 percent…

The Last Breath is a solid shark film with enough bite for fans of the genre, but don’t expect anything too extraordinary here.

As long as you manage your expectations and accept that you’ll be witnessing some terrible CGI, you’ll have fun with this one.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts on The Last Breath 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 “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 Aviary” on Demand: Eerie Psychological Thriller

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

“Do you want to die out here?”

The Aviary premiered in theaters and on demand on April 29th 2022. The psychological thriller film stars Malin Akerman and Lorenza Izzo. It runs for an hour and thirty-five minutes.

Two women flee into the New Mexican desert to escape a cult, but are terrorized by a familiar presence during their quest for survival.

Here is the trailer:

The Aviary takes a simple, but effective approach to a cult psychological thriller, luring us in with stunning performances and slow burn reveals that are beyond terrifying. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Paramount Movies

The simple approach works.

I really love survival horror films along with psychological thrillers and this film had a good blend of both. This was clearly a low budget film, but the simple approach just worked. The circumstances were terrifying enough to keep us invested even though there was not a lot going on at times.

Images courtesy of Paramount Movies

Incredible performances.

The film really centers around two characters for the majority of the movie and I thought that both actresses were incredible. This film would not have had such an impact without their performances. The slow burn reveals were that much more terrifying because of their reactions.

I also thought there were some interesting messages embedded into some of the themes here that were worth exploring. Every piece of the puzzle added to the main question haunting this movie. 

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Paramount Movies

I’m in!

The Aviary is eerie and terrifying on so many different levels, exploring some horrifying themes while presenting us with two amazing performances that were so haunting and compelling. Although it took a little bit of time to get to the major reveals, the slow burn approach worked for the most part.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Aviary (2022) 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!