Tag: survival thriller

Spoiler-Free Review of “Distress Signals” on Demand: Slow Burn Survival Thriller

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

“Can somebody come get me?”

Distress Signals released on Digital and Demand on May 12th 2023. The survival thriller film stars Christine Nyland and Terence Krey. They also wrote and directed the movie. It runs for an hour and twenty minutes.

After taking a nasty fall that separates her from her friends, Caroline must figure out a way to survive and escape the woods.

Here is the trailer:

Distress Signals follows a simple formula that is actually really compelling with an eerie final act that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Unquiet Films

Christine Nyland is captivating on screen.

I was extremely impressed to find out that she was also part of the writing and directing team for this film. It’s difficult to carry films that predominantly center around one character with minimal dialogue and yet she did a good job and held my interest.

I was literally cheering for her during certain moments and even though I wanted to know a little bit more about her character, she commanded the screen in an effective way.

I also enjoyed the subtle soundtrack and I thought this film was shot really well.

A final act I did not see coming!

For the most part, this film follows your standard formula for a survival thriller. In a lot of ways, it was a decent enough mix of Alone (2020) and the series, Keep Breathing (starring Melissa Barrera). Caroline has to handle overcoming an injury, finding her way out of the woods, dealing with potential predators, and finding food and water, which I’ve seen a lot in similar movies.

But things don’t stop there and they take a major shift in the last thirty minutes or so, where we get some shocking moments I did not see coming. I really enjoyed the last act and I wanted more of it! 

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Unquiet Films

Slower pacing…

If you’re looking for a jam-packed thriller filled with lots of action, you won’t get that here. This is a different kind of a thriller. I still enjoyed it, but I wanted more grit and edge at times. I also wish that the last act had been fleshed out a little bit more because it was the best part of the movie.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Unquiet Films

I’m in about 75 percent…

Distress Signals may seem like your average thriller at first glance, but its slow burn approach does pay off in the end. If you enjoy survival/wilderness thrillers, there is enough here for you to appreciate.

I wanted a touch more to make it stand out from similar films, but I enjoyed my watch overall.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Distress Signals 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 “Beast” (2022) in Theaters: The Law of the Jungle

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

“We’re in his territory now…”

Beast (2022) released in theaters on August 19th 2022. The survival thriller film stars Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, Leah Jeffries, and Iyana Halley. It runs for an hour and thirty-three minutes.

Dr. Nate Daniels and his two daughters visit their old family friend at a South African game reserve to help cope with the death of their mother. However, their journey takes a deadly turn when a surviving lion of a poacher attack begins stalking them.

Here is the trailer:

Beast is everything you would hope to find in an entertaining man vs. predator film with exceptional characters to root for. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Super intense!

If you enjoy this genre, you will find plenty to be excited about in this one. There are some really suspenseful moments that will have you on the edge of your seat. There’s lots of action as well, making this an entertaining ride from start to finish. 

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Characters to root for.

There is a small cast in this one, but I really liked every single character, which made me want to root for them all that much more. The film did a good job of balancing out the suspense and action along with the emotional content. It never overdid it and the pacing worked really well.

I was invested the entire time and I thought the moments between the family really helped the audience connect more with these characters.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Predictable at times.

I don’t know if it’s because I saw way too many previews for this one or because I’ve seen this type of movie before, but it followed the formula you would expect to see without ever wavering. That being said, I still enjoyed the ride. 

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

I’m in!!!

Entertaining and suspenseful from start to finish!

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

Spoiler-Free Review of “Fall” (2022) in Theaters: Suspenseful Survival Thriller

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

“If you’re scared of dying, don’t be afraid to live…”

Fall (2022) released in theaters on August 12th 2022. The adventure thriller film stars Grace (Fulton) Currey, Virginia Gardner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Mason Gooding. It runs for an hour and forty-seven minutes.

One year after a tragic accident, Becky agrees to climb a 2000 foot abandoned radio tower with her best friend Hunter, but when they wind up stranded at the very top, they need to work together to find a way to survive.

Here is the trailer:

Fall is extremely intense with plenty of edge-of-your-seat moments that will worsen anyone’s fear of heights that much more. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Capstone Pictures

Nail-biting moments throughout!

I am not a huge fan of heights, but wow I don’t even think I can get on a small step ladder after this one. This movie was so intense and brutal! My heart was pounding the entire time. The movie reminded me a lot of The Ledge (which I also really enjoyed and is now streaming on Hulu), but the radio tower environment made it a unique watch. If you enjoy survival thrillers, you’re in the right place.

Images courtesy of Capstone Pictures

Characters to root for.

Becky and Hunter were both really likable characters. The film mostly focused on them, but it did bring up the past a little bit and some emotional baggage. I never thought it took away from the core of the film, however. Sometimes films can force these interactions and flashbacks, but this film kept the pacing going without skipping a beat.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Capstone Pictures

Somewhat unbelievable…

I don’t really have many cons for this movie. I did find it a little suspicious that there was a “no trespassing” sign, but no mentions that this tower could be extremely unstable? I guess common sense would tell someone not to climb this tower, but then we wouldn’t have this amazing and intense movie.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Capstone Pictures

I’m in!!!

A brutal and intense watch worth your time!

If you’re looking for a good thriller, you should absolutely check this movie out. I also highly recommend watching The Ledge on Hulu. After seeing both movies, I’ll be staying on the ground for quite a while…

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

Spoiler-Free Review of “Borrego” on Netflix: Lucy Hale’s latest thriller

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

“I can take you wherever you need to go…”

Borrego premiered on Netflix on May 14th 2022, but was originally released in January 2022. The survival thriller film stars Lucy Hale, Nicholas Gonzalez, Leynar Gomez, and Olivia Trujillo. It runs for an hour and forty-two minutes.

A botanist named Elly is studying plants alone in the desert when she witnesses a drug mule’s plane crash. Elly is kidnapped and forced to journey through the desert to the drop off location as she fights to stay alive.

Here is the trailer:

Borrego has plenty of intense moments built in with a believable performance from Lucy Hale, but does it do enough to earn a a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Lucy Hale gives it her all.

Look, I’ll pretty much watch Lucy Hale in anything. I love her as an actress and I think she does really well in horror and thriller films. This film is no exception. Lucy was terrific as Elly. I really liked Elly as a character as well, which made it easy to root for her during this ordeal.

Not your average survival thriller…

Elly is in a very dangerous situation and you would think it would be easy to pinpoint the bad guys in this, but there was also a lot of heart in this one. I kind of liked this approach and I thought it helped the movie stand out from other similar plots.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Unsure of its intention…

The beginning of the film presented us with a statement about drug use and trafficking, but it didn’t really follow through on this. This made it feel out of place and odd. I wasn’t really sure of the intention of this movie, but I think it tried to tackle too many different issues without ever really paying enough attention to any of them to have them resonate with the audience…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in about 75 percent…

I enjoyed my watch for the most part. I thought Lucy Hale was captivating, but there was something missing in this one, even though it made a valiant effort to stand out as a survival thriller film.

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