Spoiler-Free Review of “Hell of a Summer” in Theaters: Silly Slasher Has Its Moments

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

“This summer’s gonna be huge for us…”

Hell of a Summer premiered in select theaters on April 4th 2025. The slasher horror comedy film stars Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk, and Pardis Saremi. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-eight minutes.

As a group of teens get ready to set up summer camp for the season, a masked killer begins picking them off one by one.

Here is the trailer:

Hell of a Summer attempts to bring us some slasher nostalgia with its fun premise, but does it do enough to be worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Entertaining concept.

I love slashers and when we add in an overused, but nostalgic setting like summer camp, this movie automatically starts out with three stars for me. I thought this film had a lot of potential to bring us some inventive kills while adding in some fun comedy.

Solid second half.

Even though this film was on the shorter side, it spent a lot of time in the first half focusing on excessive fluff. That being said, I think it did turn things around when we got to the heart of the plot, providing us with some entertaining moments involving the killer and our group in the second half. Not all of the humor landed for me, but I did laugh at some key parts.

The Cons:

Unlikable characters and not enough on screen kills…

I honestly couldn’t connect with anyone, making it extremely hard to root for them against the killer. This was extremely disappointing for me. I don’t know if it was a generation thing or what, but I literally could care less about who lived or died and the killer wasn’t that fun either…

My other big issue with this film was that the majority of the kills happened off screen. I know this is a horror comedy, but it’s dipping into the slasher end so I expected some gory kills. I think it would have helped this film in a lot of ways. The reveals were also just kind of meh…

So am I in or out?

I’m in about 75 percent…

Hell of a Summer has some fun campy moments, but it doesn’t fully capitalize on its slasher premise.

I’m being a little generous here with my review, but I do appreciate filmmakers willing to give us some new slasher material. I just expected more…

If you’re looking for a modern slasher to enjoy, I’d recommend Thanksgiving or Heart Eyes instead…but there are a few fun moments in this one.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Hell of a Summer 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!

Ranking my Top 10 Films of 2023: Which Movies Made The Cut?

It’s that time of year again! As we get closer and closer to approaching 2024, I thought it would be the perfect time to count down my Top 10 Films of 2023.

There are still a lot of movies that I have not seen yet, but I wanted to highlight some of my favorites of the year so far!

My Top 10 Films of 2023 are:

10

Totally Killer

If horror comedy films like Happy Death Day and Freaky are your jam, you’ll find plenty to love in Totally Killer, featuring out of this world performances by both Kiernan Shipka and Olivia Holt.

9

The Passenger

Kyle Gallner gives the performance of his career in this dark and emotional film that was one of the most unique entries to cinema I have watched all year. Moving and resonating.

8

Barbie

The movie event of the year! Barbie was so much fun! Ryan Gosling gave one of my favorite performances of the year and I loved the humor sprinkled into this bubble gum pop world.

7

Thanksgiving

Halloween isn’t the only holiday featuring amazing slasher films. Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving channeled 90’s slashers to perfection with plenty of gore and twists around each corner.

6

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

The perfect blend of nostalgia for the generation that grew up playing these classic video games mixed with tons of cute and fun moments for kids now, making this a family friendly film worth your time. Plus, Jack Black KILLS it as Bowser and I think I’ll be singing “Peaches” for a very long time.

5

Plane

Every now and then, there is a non-stop action film that leaves me cheering and Plane is that movie for 2023. I loved it from start to finish and I’ve already re-watched it several times. It’s filled with adrenaline and plenty of bad-ass moments!

4

Unseen

An absolute gem that shouldn’t fly under the radar. Unseen is on the shorter side, but it hooks you from the start and features two strong female leads. If you enjoy simple, but effective thrillers, this one is for you!

3

Scream 6

I didn’t know how I felt about Scream 6 switching up its setting and main character, but it all worked perfectly, making this such a wonderful surprise. It carved its way into the franchise without holding back, creating a bloody good time for Scream fans everywhere.

2

Evil Dead Rise

Maybe not for everyone, but Evil Dead Rise presents horror fans with gore galore and introduces us to a new bad-ass female lead. I love the Evil Dead franchise and although this one had a very different feel to it, I couldn’t look away and that title card will be haunting me for years to come…

Honorable Mentions:

Leave the World Behind

Missing

No One Will Save You

Sick

The Blackening

Drum roll please…

1

Bottoms

Raunchy, laugh-out-loud funny, and so entertaining! Bottoms is my favorite film of the year! It’s been a long time since I truly fell in love with a teen comedy and this one brought that genre back to life and then some!

I hope to see more films from 2023 soon, but I hope you enjoyed the list!

Did you have a favorite film of 2023? If so, drop it in the comments!

I wish you all a happy and healthy new year and can’t wait to review more new films in 2024! Happy viewing!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Thanksgiving” in Theaters: A Delicious, Blood-Soaked Delight!

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

“There will be no leftovers…”

Thanksgiving released in theaters on November 17th 2023. The slasher-horror film (directed by Eli Roth) stars Patrick Dempsey, Nell Verlaque, Addison Rae, Rick Hoffman, Milo Manheim, and Gina Gershon. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-six minutes.

A year after a horrific tragedy on Black Friday, a masked killer begins to pick off those responsible one by one, leading up to a deadly feast.

Here is the trailer:

Thanksgiving successfully channels 90’s slashers to breathe new life into the genre, supplying us with plenty of fantastic chase scenes and gory kills. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Channels 90’s slashers in the best way possible!

I absolutely loved this aspect of the movie. It recognized the perfection of this era and borrowed from it in a clever and satisfying way. So many moments reminded me of films like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, but it wasn’t overdone. Thanksgiving still managed to find its own identity in the process, hopefully carving the way for more slashers to come.

Gore galore!

OK, so first off…that opening scene was jaw-dropping! But the gore didn’t stop there. Each kill was inventive, entertaining, and filled to the brim with seat-squirming moments. If extreme gore isn’t for you, I’d stay clear, but for those of you who can’t get enough of it, there’s plenty to enjoy here.

The Cons:

Predictable here and there…

This didn’t take away from the entertaining moments, but perhaps a little too much was revealed in the trailers. That being said, I still loved every second of it. I guess I just wanted a few unpredictable twists thrown in for good measure…

So am I in or out?

I’m in 100 percent!!!

A clever, entertaining slasher that delivers and then some!

Slashers are DOMINATING cinema right now and I’m absolutely loving it. More please!

I hope you enjoyed the review and please feel free to share your thoughts on Thanksgiving in the comments section!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, HER NIGHT FROM HELL HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN…

After working the night shift, Ashley becomes entangled in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a local street gang, forcing her to come up with a plan to survive the night by turning the tables on them.

Ashley must fight for her life and take them out one by one if she wants to make it to morning…

My young adult revenge thriller comes out November 30th 2023! I hope you enjoy!

Make it Through the Night 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!

Ranking my top 5 Thanksgiving TV Episodes: “It’s a Ritual Sacrifice with Pie”

Greetings TV Fans! Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it’s important to take a moment to think about what we are truly thankful for. It’s a time to share with family and friends and to put that pesky diet aside to make room for some pumpkin pie.

For today, I am going to be ranking my absolute favorite Thanksgiving television episodes. While there is a lot more material out there for Halloween and Christmas episodes, one should not discount some quality Thanksgiving programming.

So grab some more food and make room for some Thanksgiving TV fun! Please note that some spoilers are ahead.

My top 5 Thanksgiving TV episodes are:

“Modern Family” Three Turkeys (TV Episode 2014)

Modern Family does a fantastic job with holiday episodes. While the Valentine’s Day and Halloween ones take the cake for me, “Three Turkeys” is absolutely hilarious. During the episode, Phil and Luke work on the turkey together, but Claire worries that Phil may mess it up and has a back-up one ready to go.

Meanwhile, Jay and Gloria are supposed to go away, but end up staying; only they want to just have a nice and quiet Thanksgiving at home. This doesn’t go exactly according to plan when Phil shows up to use their oven and the chaos continues, as the turkeys continue to multiply. This is a great episode to watch with family and friends!

“Beverly Hills, 90210” The Kindness of Strangers (TV Episode 1992)

While Thanksgiving is a time for family to come together, it is also a time to give as well. Brandon crosses paths with a homeless man named Jack, who he previously tried to help over the summer. Brandon could have just gone on his way, but he decides to bring him home for Thanksgiving dinner.

While Brandon’s father is not at all pleased initially, Jack proves to be worthy and is extremely grateful to be given a chance to spend this holiday with a warm meal and wonderful people. Brandon always tries to do the right thing, but he really shines here. This episode is heartwarming and really captures the essence of giving.

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Pangs (TV Episode 1999)

So what do you do when you encounter the spirit of a Native American warrior who is looking to take his revenge out just before Thanksgiving dinner? Well I guess you give Buffy Summers a call. This episode is jam-packed with action and comedy. Angel makes a special guest appearance, only he doesn’t inform Buffy that he is there to protect her from a great evil.

What makes this episode stand out is that Buffy is really trying to make her Thanksgiving dinner a success. While the Scoobies try to figure out a way to stop the spirit of the warrior, Buffy insists on keeping her dinner going no matter what because you know, “It’s a Yam Sham.”

Spike even gets a seat at the table, only he is tied to a chair, which makes this episode even funnier. If you need a break from the stress of preparing dinner, this is the episode to watch.

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” The Gang Squashes Their Beefs (TV Episode 2013)

After running into the McPoyle brothers at the video store, the gang begins to realize that they need to bury the hatchet and wipe the slate clean with a lot of people…literally. The gang invites over everyone they have wronged for Thanksgiving dinner and Dennis tries to sort of apologize, but really wants them to sign a treaty so that they no longer feel guilty. Dennis does love his documentation.

This episode is absolutely hilarious and leads to a food fight that you may have only dreamed about at one of your own Thanksgiving dinners. After Mac’s room is set on fire, the gang does the only right thing in this situation…they lock their guests inside the apartment and make a run for it. This episode is laugh out loud funny and is definitely worth a second watch.

“South Park” Helen Keller! The Musical (TV Episode 2000)

It should be no surprise that my favorite Thanksgiving TV episode is from South Park. This episode is beyond hilarious and I have probably watched it every single Thanksgiving. During the episode, the kids are putting on an interesting musical for Thanksgiving, but Timmy and his untalented turkey named Gobbles steal the show.

It may sound ridiculous, but you will end up rooting for this poor turkey and cheering for him when he finally goes through the hoop of fire. “Gobbles!” Now that’s an impressive finale!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to share some of your own thoughts and comments on your favorite Thanksgiving TV episodes.

**I just want to take a minute to thank each and every one of you for being so wonderful and supportive. I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones! Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

[twitter-follow screen_name=’TV_Fanatic_Girl’]

**Do you love television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Once Upon a Time, Lost, Charmed, The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural? Do you enjoy dark fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery? Then you may like my book series, Dreaming of Wonderland…available on Amazon! Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well. I really hope you enjoy!

The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice 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!