Spoiler-Free Review of “The Royal Hotel” on Demand: A Vacation Gone Wrong

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

“You’re here on vacation?”

The Royal Hotel released in limited theaters on October 6th 2023 and is currently available to stream on demand as of October 23rd 2023. The thriller-drama film stars Julia Garner, Jessica Henwick, Hugo Weaving, Toby Wallace, James Frecheville, and Daniel Henshall. It runs for approximately 90 minutes.

Hanna and Liv are having the time of their lives vacationing in Australia, but when they wind up short on cash, they agree to take a temporary job bartending in a remote Outback mining town that puts them in danger.

Here is the trailer:

The Royal Hotel features two gripping performances in a chilling setting, but does all the buildup lead to anything worthwhile? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Two worthy leads.

The best part of this film was the two strong performances by Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick. They were both very believable and portrayed some heavy stuff in tense situations. I wish they were given a little bit more content to work with here, but I enjoyed their performances and they elevated this film in a lot of ways.

A setting and premise with loads of potential.

When I first saw the trailer for this film, I was so beyond excited to watch it. It screamed vibes of Wolf Creek and Brokedown Palace. We had a really good set-up and some intense moments built in, but the end result wasn’t what I was expecting…

The Cons:

Not sure why this was billed as a thriller?

Sure, there were some intense moments here and there, but I was super frustrated with this film because it felt like we were building up to an insane climax and then the end result was lukewarm at best. It just never really went anywhere…

This really should have been billed as a drama instead. I think that it will disappoint an audience looking for an actual thriller. The drama wasn’t bad, but setting up that expectation made this a confusing watch for me.

Lacked necessary character layers.

I didn’t need that many, but some would have been nice, especially since our two leads are incredibly talented and basically carried this movie. I needed to know more about why they were in Australia in the first place and maybe some crucial moments between them in their past could have explained some of the tension building throughout the film.

So am I in or out?

I’m 50/50 on this one…

I think that people will either love or hate this film. I’m somewhere in the middle of that. It wasn’t bad by any means and I actually thoroughly enjoyed the performances by our two main leads, but I wanted SO MUCH MORE!

Julia Garner needed to unleash her inner Ruth Langmore from Ozark to give this movie some serious edge.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Royal Hotel 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 “You” Season 4: Part 1 on Netflix: A New Setting does wonders for Joe

*This is a spoiler-free review for season 4 (part 1) so feel free to read on!*

“It’s you…or nothing…”

You season 4 (part one) released on February 9th 2023 on Netflix with the first five episodes available to stream now. The remaining five episodes in part two will be available to stream on March 9th 2023. The thriller-drama series stars Penn Badgley, Tati Gabrielle, Charlotte Ritchie, Tilly Keeper, and Lukas Gage. Each episode runs for approximately 45-50 minutes.

Joe Goldberg attempts to make a fresh start as Jonathan Moore in London, but he winds up caught in the middle of a dangerous whodunnit mystery.

Here is the trailer:

You (season 4, part 1) is off to an entertaining start, luring us into Joe’s twisted world once again with a few new twists to liven things up. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Sometimes change is good!

After the explosive season three ending, Joe left the US to start over, but can he really leave his past behind? Well, probably not and it will most likely continue to haunt him, but he’s got a new gig working as a professor in London and a new identity. There are still some ghosts lingering from his past; however, and we’ll have to see what else emerges once part two releases, but I absolutely love some of the changes to the show already.

The setting works for the most part and we have a brand new bunch of characters that all have a secret or two. Joe is transforming more into an “anti-hero” this time around, playing the role of the amateur detective. I have to say that Joe’s voice-over narration has been so incredibly funny and entertaining. I used to find him a little whiny when he obsessed over someone, but change looks good on him so far and I was actually laughing out loud quite a few times.

I also absolutely LOVE that the writers decided to turn the tables on him in season four. It’s genius! It’s really allowing Joe to shine and it’s preventing things from feeling too repetitive.

Fantastic pacing!

I got through all five episodes in one day and it was a binge-watcher’s dream! I thought each episode did just enough at the end to lure us in for more. This was always such an entertaining show, but I’m loving all of the tweaks and improvements in this department. I never felt like I had to sit through too much fluff, which was great.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

We have to wait for the rest of the episodes!

I really don’t have many cons at all. I’m not a fan of some of the new characters, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed my watch and I can’t wait for the rest of the episodes to drop. This season is checking off all the boxes and then some!

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in 100 percent!

You (season 4 part 1) is addictive in all the right ways with some clever new improvements.

I can’t wait to see what happens next!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on You (season 4, part 1) 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!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Echoes” on Netflix: A Trashy Thriller with A LOT Going On

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

“My sister is missing…”

Echoes released on Netflix on August 19th 2022. All seven episodes are available to stream now. The thriller drama series stars Michelle Monaghan, Matt Bomer, Daniel Sunjata, and Jonathan Tucker. Each episode runs for approximately 42-47 minutes.

Gina travels back to her home town to track down her missing identical twin sister, as deadly and dangerous secrets are revealed along the way that could shatter her life completely.

Here is the trailer:

Echoes has a decent Gone Girl-esque set-up and a well known cast, but its messy plot and endless twists over-complicate things. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

A strong start.

I was actually really pulled into this story initially. There was a major twist at the end of the first episode and I thought the mystery was decent enough to keep me coming back for more. Michelle Monaghan put forth a valiant effort with her performance and I thought the actual premise was really interesting with lots of guilty-pleasure potential.

The Cons:

Annoying voice-over narration…

Gina spends a lot of time “talking” to her identical twin sister over their video diary to find out where she is and what’s going on, but I found this really distracting and annoying. I’m not a fan of voice-over narration, but they really overdid it with this one.

A really messy plot.

I’m frustrated with this show because it started off really good and I thought I had an exciting binge-watch to enjoy. As the episodes continued, things started going off the rails completely. The plot was super messy and trashy. The performances got weaker and the twists were overdone, which ruined the initial shock value from the first episode for me.

So am I in or out?

Unfortunately I’m out on this one…

If you’re looking for a Lifetime-esque trashy thriller, there is enough going on to make your head spin (if that’s your kind of thing). I was intrigued at first, but I started to lose interest as the episodes continued unfortunately. I think this might have worked better as a Saturday movie of the week instead.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

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 “Ratched” on Netflix: Don’t Take her Peach

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

“I believe there are worse things to feel than simply feeling nothing…”

Ratched is a new television series from Ryan Murphy based on the character of Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The series acts as a sort of prequel, peeling back the layers behind one of the most notorious female villains in cinema history. Ratched stars Sarah Paulson, Finn Wittrock, Cynthia Nixon, Judy Davis, and Sharon Stone. The Netflix series premiered on September 18th 2020 with eight episodes (approximately 50 minutes in length).

Set in 1947, Nurse Mildred Ratched arrives at Lucia State Hospital seeking employment, but it’s clear from the start that a lot is about to unravel beneath the surface of her image of perfection.

Here is the trailer:

Ratched has everything it needs to be a disturbingly compelling watch, but does every villain truly need a backstory? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Sarah Paulson is perfection.

It should come as no surprise that AHS alum Sarah Paulson would be brilliant as Nurse Ratched. She embraces this role without holding back, revealing a darker, methodical side, which really lit up the screen.

The entire cast is phenomenal and the acting was truly outstanding.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Incredible fashion and visually stunning.

I have not been this blown away by a character’s wardrobe since Villanelle’s in Killing Eve and Sarah Paulson pulls off every single look effortlessly. The colors used are vivid and bright, transporting us seamlessly back into the 1940’s.

Every setting used was truly magnificent as well.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Disturbing and chilling gore.

Fans of American Horror Story will appreciate the familiar tone of violence and gore sprinkled in. In a lot of ways, this almost felt like another season of the show or perhaps an alternate version of AHS: Aslyum.

The opening minutes of the pilot episode are extremely violent and gory and some of the medical procedures shown are even more disturbing to witness. This isn’t for everyone, but if you are a fan of Ryan Murphy shows, you will feel right at home.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Very slow moving at times and…boring.

The first episode ran for 56 minutes, but it felt like I was watching it for almost three hours. The pacing in this series is extremely slow, which didn’t work to its advantage in my opinion.

I was also really bored a lot of the time. I wanted so much more from this show and I feel like Sarah Paulson’s incredible performance was wasted in a lot of ways.

That being said, there are glimmers throughout the show of brilliance and there is enough happening at the end of each episode to draw you in for more. However, I just wish that we didn’t have to wait so long during an episode for something to actually happen…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m about 50/50 on this one.

I am a huge fan of Ryan Murphy shows and it was fun to see a few familiar faces from AHS on this show. Sarah Paulson was perfection and I really thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself into the scenery and fashion.

However, there was just something missing for me. The show really had everything it needed to be something beyond brilliant and it fell flat because of the slower pace.

That being said, fans of Sarah Paulson and AHS will find a lot to appreciate and I think it’s worth a watch. However, if you are looking for something fast paced and binge-watch worthy, I’m not sure that this is the pick you are hoping for.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

If you have time, I would love it if you would check out my book, Dash and Seek in the link below. Thank you and I hope you enjoy!

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

A harmless night of fun turns deadly for six college friends but the game has only just begun. Take a mystery thrill ride right from your own living room. Dash and Seek is out now! I hope you enjoy!

READ IF YOU DARE…

Dash and Seek is available here!

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