Tag: true crime podcast

Spoiler-Free Review of “Based on a True Story” Season 2 on Peacock: A Bloody Good Time!

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

“I knew we’d never get away with it…”

Based on a True Story season two premiered on Peacock on November 21st 2024 with all eight episodes available to stream now. The comedy crime thriller stars Kaley Cuoco, Chris Messina, Tom Bateman, and Liana Liberato. Each episode runs for approximately 25-35 minutes.

Ava and Nathan adjust to life once their baby is born, but they soon learn that their connection with the Westside Ripper serial killer is not over when a copycat killer begins to make waves, luring them back into the world of true crime.

Here is the trailer:

Based On a True Story season two brings our favorite quirky trio back for more bloody fun, giving us plenty of twists and turns to indulge in. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Our favorite characters return!

I loved the chemistry between Ava and Nathan in season one and we got to witness more layers to their relationship in season two. Both of them got to shine more individually in this season and they also worked well as a team.

Once again, Tom Bateman stole the show and was absolutely FANTASTIC in this! I also love that Liana Liberato got more screen time in this season. We had a few new characters to shake things up as well, which was a welcomed change.

Images courtesy of Peacock

Fun twists!

Even though I predicted them, I loved the twists thrown our way. The second half of season two was so addicting and extremely easy to binge-watch (thanks to those short episodes). We were also left with another insane cliffhanger, opening the door to a possible season three. I really hope it gets picked up because this one is effortless fun!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Slow start.

It took a while for the second season to get going. Initially, it almost felt like they forgot they were renewed for a second season and threw things together last minute. I was struggling with the first few episodes and really thought about tuning out, but luckily things turned around in the right direction and the series finally found its way.

I also could have done without the overused daydream sequences. They seemed like unnecessary fluff to me and disturbed the natural flow of the episodes.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Peacock

I’m in!!!

Based on a True Story season 2 is addicting and entertaining, featuring bite-sized episodes that are very easy to binge-watch.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my watch and will continue to root for this unlikely trio against all odds!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Based on a True Story season two 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!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Susie Searches” on Demand: A Dark Comedy I Didn’t Know I Needed!

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

“I want to solve the unsolvable…”

Susie Searches released on demand on June 29th 2023. The dark comedy thriller stars Kiersey Clemons, Alex Wolff, Rachel Sennott, Isaac Cole Powell, and Ken Marino. It runs for an hour and forty-five minutes.

Susie has always loved mysteries and true crime, but when her own podcast fails to bring in listeners, she seizes the opportunity to take on a case involving a missing student on campus, but things quickly spiral out of control when she gains more popularity than she was ready for.

Here is the trailer:

Susie Searches is a fantastic mix of Veronica Mars and Ingrid Goes West, delivering with an addicting mystery and plenty of twists to keep you guessing. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Not afraid to take some risks…

I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this film, but I was pleasantly surprised when it took some dark twists as the movie progressed. At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about this, but I love that it went for something new and unique rather than recycling the same material we have seen again and again with female sleuths. 

This movie was fresh and thoroughly entertaining because of this and I thought the performances were really good. Kiersey Clemons commanded the screen and it’s always great to see Rachel Sennott and Ken Marino in pretty much anything. They added to the dark comedy aspects, helping this film feel a little lighter.

Not predictable.

I was fully captivated by this movie and I can honestly say that I couldn’t predict what was going to happen next. This film descended into darkness on several occasions and really took a magnifying glass to the dangers of wanting internet popularity without hitting us over the head with it.

I thought the pacing was spot on and that ending was really fantastic!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Has an identity crisis at times…

This film really couldn’t make up its mind about what it wanted to be. I personally didn’t mind the switch in genres and actually thought it made the movie better, but it was a little erratic at times. In a way, I actually think that this mirrored the indecision going on within Susie so I can’t really fault it that much, but be prepared to have things change up on you without any warning.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

I’m in!

Susie Searches is offbeat, quirky, and absolutely engrossing!

I think we have a potential cult classic here. This was such a refreshing watch!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Susie Searches 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 “Only Murders in the Building” on Hulu: Offbeat Who-Dun-It Mystery

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

“All the eyes on you all the time…”

Only Murders in the Building premiered on Hulu on August 31st 2021. The comedy crime series will have ten episodes in total. The first three are available to stream now and the remaining seven will air weekly. The show stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. Each episode runs for approximately 30-35 minutes.

Three strangers with an obsession for a true crime podcast come together to solve a mystery in their apartment building in New York City.

Here is the trailer:

Only Murders in the Building has a quirky appeal with layered characters and a mystery at its core to draw us in for more. Does it do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Intriguing characters.

This group may seem odd, but that’s why it works. We’re supposed to believe that they are three strangers living in the same apartment building and that’s exactly what we get. I thought the set-up to bring them all together was clever and well done and I wanted to know more about our main characters right away.

Selena Gomez is really lighting up the screen and holding her own. Her character is so interesting and her dry sarcasm is clashing brilliantly with her two co-stars.

I can’t wait to see what they do next!

Images courtesy of Hulu

A murder mystery balanced with character development.

The show kind of reminds me of a mash-up between The Flight Attendant, Nancy Drew, and The White Lotus. We get the mystery at the very beginning of the show to hook us right from the start, but we also spend a lot of time on our three characters. They each have secrets and issues going on in their lives that we are going to explore and we immediately want to invest in them.

The show also balances in humor quite well to prevent the episodes from feeling too heavy and I like that the episodes are only about thirty minutes each, which keeps the pacing going.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Goes slightly off track…

Some of the Martin Short scenes and flashbacks went slightly off track for me. I’m confident that everything will connect later on but I found myself losing focus a few times. Once we got back to the mystery, I was all in but this show can easily go off the rails if it isn’t careful.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Hulu

I’m in!

This show is quirky and fun with a solid mystery at its core.

I have already fallen in love with the characters and the show is doing a good job of pulling us in for more. 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 Only Murders in the Building 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 new young adult horror thriller comes out October 7th 2021! 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!