Tag: Unfriended

Spoiler-Free Review of “Red Rose” on Netflix: YA Horror Series Delivers with Chilling Moments and a Chase Scene to Die For!

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

“Welcome to the new you…”

Red Rose originally aired on BBC Three back in August 2022, but has now released in the US on Netflix as of February 15th 2023. The series features eight episodes in total that are all currently available to stream. The British YA horror series stars Amelia Clarkson, Isis Hainsworth, Ashna Rabheru, Harry Redding, and Ellis Howard. Each episode runs for approximately 42-48 minutes.

A dangerous app threatens a group of friends and targets them one by one, as they try to uncover the mystery surrounding it before it’s too late.

Here is the trailer:

Red Rose channels films like The Ring and Unfriended in an effective way, creating a consuming mystery while presenting us with some solid YA horror content. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Not afraid to take big risks…

At first, I thought I was watching your average YA horror series, but I was pleasantly surprised by the time I got to the end of episode two. This series was not afraid to kill off main characters. It presented us with some truly twisted reveals that I absolutely loved and it did a good job of providing us with some genuinely disturbing content. 

After all, this is a horror series…

While I wouldn’t necessarily say that anything was really that terrifying, it made the YA horror genre proud and created an addicting mystery that will keep you coming back for more. 

That chase scene though…

Truly exceptional!!!!

Images courtesy of Netflix

Fun group of Scoobies to root for!

It took me a few episodes to warm up to them, but I really liked this group of friends and it was very easy to cheer for them. There were enough layers presented for each of the main characters and some heartwarming connections as well.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

A plot I’ve seen before…

This series was far from original, but it was definitely aware of that and it even made a joke later on talking about The Ring, so I can’t fault it too much here. That being said, I’ve seen plenty of films involving killer apps/technology, but I think the series did a good job trying to branch things out past this theme.

The music soundtrack was really odd for me. I personally LOVED it because those are my jams, but it seemed ill-fitting for a show set during the current time. There were also some moments that dragged a little. I wanted things to happen and loved when they did, but maybe we only really needed six episodes here…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in!!!

A solid entry to the YA horror genre with a disturbing mystery at its core.

This series wasn’t perfect, but I really enjoyed it and found it very easy to binge-watch. If you’re looking for a new horror/mystery to indulge in, you’ve found it!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Red Rose 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 “Seance” on Shudder: Mean Girls Summon the Dead…

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

“I don’t believe in any of this…”

Seance premiered originally back in May 2021, but it is now currently available to stream on Shudder. The supernatural horror film stars Suki Waterhouse, Ella Rae-Smith, Inanna Sarkis and Madisen Beaty. It runs for approximately 90 minutes.

Several classmates at a boarding school summon the dead for fun when things go horribly wrong as they are picked off one by one.

Here is the trailer:

Seance takes an overdone premise and unravels it with a twist at the end to really stir things up. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Suki Waterhouse shines.

She was the strongest performer by far and she really was the best part of the movie for me. While the other characters easily fit into tropes with typical mean girl acts, the character of Camille was more layered which helped me connect with her more and root for her when it was necessary.

A worthy twist.

It seems like a lot of horror movies are presenting us with a genre-swapping twist and Seance is no exception. As soon as you think you have everything figured out, it sends you off into another direction. I personally enjoyed the twist and I thought that it helped redeem this movie in a lot of ways.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Shudder

Drags for the majority of the movie…

I thought the opening and ending were pretty strong, but the rest of the movie was really slow and uninspiring. The movie could have benefited from some dark humor to keep things from feeling stale. It failed to deliver in this aspect.

A plot I’ve seen before…

From Ouija to Unfriended, this plot has been done before. The ending helped it branch off a little bit, but in a lot of ways it paled in comparison to some of its predecessors which was frustrating because I really wanted to like this movie.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Shudder

I’m 50/50 on this one…

This movie had some redeeming moments. Camille was a strong character and I liked the ending, but the majority of the movie fell flat for me. It wasn’t bad, but I’ve seen this type of movie before and I just had higher expectations for it.

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

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!

Play if you dare…

Dash and Seek 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 “Safer at Home” on Hulu: Excessive Gimmicks get in the way of True Thrills

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

“It could get worse before it gets better.”

Safer at Home is a horror thriller film that premiered on February 26th 2021. It is currently available to stream on Hulu. The film stars Jocelyn Hudon, Alisa Allapach, Dan Johnson, Adwin Brown and Emma Lahana. It runs for approximately an hour and twenty-five minutes.

The film takes place during the pandemic as we learn that a mandatory quarantine is still in effect well into the year 2022. A group of friends get together on Zoom for some fun when a horrific event takes over the night.

Here is the trailer:

Safer at Home attempts to channel the horrific real world events going on while creating some isolating terror of its own. After watching Shudder’s Host, it seems like many other films are anxious to find their own groove using Zoom and technology, but is this particular film worth a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Some disturbing chills early on.

This movie follows films like Unfriended, Searching, and Host, with a found-footage technology centered approach. This may be wearing out its welcome now, but the initial shots were somewhat believable as these friends come together to catch up during the pandemic. The actors do the best they can with what they have and portray friendships and relationships worth investing in.

I thought there were actually some really intense moments when things escalated during the online party and the initial horrific event did grab my full attention.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Far-fetched nonsense.

This film had the potential to be really good. The initial horrific event had me on the edge of my seat and we had some moments of set-up that could have branched out into something truly extraordinary, but the movie took another route and it became far-fetched and ridiculous. It wasn’t scary anymore and it just felt sloppy.

Jam-packed with too much.

My other issue was this film was overstuffed with so much and it almost felt like they made a checklist of all of things going on in 2020 and checked them off as the film continued…

The ending was somewhat shocking, but I had almost completely tuned out by that point and it wasn’t enough to save this movie.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Hulu

Unfortunately I’m out on this one…

The opening of the film had some potential, but it quickly went off track and it failed to capture my attention. If you are looking for a similar premise that is actually terrifying, check out Host on Shudder instead.

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