Spoiler-Free Review of “MaXXXine” in Theaters: It’s Mia Goth’s World and We’re All Just Living In It!

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

“I always wanted to be famous…”

MaXXXine releases in theaters on July 5th 2024. The slasher horror film is the third installment of the X franchise and it stars Mia Goth, Kevin Bacon, Michelle Monaghan, Moses Sumney, Halsey, and Elizabeth Debicki. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes.

Six years after surviving a massacre in Texas, Maxine Minx gets her big break in 1980’s Hollywood. However, when a serial killer named the Night Stalker targets young women in the city, Maxine’s bloody past is brought back to the present.

Here is the trailer:

MaXXXine once again allows Mia Goth to shine in this bloody fantastic world, channeling classic horror films in a stylish and entertaining way. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Transports us to another place and time with style!

Everything screamed 80’s perfection from the bubble gum pop font in the opening credits to the music. The fashion was on another level and I want Maxine’s boots for obvious reasons…

I loved the crime noir feel. It was nice to see that Ti West took the time to truly depict how this world was in such an aesthetically pleasing way. It made my watch so much better and reminded me why I absolutely love the 80’s.

Much like X, this film also successfully paid homage to classic films in a fun way without overdoing it. It was fantastic to see as a horror fan.

Mia Goth does it again!

This should really come as no surprise since I think she is exceptional in everything she does. She was on another level in Pearl and she gave us an electric performance now in MaXXXine.

I loved that we got the chance to truly experience Maxine’s story this time around. There were hints of this in X, but we didn’t have time to explore it. This movie definitely answered all those questions I had in a satisfying way.

Mia Goth is a modern scream queen in the best way possible and she really poured everything she had into this role with twisted charisma. I loved her performance.

Some brutal kills!

There weren’t as many of them in this movie, but the ones we witnessed will be haunting me for some time to come. Especially that one scene…yikes!

The Cons:

Phones it in with the plot…

My only issue with this film was that it didn’t take the time to flesh out the plot. I was actually really interested in certain aspects of the mystery killer and I think we glossed over some opportunities here.

We also didn’t spend enough time with other characters, which was a miss in my opinion. We had such a spectacular cast here and I get that this is Maxine’s movie, but this needed some work so we would actually care about who lived or died…

This isn’t really a con, but this movie didn’t feel like the third installment of a franchise. It felt like more of a spin-off with Maxine’s character in another world. This isn’t a bad thing and I think it worked effortlessly for the most part, but I guess I was expecting some kind of bloody finale here and I’m not sure that it pulled that off.

So am I in or out?

I’m in!!!

MaXXXine carves its way into the spotlight with sex, style, and blood galore, featuring an unforgettable and electric performance by Mia Goth.

While probably my least favorite film of the franchise, MaXXXine still has plenty of fantastic moments to appreciate and is well worth the watch.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on MaXXXine 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 “The Sacrifice Game” on Shudder: Packed with Plenty of Welcomed Twists

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

“Christmas Killers strike again…”

The Sacrifice Game released on Shudder on December 8th 2023. The horror film stars Olivia Scott Welch, Mena Massoud, Chloe Levine, Madison Baines, and Georgia Acken. It runs for approximately an hour and forty minutes.

Set in the 1970’s, two boarding school students are stuck there for Christmas, but when a cult of vicious killers show up at their door looking to summon a demon, they must figure out a way to survive.

Here is the trailer:

The Sacrifice Game may seem like your average home invasion thriller at first glance, but it provides the audience with plenty of deadly twists and turns to keep us invested. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

The time period works to its advantage.

Similar to X, I thought that this film successfully channeled the 1970’s vibe it was going for. From the music, to the hair, to the clothes, it nailed it. A lot of films try to slap on a time period to make themselves stand out, but I thought that The Sacrifice Game truly embodied this era effortlessly. The muted lighting worked well too and I love how this film was shot.

Entertaining villains.

The opening scene of this film was jaw-dropping in a good way. It didn’t hold anything back and let loose with lots of blood and gore to reel horror fans in. As the film progressed, I found myself particularly drawn to the villains. They were actually a lot of fun and they lightened up some of the heavy content.

The actresses playing the two school girls did a great job with what they were given as well and showed off their range.

I also really liked that this film wasn’t afraid to break out of the standard home invasion genre and hit us with plenty of twists and turns, making this a much more unique watch. While not all of the reveals landed for me, I appreciated the effort here.

The Cons:

Loses its way in the middle…

This film featured a strong opening and ending, but the pacing suffered a lot in the middle of the film. This movie wasn’t long, but certain parts felt really dragged out for me and I think it could have benefited from being a touch shorter.

Some of the dialogue was also pretty dull and uninspiring, but the plot made up for that. This film was good, but it could have been truly exceptional if a few minor tweaks had been made.

So am I in or out?

I’m in!!!

The Sacrifice Game successfully carves its way into the holiday horror genre, keeping us guessing until the very end.

While this film was far from perfect, I found it to be really entertaining and I hope to see Fear Street’s Olivia Scott Welch in more horror entries soon because she rocked this role and then some!

I hope you enjoyed the review and please feel free to share your thoughts on The Sacrifice Game 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 is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Make it Through the Night is available here!

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Ranking my Top 10 Films of 2022: Which Movies Made The Cut?

It’s that time of year again! As we get closer and closer to approaching 2023, I thought it would be the perfect time to count down my Top 10 Films of 2022.

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 2022 are:

10

The Fallout

Beautiful, touching, and gripping from start to finish. Jenna Ortega was an unstoppable force in 2022 and she really showed off a different side of her in The Fallout.

9

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Hilarious, entertaining, and a blast to watch, featuring a dynamic duo worth getting excited about. This movie was really unique as well and Nicolas Cage proved once again why he is absolutely brilliant.

8

See for Me

A modern version of Wait Until Dark that was so suspenseful from start to finish. Our two main leads were incredible on screen and there were plenty of twists and turns that had my adrenaline pumping.

7

Scream (2022)

Scream (1996) happens to be my favorite movie of all time so I had mixed expectations going into the new film. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It did a fantastic job of providing fans of the original with plenty of nostalgia while still keeping things fresh and new with lots of bloody kills and shocking reveals along the way.

6

Fresh

The date movie from hell! Twisted, deliciously dark, and bold! I loved this film from start to finish. Our two main leads were electric on screen and that ending still replays in my mind from time to time.

5

Fall

A chilling thriller that kept me off even the smallest step ladder for quite a while. This film was meant to be watched on the big screen. It was so intense and brutal with a shocking twist I never saw coming.

4

Prey

A prequel done right with an electric female lead! Plus, I loved her furry sidekick! This film was so well done and such a pleasant surprise.

3

The Black Phone

One of the best horror films I have seen in a long time. Ethan Hawke was such a terrifying villain. There were so many elements in this one that had me completely immersed in the outcome.

2

X

Sex, drugs, and gore galore. This film pushed so many boundaries in the best possible way. It was bloody fantastic to watch on screen with characters to root for and some seriously twisted moments.

Honorable Mentions:

The Wonder

No Exit

Thirteen Lives

Barbarian

Drum roll please…

1

The Menu

Deliciously twisted and so entertaining! Anya Taylor-Joy does it again! Last Night in Soho was my number one pick of 2021 and I have to crown this queen again in The Menu. This film had the perfect blend of horror comedy and intense thrills. I am beyond excited that it will be releasing on HBO Max in January so I can watch it again and again!

I hope to see more films from 2022 soon, but I hope you enjoyed the list!

Did you have a favorite film of 2022? 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 2023! Happy viewing!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Old People” on Netflix: Creepy and Disturbing in the best way possible!

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

“What’s wrong with the old people?”

Old People released on Netflix on October 7th 2022. The German horror film stars Melika Foroutan, Maxine Kazis, Daniela Galbo, and Stephan Luca. It runs for approximately an hour and forty minutes.

A woman attends a wedding with her family, but ends up trying to defend them all when a group of old people at a retirement home go on a violent killing spree.

Here is the trailer:

Old People is completely bonkers, but so violent and terrifying, making your skin crawl. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Super creepy!!!!

This movie was so terrifying and disturbing. It does not hold back with the gore and violence and even the calm moments are creepy. This film nails the vibe it was going for and then some. If you’re looking for a mashup of X and The Visit, you’ll find a bloodbath of horror goodness with this one.

Characters to root for.

There were some characters that were really annoying and infuriating, but there were a few that were absolutely fantastic! I was really rooting for them and they elevated this film so much. Films like these are always much better when you actually care about what happens to the characters and I thought the film did a good job of presenting us with a flawed, but relatable family.

The Cons:

Takes a while to get going…

The beginning was a little slow for me. I was anxiously waiting for something to happen and we did get there, but not until the 45 minute mark. If you’re thinking of tuning out, at least get to that point and sit back and enjoy some bloody crazy violence.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending either, but the middle of the film was so good that I’m not too bothered by it.

So am I in or out?

I’m in!!!

Bloody, creepy, and so entertaining!

Don’t expect any thorough explanations, but the meat of this film is definitely worth a watch and then some!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A VACATION TO DIE FOR…

When sisters, Nina and Gemma are vacationing in Hawaii with their friends, they get invited to an exclusive party on a private island that seems too good to be true. There’s only one rule…they can’t miss their ferry at midnight or they’ll have to wait until morning to leave the island. Only they didn’t realize that breaking this rule meant they would be hunted down on the island one by one.

Who will make it off the island alive?

I hope you enjoy my new island thriller!

Blood Rose Island is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “X” in Theaters: Sex and Gore Galore with a Killer Soundtrack

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

“You know what they say about too much of a good thing…”

X released in theaters on March 18th 2022. The slasher horror film stars Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Kid Cudi, Martin Henderson, and Owen Campbell. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes.

Set in 1979, a group of actors head out to rural Texas to shoot an adult film. However, when their hosts catch them in the act, they find themselves fighting for their lives.

Here is the trailer:

X pays homage to classic films like Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Jaws while creating something wild, entertaining, and delightfully disturbing on its own. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Visually stunning with an amazing soundtrack!

This film really transported me back in time and the musical soundtrack complimented it so well. I also loved the camera effects and the use of lighting. There were so many shocking and horrifying moments during this film and everything was elevated that much more by the visual and sound effects.

This film took my breath away in the best way possible!

Creepy AF!

This movie was so creepy and disturbing. There was plenty of gore, but the horror went well beyond that. My skin was crawling during certain scenes and I was genuinely freaked out by what I was watching. This film did a great job of embracing the slasher genre while pushing the envelope that much more with its uncensored content.

So much fun!

There’s already such a close and wonderful relationship between sex and horror films and X took it one step further. I loved the film within a film and the actors did a fantastic job with every aspect of their portrayal. Don’t think about things too much. Just enjoy the film and you’ll love it that much more!

The Cons:

Takes a little while to get going…

I wouldn’t say that this was a major con, but the pacing was a little sluggish in the beginning. Once things took a turn for the disturbing, I was all in but it did take a little while to get there.

So am I in or out?

I’m in 100 percent!!!!!

Creepy AF and so much fun! I was so excited to watch this movie and I can happily say that it lived up to the hype and then some! If you enjoy slasher and horror films, you will feel right at home with this one. Enjoy it!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

THIS COMPETITION IS KILLER…

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!

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