Reviews

I won't pretend to be a professional movie critic. I'm just an every day person.

I went into this blind, having never heard of it and I was pleasantly surprised.

The way they used the camera was artistic, the scenery was beautiful, the characters and dialog were real and raw. The love between the two best friends was heartachingly beautiful. The angst that comes with young love, and self discovery was shown realistically.

I loved that the movie makers expected us to be intelligent and sensitive enough to pick up on nuances and hear what's being said even in silence. I love that there wasn't a moral or preachy point to it all. Just a glimpse into the final summer of three young people on the cusp of adulthood. Despite teenage shenanigans, there is an innocence and sense of freedom that comes with youth that I felt was demonstrated here very well.

All in all this was a pleasure to watch. It made me feel something. Made me smile. Made me a little teary eyed once of twice. There is a lot to choose from when it comes to movies and series, this particular one was the perfect mixture of artistic and profound and sweet and real.

I have the first book and have only read half of it so suffice it to say I went into this series with an open mind and very little to compare it to. As a Vampire Diaries and Originals fan, I was excited to see Julie Plec's name attached to another young adult vampire series.

Other reviewers are distracted by it not following the book, the race of various characters etc... none of those things were factors for me. My issues are as follows.

1. Something about the camera work/film quality felt cheap. I can't articulate why this is exactly...but it didn't feel high quality. The special effects seemed cheap and corny as well. It was distracting and unnecessary.

2. I didn't go to film school but even I am aware of how important music and sound are to a film or show. They set the mood and vibe. Use of music and sound are the cornerstones of good scenes. It tells the viewer if things are scary, thrilling, sad...happy. They used a weird and unusual type of music in this series...almost techno/dance type vibes. So there are what appear to be serious scenes and moments that are drowned out by bizarre music that doesn't relay the correct mood. On top of that the music seemed cheap...like the kind of fake music you would hear in an old porno. It was distracting. I don't know if there were budget issues or something but I didn't care for it.

3. This series drops you into a very complex world, without a lot of explanation...if you read the series I imagine no explanation is needed. But for those who have not, it's confusing and there are a lot of things that don't really make sense. It's obvious that we are expected to just know certain things...but non-readers don't know.

4. It's the first season so this could improve but I didn't feel much chemistry between the characters/actors. Not even with the romantic interests.

5. The writing/lines aren't great. They aren't the worst I have ever seen but with someone like Julie Plec attached to it I expected far more.

So yeah, this was a miss for me. I wanted to love it, I am rooting for it to improve, but the amount of time and marketing that was put into this only for it to turn out this way was kind of shocking to me.

Netflix hit the ball out of the park with this one. They clearly spared no expense. This reads very much like a big budget movie...only it goes on and on.

Acting is superb. Considering a child is in nearly every scene this is impressive. Give this child a medal he did great.

The cast is perfect.

The setting/costumes/makeup/special effects were really well done.

The story is a unique spin on a post apocalypse society. Somehow they are able to create a dystopian nightmare of a place yet fill it with warmth, love, laughter and hope. No small feat.

Outside of some violence, this is something you could arguably watch with your older kids.

Last but not least this series is filled with so many loveable characters to root for. It pulls you in because you care about what happens to each of them.

10/10 I recommend.

There are a lot of reviews done after just watching the first episode. I think it's hard to accurately sum this up after viewing just one episode.

I completed the first 3 (Summer) and found it to be brilliant. The acting, the story, the cinematography were wonderful. It's shot so beautifully you could almost pause it at any point and have a shot worth of hanging on a wall.

It certainly has a Wickerman type vibe to it. But it is not the Wickerman. It is its own story, quite unique.

I like the vampire genre. This is another stab at the classic Dracula tale but with a lot of liberties. I found those liberties to be quite entertaining, however if you are a huge fan of the novel and hoping for some degree of accuracy or commitment you might be disappointed. This movie attempts to be scary, smart and funny. It succeeds somewhat. I enjoyed the campy special effects, they reminded me of the old classic horrors I grew up watching. All in all I found it to be fun. This is not a heavy duty serious gothic Dracula film, this is more like a mini series and has enough moments of humor to keep it a little lighter. Sets and costumes are beautiful. Camera work is good. Acting was good as well. I can definitely see why some people take issue with the overall storyline and some of the dialogue which can come off as modern. At the end of the day, every movie and show isn't meant for a serious award, sometimes you just spend a few hours being entertained by something new. And that's all. I enjoyed it.

I'm not going to write a pretentious wannabe film critic piece on why this movie doesn't deserve and Oscar. It is exactly what I expected. A simple remake of the classic. The sets and costumes are beautiful, the music is nostalgic and the overall experience is sweet. My 10 year old daughter absolutely swooned the whole time. It is a great kid and family movie.

First off, I like CW and I like CW teen/young adult programs in general. I loved Charmed, Vampire Diaries, The Originals, etc...so when I saw the trailer for Nancy Drew with a supernatural twist I knew right away it would not be channeling the original books or series. So I decided to go into it with an open mind and NOT compare it to the books.

I was disappointed.

The acting is okay but the dialogue lacks intelligence, charm and heart. They have made Nancy an anti-hero type character. She's not very likeable and it's hard to be sympathetic. They also went out of their way to make each of the main characters unlikable and hard to connect with emotionally. Part of what makes many of the CW young adult shows so successful is you almost immediately love the characters and their fascinating back stories. You root for them. Even the bad guys.

They seem to have broken away from that formula here. Because of that I haven't felt very motivated to keep watching. I mean why spend an hour of my time finding out what happens to characters I'm not invested in?

In terms of vibe and costumes and sets and camera work, it reminds me a little of Riverdale.

Also I enjoy a good sex scene when it makes sense for the story. But it feels like they used sex as a tool to deliver the version of Nancy that isn't very attractive or romantic or even responsible.

This is one of the rare bad reviews I have given. I tend to be easy going and enjoy a lot of stuff that gets panned by more sophisticated critics. This just wasn't that good.

I thought this movie was well done. Camera work was great, acting was great and the story was straightforward and creepy. I saw a few reviews claiming the movie was boring, and so I felt the need to post a review pointing out this is not a gory action packed monster movie. Like a lot of Stephen King/Joe Hill stories the scariest part is the psychological slow burn the audience or reader experiences as they search for answers and meaning and at the same time witness how humans behave in the face of evil.

For fans of King and Hill, I think this is a satisfying interpretation of one of their many stories.

It took me a few episodes to feel fully invested in the characters and story but once I got the lay of the land I found this to be thoroughly enjoyable. It is visually stunning, no expense seems to have been spared in terms of location, sets, costumes etc... acting was solid and the story had twists and turns, many of which I didn't see coming. I noticed a number of negative reviews reporting boredom or feeling it was too slow, I would disagree. The pacing is perfectly on par with this type/genre of show and movies. If you want non stop action and explosions then maybe gothic victorian steam punk era fantasy stories aren't for you.

It is essentially a love story wrapped in a mystery set in a unique place and time and for those who love period television or gothic romances or murder mysteries tied in with supernatural stuff you are in for a treat.

Can't wait for season 2.

I don't do many reviews on here but after reading several of the posted reviews I felt like I should share my perspective.

This show centers on a group of teenagers spending the summer at a summer camp on an island and how they deal with the mysterious events that take place as well as teenage politics and power plays.

If you want adult programming you might be disappointed. If you want or require a big budget look you might be disappointed. If you want super witty and intellectual dialogue you might be disappointed. But if you are looking for a lightweight teenage mystery then this is pretty decent. It has a creepy supernatural vibe to it. Why is something you have to watch to find out. I personally enjoyed it, it took a few episodes to bond with the characters and get into the story but once that happened it became an enjoyable ride.

If you are expecting This is Us or The Ozarks you will obviously be disappointed. This show is lightweight with over the top exaggerated acting which I suspect is on purpose. It reminds me of a Nickelodeon or Disney Channel kids show.

If you want complex dialogue, great intense acting and controversy this show isn't for you.

HOWEVER-

It is sweet. It is clean. It is safe. The whole family can watch it. They model/preach universally taught values such as honesty, hard work, love etc...

It has a couple actresses that are beloved. I think society has gotten away from the classic lightweight family sitcom. Shows like Family Matters, Silver Spoons, Punky Brewster etc are just not abundant anymore. This seems to be in a similar vein but is a little too over the top to be taken seriously. But many shows have rocky starts the first season, I suggest giving it a chance and seeing where they go with it.

If nothing else it will be something to laugh about with your friends and family later this week.

I give it a solid 7 out of 10 because despite all I just said, by episode 7 I found myself starting to be invested in the characters and it is a great show to have on in the evening while I'm making dinner and our kids are in the living room.

I don't write many reviews, however I was inspired to write one for this show. The story is complex, characters complex, writing seems to be on point, camera work is good, budget in general seems to be good. It has much more edge to it than the average Freeform series in my opinion. It's definitely full of teenage angst, and that gives it the feel that it's made for teenagers, which I'm guessing based on the network it is. It's a well done, solid show.

This writer has quite a few movies under his belt, many of which are criticized as missing their mark or failing to meet the expectations of the audience. Having said that, his movies have a unique tone and vibe to them that appeals to me personally.

Split was well done, well acted, and a great story. It was suspenseful and a mystery that I personally found to be refreshing and unpredictable in many ways. It's a thriller. And I think it met its mark.

It's a musical! Quite a few people went to see it without knowing that.

It's based on fairy tales, but more of the original versions which are kind of dark at times.

I thought the costumes were beautiful. The sets were beautiful. The camera work was great.

I loved the songs, although I admit I had to watch it twice to really enjoy them.

I thought it was well acted and star studded.