Book Review - Devolution by Max Brooks

Title: Devolution
Author: Max Brooks
Genre: Horror
Published: 2020
 
Description: As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier’s eruption swirled and finale settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre passed unnoticed, unexamined… until now.
 
But the journals of resident Kat Holland receovered from the town’s bloody wreckage, captures a tale too harrowing to be forgotten.
 
Kate’s is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity’s defiance in the face of a terrible predator’s gaze, and inevitably, of savagery ad death. Yet it is also far more than that. Because if what Kate Holland saw was real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity.

Review: Following the iconic “World War Z” (which I have not read), Max Brooks returns with “Devolution”. This time he swaps the zombies for a legend that’s just as terrifying: Bigfoot. Brooks opts for a pseudo-documentary style, which creates a realistic and oppressive atmosphere. Although the book is definitely worth reading, it also has a few drawbacks that prevent it from being quite a masterpiece.
 
The story follows the residents of Greenloop, a state-of-the-art, eco-friendly, and completely self-sufficient residential community in the forests of Washington State. When the nearby Mount Rainier erupts, the high-tech village becomes completely cut off from the outside worlds. The residents, accustomed to luxury and technology, are completely unprepared for the approaching winter. Their situation deteriorates dramatically when a hungry, aggressive tribe of Bigfoot-like creatures is driven from their habitat by the natural disaster and chooses Greenloop as their new hunting ground. What follows is a bloody struggle for survival, told largely through the recovered diary of resident Kate Holland.
 
Brooks excels at slowly building tension. The transition from a naïve, ecological utopia to a brutal struggle for survival is fascinating and psychologically well-developed. The details about how the creatures hunt and communicate feel scientifically grounded and terrifyingly realistic. The final third of the book is a nail-biting page-turner that you won’t be able to put down.
 
The biggest problem is the pace in the first half. Brooks spends a great deal of time on interviews, background information, and character development. Although this contributes to world-building, it simply takes too long before anything interesting happens. You really have to push through and eventually will see it’s worth your time.
 
“Devolution” is a strong, clever horror story with a fantastic climax. It is very violent, trigger warnings for violence and gore. But importunely the story takes a little too long to get going.
 
Rating: 3,5/ 5

Book Review - Serial Killer Support Group by Saratoga Schaefer

Title: Serial Killer Support Group
Author: Saratoga Schaefer
Genre: Thriller/ Horror
Published: 2025
 
Description: When Cyra Griffin’s younger sister is murdered by a serial killer, Cyra knows better than to expect justice from the hands of the police department. With the investigation already dying its own slow death, Cyra follows the blood trail and finds her own way forward.
 
Using insider information Cyra infiltrates a support group for serial killers by pretending to be one herself in the hopes of finding the person who ended her sister’s life. Proving herself to them comes at a cost, but it’s one Cyra is willing to pay in the name of revenge.
Unfortunately, the dangerous men in the group aren’t the only obstacles in Cyra’s path for vengeance, and the further Cyra descends into the deadly world of serial killers, the harder it becomes to hold on to her own humanity.

Review: For fans of pitch-black humor and unconventional thrillers, Saratoga Schaefer’s debut is an absolute must-read. “Serial Killer Support Group” thoroughly shakes up the classic thriller genre with a daring, feminist, and slightly bizarre premise. The result is and addictive game of cat and mouse that constantly keeps the reader guessing.
 
When Cyra Griffin’s younger sister is brutally murdered by a serial killer and the police quickly let the investigation fizzle out. Cyra refuses to accept this and decides to take matters into her own hands. Through an insider in the police force, she discovers the existence of a top-secret support group in the city: a support group for serial killers. Driven by revenge, Cyra manages to infiltrate the group and pretends to be a cold-blooded killer herself. Her goal is simple: to unmask her sister’s killer.
 
This book is a delightfully crazy ride that entertains from the very first page. Schaefer has a sharp, witty writing style that allows her to effortlessly combine the gruesome subject matter with a healthy dose of irony and dark humor. Cyra is a fantastic, unconventional protagonist; she is determined, physically strong, and morally flexible enough to fully draw you into her mission.
 
The build-up tension is very well-executed. The constant threat that Cyra will be exposed among the group of trained psychopaths creates a continuous, underlying sense of unease. As the story approaches its climax, the author also treats you to a number of sharp, unexpected plot twists.
 
The various killers in the groups all have fascinating, twisted backstories. I would have liked a bit more depth and interaction among them during the group sessions.
 
“Serial Killer Support Group” is a refreshing, thrilling and delightfully macabre debut that’s perfect for fans of “Dexter”. This is the second book I read by Saratoga Schaefer and I really love her work so far. An author to keep a close eye on.
 
Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - The Whisper Man

Director: James Ashcroft
Genre: Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan, Robert De Niro, Hamish Linklater, Michael Keaton,
 
Description: A grieving father (Adam Scott) and his young son relocate to the quiet town of Featherbank, which was terrorized by a serial killer known as The Whisper Man 15 years earlier, while rumors circulate that Whisper man worked with an accomplice.
 
Review: With “The Whisper Man”, director James Ashcroft and his cast aim to create a chilling psychological thriller. The film succeeds in evoking an oppressive and gloomy atmosphere from the very first moment. Unfortunately, the production fails to sustain this carefully built tension until the end. The result is an entertaining but ultimately predictable thriller that ends up falling somewhere in the middle of the pack.

After the sudden death of his wife, Tom decides to move with his young son Jake to the quiet town of Featherbank. They hope to make a fresh start there. However, for decades the town has been haunted by the shadow of a notorious serial  killer known as The Whisper Man. When another boy goes missing and Jake begins to hear strange voices by his bedroom window, it becomes painfully clear that the danger is far from over. Tom must do everything in his power to protect his son from an elusive evil.

“The Whisper man” excels in cinematography and atmosphere; the somber visuals and ominous soundtrack immediately get under your skin. A definite highlights is Michael Keaton’s strong, albeit small, role. He commands attention in every scene and brings much-needed depth to the story. Michaelle Monaghan is also very solid as detective Amanda Beck.

For the seasoned thriller fan, the plot is too predictable, which allowed me to correctly predict the culprit’s identity very early on in the story. This takes the edge off the final and makes the climax rather clichéd. It’s an atmospheric, easy-to-watch film, with a great performance by Michael Keaton, but without any real surprises. I still enjoyed it and would recommend it though.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Book Review - Look What you Made Me Do by John Lanchester

Title: Look What You Made Me Do
Author: John Lanchester
Genre: Fiction/ Thriller
Published: 2026
 
Description: What if the year’s most talked about TV show was all about your marriage?
 
Kate, thirty years into her marriage, has a seemingly idyllc metropolitan, North London life. Phoebe, a young screenwriter, is the creator of the year’s hit TV show, Cheating.
 
When Kate’s world takes a darker turn, she thinks she sees details and intimacies in the the show that only she and her husband Jack could possibly have known. But who has betrayed who? Who gets to tell whose story?
 
Review: With “Look What You Made Me Do”, author John Lanchester attempts to craft a razor-sharp, contemporary psychological thriller. In this book he exposes the tension between generations and the dark side of the media world. Although the premise sounds promising and intriguing, the execution falls painfully short.
 
The story follows Kate, who shared a seemingly perfect marriage with her husband Jack for thirty years. And there’s Phoebe, a young screenwriter whose new series “Cheating” becomes a massive hit. The two woman’s world’s collide head-on when Kate watches the series. To her utter horror, she recognizes intimate details, secrets, and even the specific private language of her own marriage in the dialogue on screen. A dark and vicious battle ensues, filled with resentment, accusations, and acts of revenge, centered on the question: who stole whose story, and what is the ultimate price of this betrayal?
 
Although the premise of a stolen married life in a TV series has the potential to be a successful thriller, “Look What You Made Me Do” disappoints on nearly every front. Lanchester chooses to tell the story from the perspective of the two women, but barely manages to give them an authentic or believable voice. The characters remain stuck in shallow stereotypes: the bitter, privileged Kate versus the cynical, harried Phoebe. As a result, the intergenerational friction feels more like a rehash of clichés than a sharp social critique.
 
The biggest problem, however, is the plot structure. A good thriller relies on carefully built tension, but Lanchester opts for a series of implausible coincidences and far-fetched plot twists to drive the story forward. The pace if initially far too slow, after which the book suddenly derails in the second half into an over-the-top revenge comedy that completely undoes the carefully crafted psychological tension. The climax and the motives behind the betrayal feel contrived and fall apart at the seams. Lanchester occasionally writes quite entertaining and satirical passages about the London elite, but as a thriller, the books lacks any sense of logic, surprise or genuine psychological depth. The result is an unsatisfying whole.
 
Rating: 1,5/ 5

Movie Review - Toy Story 5

Director: McKenna Harris, Andrew Stanton
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Drama
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Conan O’Brien, Greta Lee, Bonnie Hunt, Wallace Shawn, Kristen Schaal, Ernie Hudson, John Ratzenberger
 
Description: Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the rest of the gang’s jobs are challenged when they’re introduced to electronics, a new threat to playtime.
 
Review: When Pixar announced that a fifth “Toy Story” film was in the works, the film world reacted with a healthy dose of skepticism. After the emotional and perfect farewell in the third installment, and the surprisingly strong epilogue in the fourth, it really seemed like the series had run its course. With “Toy Story 5”, however, directors Andrew Stanton and McKenna Harris prove the opposite. The film manages to tackle relevant, modern themes without losing the nostalgic spirit of the franchise.

In “Toy Story 5”, Bonnie struggles with a universal modern problem: the allure of the digital screen. Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang are pushed into the background by tablets, smartphones, and high-tech VR headsets. When Bonnie’s favorite new gadget becomes infected with a malicious computer virus, her digital world is in danger of crashing. To save their child’s memories and happiness, the toys must literally travel into the digital world. There, they face an army of forgotten tech-toys and a glitchy, manipulative AI villain.

The greatest compliment “Toy Story 5” deserves is how cleverly it handles the concept of toys in today’s world. While the earlier films revolved around growing up and letting go, this installment tackles the struggle between tangible nostalgia and the all-powerful screen time. The transition to the digital world within the film brings a fresh dynamic. Pixar uses this scenario to showcase breathtaking animation techniques. The contrast between the warm, tactile textures of the classic toys and the neon-lit, sometimes eerily perfect digital environment are visually masterful.

As always, the humor is multi-layered. There are quick, physical jokes for younger viewers and sharp, satirical jabs at tech culture for adults. The introduction of outdated video game consoles and crashed software avatars, provides some hilarious moments. I especially loved Smarty Pants, voiced by Conan O’Brien. The reunion between Woody and Buzz remains the emotional anchor of the film.

“Toy Story 5” isn’t just another cash-grab, but a loving and much-needed reflection of what play means today.

Rating: 4/ 5

Book Review - The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez

Title: The Night We Met (Say You’ll Remember Me #2)
Author: Abby Jimenez
Genre: Romance/ Contemporary
Published: 2026
 
Description: In everyone’s life, there’s a split-second decision that can change everything…
 
For Larissa, it came when choosing which guy to ride home with after a concert. That night, she had no idea she’d met the perfect man. She and Chris are great together, co-parenting a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie, sharing their favorite books, and judging bread (pumpernickel for the win!). For the first time amid all her side hustles to scrape by, thigs finally feel easy.
 
But Chris isn’t the one who drove Larissa home all those months ago, Chris is her boyfriend’s best friend. All Chris wants is for Larissa to be happy. Standing by on the sidelines is slowly killing him, but making a move would destroy someone else. And he’s just not that guy.

Review: When it comes to Abby Jimenez romance novels, I am a romance girlie. Because all books I have read by her were wins. “The Night We Met” got mixed reviews, so I went in with the possibility of me not liking it as much. But Jimenez did not disappoint. She proves once again that she is the queen of contemporary romance, striking a perfect balance between deep tragedy and sparkling humor.
 
The story revolves around a split-second decision that changes a whole life. After a concerts, Larissa has to choose who she’ll ride home with. She ends up in the car with Mike and eventually they start a relationship. Months later, however, it turns out that Mike’s best friend Chris, is her true soulmate. While Larissa makes ends meet with countless part-time jobs, she and Chris develop a deep friendship. They share favorite books, bake bread, and raise a quirky, rescued Yorkshire Terrier together. The chemistry between them is undeniable, but Chris refuses to betray his best friend. What follows is a heart-wrenching struggle between loyalty and true love.
 
The character development in this book is truly impeccable. The characters feel lifelike, with their traumas, financial stress, and moral dilemmas. In addition, the interactions and humor between Chris and Larissa are razor-sharp, witty, and written and written with a wonderfully authentic flow. The underlying tension and longing create a compelling slow-burn, and I prefer a slow-burn when it comes to love stories.
 
What really elevates this book is that Jimenez doesn’t shy away from heavy topics like loyalty, substance addiction, and deep friendship. This is a beautiful, painful, yet hopeful stoy about the impact of timing and fate. It lingers in your mind long after you’ve closed the last page.
 
Rating: 5/ 5

Book Review - Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: Carrie Soto
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Historical fiction/ fiction
Published: 2022
 
Description: Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular.
 
By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best played the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach.
 
But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning, British player named Nicki Chan.
 
At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even is the sports media says that they never liked the ‘Battle-axe’ anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.
 
In spite of it all: Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season.
 
Review: With “Carrie Soto is Back”, Taylor Jenkins Reid once again demonstrate her talent for creating complex, fallible, and utterly fascinating characters. After exploring Hollywood and the world of rock ‘n roll, Reid now delves into the cutthroat world of professional tennis. The result is a nail-biting, emotional and razor-sharp drama about ambition, growing older, and the price of success.
 
The story follows Carrie Soto, the most successful female tennis player of all time. She is fiery, ruthless, and known as “The Battle Axe”. By the time she retires from tennis, she has broken every record and holds no fewer than twenty Grand Slam titles. Six years later, in 1994, Carrie is sitting in the stands at the U.S. open. She watches as the young, talented Nicki Chan ties her record. Carrie is now 37 years old, and her body is no longer what it used to be. Still, she makes a radical decision: she’ll come out of retirement to defend her record. Together with her father and lifelong coach, Javier, she embarks on a grueling year of training. She must not only battle younger opponents and a skeptical media, but also her own physical limits and demons from the past.
 
Carrie is the typical anti-hero you will love. She is not likeable in the traditional sense of the word. She’s arrogant, selfish, and obsessed with winning. That’s precisely what makes her so formidable. Reid compels the reader to respect a woman who refuses to apologize for her ambition.
 
The relationship between Carrie and Javier is the beating heart of the book. Their bond is complex, loving, and at time heartbreaking. Javier reminds Carrie there’s more to life than just winning.
 
This book will sweep you away. I used to watch a lot of tennis, but if you have no affinity with tennis at all, this might not interest you. But the way Reid describes the matches with such intense dynamic, even someone who is not into tennis could enjoy it.
 
The only reason why I’m not giving it a 5-star rating is that the match rhythm halfway through the story lead to a slide sense of repetition.
 
“Carrie Soto is Back” is a triumph. It’s a powerful statement about how society treats ambitious women and a beautiful story about growing up, letting go, and the meaning of greatness. An absolute must-read.   
Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - Hoppers

Director: Daniel Chong
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Adventure
Runtime: 104 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Piper Curda, Bobby Moyhnihan, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, Dave Franco, Eduardo Franco, Melissa Villaseñor, Sam Richardson, Isiah Whitlock Jr.,
 
Description: A 19-year-old animal lover (Piper Curda) uses technology that places her consciousness into a robotic beaver to uncover mysteries within the animal world beyond her imagination.
 
Review: With “Hoppers”, director Daniel Chong delivers one of the studio’s funniest and most animated films in years. While recent films sometimes buckle under the weight of heavy emotional themes, this production resolutely opts for a fresh blend of absurdist humor and a classic ecological adventure.

When the grandmother of 19-year-old Mable, an impulsive anima rights activist, passes away, their favorite nature reserve is threatened with destruction by the corrupt mayor Jerry. He wants to build a highway. To stop the construction, Mabel enlists the help of a secret experimental government project: she has her consciousness “hop” into the body of an ultra-realistic robot beaver. She quickly infiltrates the local beaver colony to join forces with the animals against the bulldozers.

As soon as Mabel takes on the form of a beaver, the film shifts into high gear. “Hoppers” excels at visual comedy. The animation style is cute, combined with lush landscapes that proof Pixar is still technically at the very top.

Jon Hamm steals the show as the vain, power-hungry mayor, flanked by Bobby Moynihan’s great voice-performance as George the beaver. But it’s Piper Curda who carries the film: her portrayal of Mabel as a hyperactive, steadfast teenager with a big heart makes the character instantly memorable. I loved Mabel.

“Hoppers” is Pixar at its best: a wild, inventive and funny adventure. It’s the successful return of the studio’s roots, one that will effortlessly entertain the entire family.

Rating: 4/ 5

Book Review - Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Title: Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl # 1)
Author: Matt Dinniman
Genre: Science Fiction/ Fantasy
Published: 2020
 
Description: You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.
 
Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world, or just get to the next level, in a video game-like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.
 
Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.
 
Review: “Dungeon Crawler Carl” is a wildly crazy page-turner in the sci-fi/ fantasy genre. Very popular at the moment and the first in a long-running series. Author Matt Dinniman throws you right into the thick of a unique, modern subgenre that completely defies the conventions of traditional literature. The result is a rollercoaster ride that leaves the reader with a contact mix of amazement and adrenaline.
 
The story begins on a freezing cold night when Earth is abruptly overrun by an intergalactic syndicate, after which the remaining humanity is forced to participate in a live-broadcast, sadistic gladiatorial tournament. At the center of it all is Carl, an ordinary man who flees into the Apocalypse in his boxers and barefoot, along with his ex-girlfriend’s eccentric Persian cat Princess Donut. Together they must descend into a gigantic, underground dungeon with eighteen deadly levels, there, they must battle monstrous creatures, solve complex puzzles, and survive the levels to entertain the universe, all while amassing millions of alien fans.
 
The absolute highlight of this spectacle is its unparalleled humor, as the absurdist story had me laughing out loud several times at the most unexpected moments. The universe is filled with a colorful collection of the weirdest and most bizarre characters you’ll ever encounter in a book. Among all these extraordinary creatures, Princes Donut (a now talking and hyper-intelligent cat) absolutely steals the show as the most entertaining character, thanks to her regal airs and hilarious feline antics.
 
Still, the adventure also has a downside that you, as a reader, have to read through. The story is incredibly chaotic; there’s constantly so much happening all at once, and the enormous amount of information and statistics you have to process is overwhelming. That meant I had to get used to the structure and the breakneck pace. Fortunately, this doesn’t outweigh the rest of the experience; the concept is simply incredibly original and entertainingly executed. This addictive introduction leaves me wanting more, and I’ll definitely be continuing this series. I totally get the hype.
 
Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - The Testament of Ann Lee

Director: Mona Fastvold
Genre: Drama/ Musical
Runtime: 136 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Lewis Pullman, Thomasin McKenzie, Tim Blake Nelson
 
Description: Ann Lee (Amanda Seyfried), the founding leader of the Shaker Movement, is proclaimed as the female Christ by her followers. This film depicts her establishment of an utopian society and the Shakers’ worship through song and dance, based on real events.
 
Review: With “The Testament of Ann Lee”, director Mona Fastvold delivers an extremely ambitious, feverish biopic that walks the line between historical drama and avant-garde musical. Although the film is visually stunning and pushes the boundaries of the genre, its emotional depth unfortunately leaves the viewer at a distance.

The film tells the true story of Ann Lee, an 18^th century woman from industrial Manchester. After the traumatic loss of her young children and a troubled marriage, she finds spiritual enlightenment within a radical religious movement. She emerges as the visionary leader of the Shakers, a cult that believes in absolute celibacy, pacifism, and radical gender equality. Her followers even regard her as the female incarnation of Christ. To escape severe persecution, Lee sets sail with her loyal followers to the American colonies to found a utopian community there. Their devotion and the absolution of sins are expressed not through traditional sermons, but in frenzied, ecstatic singing and group dances that border on a physical trance.

The absolute highlight is the way the Shaker hymns are brought to life. And Amanda Seyfried delivers a phenomenal, physically intense performance; her animated gaze and vocals effortlessly carry the film through even the most abstract scene.

Despite these mesmerizing elements, the film falls short dramatically. The film is repetitive, and has an episodic structure. And there is a psychological barrier, because as a viewer we observing Ann Lee, but they never truly dissect her. You admire the craftmanship on screen, but the characters leave you emotionally unmoved. The characters remain underdeveloped. And the 136 minute runtime is very palpable, it’s way too long. And in this time they could have done a lot more with the characters.

“The Testament of Ann Lee” is a daring and visually breathtaking experiment that uniquely turns the biopic formula inside out. However, those hoping for a gripping emotional drama or an in-depth character study may leave this utopian journey feeling somewhat unsatisfied.  As a highly emotional person myself, this movie did very little for me.   

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review - How to Make a Killing

Director: John Patton Ford
Genre: Crime/ Comedy
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Glen Powell, Margareth Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Ed Harris
 
Description: Disowned at birth by his obscenely wealthy family, blue-collar Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) will stop at nothing to reclaim his inheritance, no matter how many relatives stand in his way.
 
Review: “How to Make a Killing” is a dark crime comedy that starts off incredibly promising but, unfortunately, completely falls flat in the end.

The story follows Becket Redfellow, played by a charming Glen Powell, a blue-collar worker who was disowned at birth by his wealthy family. Driven by revenge and pure greed, he hatches a cold-blooded murder plot to systematically eliminate the seven family members standing between him and his billion-dollar inheritance.

The film gets off to an incredibly promising start; the opening is packed with razor-sharp black humor, is incredibly entertaining, and is a delight to watch from the very first minute. Director John Patton Ford perfectly captures the tone of a vicious social critique in the first hour, allowing the viewer to effortlessly get swept up in the protagonist’s absurd plans.

Unfortunately, the film takes a completely different turn in the second half when the tone suddenly shifts to a much more serious crime drama. Because of this change in direction, the script loses the satirical edge that made the first half so strong and unique, causing the pace to slow down and the characters to lose their vibrancy.

What really brings the experience down, however, is the climax. The ending is implausible and too easy and I simply didn’t like it.

“How to Make a Killing” is an entertaining movie and the first hour is a joy to watch, but eventually fails to live up to its full potential due to a weak finale.

Rating: 3/ 5

Book Review - Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez

Title: Things We Lost in the Fire
Author: Mariana Enriquez
Genre: Horror/ Short stories
Published: 2016
 
Description: In these wildly imaginative, devilishly darlin tales of the macabre, internationally bestselling author Mariana Enriquez brings contemporary  Argentina to vibrant life as a place where shocking inequality, violence, and corruption are the law of the land, while military dictatorship and legions of desaparecidos loom large in the collective memory.
 
Review: “Things We Lost in the Fire” is an intriguing collections of short stories that takes the reader into the darker side of contemporary Argentina. Mariana Enriquez weaves together political trauma, extreme poverty, and social unrest with supernatural horror and macabre elements. Although the atmosphere is consistently oppressive and compelling, the collection’s quality is rather uneven. Some tales are masterful, while others, unfortunately, didn’t really work for me.
 
“The Dirty Kid” examines the harsh reality of homeless street children in Buenos Aires. A rock-solid, gripping, and deeply unsettling opening story that immediate gets under your skin.
 
“The Inn” follows two teenagers who break into a hotel with a dark political past. An entertaining story with a great atmosphere, but it remains somewhat superficial.
 
In “The Intoxicated Years” we follow three friends growing up during the economic crisis of the 1990s. the focus is too heavily on adolescent rebellion and drugs, causing the horror climax to lack momentum.
 
Three children explore an abandoned, haunted house where a girl vanishes without a trace in “Adela’s House”. This is an absolute masterpiece, my favorite story of the collection. Terrifying, perfectly crafted and unforgettable.
 
My least favorite was “An Invocation of the Big-Eared Runt”. Here a tour guide becomes obsessed with a historical Argentine child murdered. The story feels drawn-out and lacks the suspense or depth to justify the cruelty. I didn’t like this story at all.
 
“Spiderweb” is about a young woman who travels with her insufferable husband to the countryside, where he suddenly disappears. It started promising, because the tension is palpable and you could feel that something ominous was going to happen. But the story drags too much and it felt underwhelming in the end.
 
In “End of Term” a schoolgirl exhibits extreme self-harming behavior under the influence of an invisible entity. A rather clichéd teen horror story that fails to live up to its potential.
 
The most bizarre story was “No Flesh Over Our Bones”, but also one of my favorites. A tale about a woman who becomes obsessed with a human skeleton she finds on the street. Beautifully macabre, psychological sharp, and delightfully unsettling.
 
“My Neighbor’s Courtyard” was my second favorite story. A social worker suspects her neighbor is keeping a deformed child chained up. This story offers psychological horror of the highest order; dark, layered, and deeply tragic. With a fantastic climax.
 
In “Under the Black Water” a lawyer investigates police brutality near a polluted, apocalyptic river. The Lovecraftian atmosphere is interesting, but the story ends to abruptly.
 
“Green Red Orange” is one of those stories you immediately forget about. A young man completely isolates himself in his room and communicates only through the dark web. The concept of modern isolation is relatable, but the execution remains dull.
 
“Things We Lost in the Fire” is about women setting themselves on fire en masse to protest domestic violence. A powerful, shocking concept that serves as a solid finale.
 
This short story collections has some great, stand-out stories that will haunt me for a while, but also some stories I didn’t really care for. I highly recommend this book for fans of socially critical horror, because this book has some really strong stories. But unfortunately, not all stories are good and will be easily forgotten.
 
Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review - Enola Holmes 3

Director: Philip Barantini
Genre: Adventure/ Comedy/ Action
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter, Himesh Patel, Louis Partridge, Sharon Duncan-Brewster
 
Description: Detective Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) heads to Malta, where her aspirations merge in her most complex and dangerous case yet.
 
Review: This third installment has lost some of its charm. While the first two films were fresh, energetic, and full of surprises, “Enola Holmes 3” unfortunately feels like a rehash. It lacks the spark and sharpness that made the earlier adventures so entertaining.

This time, the story shifts to sunny Malta, where Enola is about to marry her true love, Lord Tewkesbury. However, her doubt about the marriage are abruptly interrupted when it turns out that her brother Sherlock has vanished without a trace. What follows is a chaotic quest filled with kidnappings and hidden treasures, in which Enola must once again unravel a complex mystery to save her brother.

The biggest problem is the script. This murder-and-kidnapping mystery is far less compelling and more predictable than before. Whereas the fantastic second installment (my favorite in the series) excelled in a clever plot, political intrigue, and a great pace, this adventure in Malta just kind of plods along. Moreover, the dynamic between Enola and Sherlock lacks the spark that made the previous installments so strong. Millie Bobby Brown, however, remains a joy to watch. Her acting is still full of energy, and the moments when she breaks the fourth wall to address the audience remain entertaining. But the material she has to work with this time around is simply lacking.

“Enola Holmes 3” is still entertaining and it’s not a bad movie, but it’s a clear step back compared to its predecessors. And it definitely never comes close to the second movie.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Review - Mortal Kombat II

Director: Simon McQuoid
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Karl Urban, Adelie Rudolph, Martyn Ford, Tati Gabrielle, Jessica McNamee, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Josh Lawson, Hiroyuki Sanada
 
Description: The fan favorite champions, now joined by Johnny Cage (Karl Urban) himself, are pitted against one another in the ultimate battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.
 
Review: “Mortal Kombat II” attempts to correct the mistakes of its 2021 predecessor by going all-in on pure tournament chaos, but unfortunately gets bogged down in a muddy stream of soulless computer-generated effects and a virtually nonexistent script.

The story picks up where the invasion of Eathrealm left off. Cole Young and the remaining protectors travel to Outworld to recruit allies, including the arrogant movie star Johnny Cage. However, they are immediately lured into a trap by the tyrannical Shao Kahn, who organizes an illegal, decisive tournament to subjugate Earth once and for all. With this premise, director Simon McQuoid delivers a film that, unfortunately, feels like a two-hour, exhausting string of cinematic fights without a shred of dramatic impact. Karl Urban is the highlight, as Johnny Cage, with his weary Hollywood charisma. And if you are a fan of hack-and-slash action you are in for a treat, as the film fully lives up to its R-rating. The iconic fatalities from the games are brought to life with plenty of blood and spectacle.

However, as soon as the characters stop fighting and start talking, the film collapses like a house of cards. The plot surrounding Shao Kahn’s tournament is paper0thin and serves purely as a pretext for action, resulting in wooden dialogue and forced explanatory scenes.

Ultimately, the film lacks real tension. Because death is meaningless in this universe and characters are just as easily brought back to life, the emotional stakes during the mission to save Earth are nonexistent. “Mortal Kombat II” offers plenty of mindless entertainment and bloodshed for the hardcore games, but as a movie, it’s a messy, noisy, and soulless product. Take me back to the “Mortal Kombat” movie from 1995 please.

Rating: 2/ 5

Book Review - Pet Sematary by Stephen King

Title: Pet Sematary
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Horror
Published: 1983
 
Description: The House looked right, felt right to Dr. Louis Creed.
 
Rambling, old, unsmart and comfortable. A place where the family could settle; the children grow and play and explore. The rolling hills and meadows of Maine seemed a world away from the fume-choked dangers of Chicago.
 
Only the occasional big truck out on the two-lane highway, grinding up through the gears, hammering down the long gradients, growled out an intrusive threat.
 
But behind the house and far away from the road: that was safe. Just a carefully cleared path up into the woods where generations of local children have processed with the solemn innocence of the young, taking with them their dear departed pets for burial.
 
A sad place maybe, but safe. Surely a safe place. Not a place to seep into your dreams, to wake you, sweating with fear and foreboding.
 
Review: Did I just read my new favorite Stephen King book?  A terrifying epic about the limits of human grief. “Pet Sematary” is an absolute masterpiece. After closing that very last page, I can only conclude one thing: this is officially my favorite Stephen King novel. Over the years I have devoured many of King’s books, but this particular story grabbed me by the throat from the very first chapter and never lets go. It’s dark and compelling and will haunt your mind for days afterwards.
 
The story follows the young, successful doctor Louis Creed. He moves with his wife Rachel and two young children Ellie and Gage, and the family cat Church to the seemingly idyllic countryside of Maine. Their fresh start seems perfect, but appearances can be deceiving. They soon befriend their elderly neighbor, Jud Crandall, who takes them to a mysterious pet cemetery deep in the woods: the “Pet Sematary”.
 
What begins as a melancholic place where local children commemorate their deceased pets, however, turns out to be a dark façade. Deeper in the woods lies an ancient Mi’kmaq Indian burial ground that is possessed by a malevolent, supernatural force. The ground there is literally and figuratively acidic: whatever is buried there returns from the dead. But they never return exactly the same. When tragedy strikes the Creed family without mercy, Louis is driven by intense grief to defy the laws of nature. He makes a fatal decision with horrific irreversible consequences.
 
I can say with complete conviction that this is one of the scariest books I’ve ever read in my entire life. King doesn’t build tension with the cheap shock tactics of supernatural jump scares, but with a deep suffocating psychological terror that slowly creeps under your skin. From the very first page, the atmosphere is stifling, ominous, and uncomfortable. As a reader, you sense the impending catastrophe, but you’re just as powerless as the characters themselves. The climax is so intense and terrifying that I simply couldn’t put it down, despite the chills running down my spine. The last 100 pages were top tier.
 
What truly elevates this book to the level of a literary masterpiece is its emotional and philosophical depth. Pure grief is the central, most important theme of this story. King dissects the human psyche to the bone and painfully reveals just how blinding, destructive, and isolating intense grief can be. The book poses the chilling question: How far would you go to get a lost loved one back? It explores the universal fear of death and our inability to let go. The conclusion is brutally harsh: sometimes death really is better. “Pet Sematary” undoubtedly has one of the darkest and most hopeless endings Stephen King has ever written.
 
It’s dark, emotionally draining, psychologically complex, and terrifyingly relatable. It’s Stephen King at the absolute peak of his power. An absolute must-read for anyone who loves horror of the very highest caliber. I can’t believe it took me so long to read it.
 
Rating: 5/ 5