Movie Reviews

Cosmic Circus has been covering movies and TV/streaming series for over five years now. Please take some time to read through some of our movie reviews below to find out what the writers think of past and new films.

Refer to the Stellar Picks archive to find some of our top-rated movies, shows, books, games, and more!


 

Movie ReviewsReviews

‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’: A Messy, Zany, A.I. Apocalypse Satire

After a decade since his last feature, Gore Verbinski has finally returned to helm a picture, this time with a wacky AI satire, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. Verbinski’s features have never strayed away from blending the bleak subject matter with comedy (even within films for younger audiences like Rango and Mouse Hunt). He’s at his loudest here, essentially holding

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Movie ReviewsReviews

‘Scarlet’ is Mamoru Hosoda’s Most Ambitious Film

Mamoru Hosoda’s Scarlet, a derivative adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The film begins with the most spiritually charged image of the Japanese animator’s career as the titular character (voiced by Mana Ashida) arrives in the “Otherworld,” a purgatory that stands between life and “nothingness.” Scarlet attempts to fight her internal (and external) demons and prove to the forces that be that

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Movie ReviewsReviews

‘The Moment’ Review: Charli XCX’s Witty, Incomplete Brat Summer

The Moment takes a satirical angle in a new mockumentary about Charli XCX’s success around the release of her album Brat. It’s a meta dissection of the process of becoming a pop icon overnight, with an interesting balance of humor and authenticity. None of us can fully understand the overwhelming insecurities of trying to maintain an image while making quick decisions with

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Sundance Film Festival 2026: ‘The Best Summer’ is Millennial Catnip

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Hey, I wonder if the director of Billy Madison has a bunch of concert footage of ’90s alternative bands lying around?” Who hasn’t thought about that, right? The Best Summer at Sundance Film Festival is a documentary that answers the question. And while nobody may have asked for these materials, one cannot deny that they

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Sundance Film Festival 2026: ‘Josephine’ is Fearless and Brilliant Storytelling

The movie Josephine at the Sundance Film Festival 2026 takes on one of the most difficult topics of childhood. And it does so through the lens of being a little girl in a scary world. The film confronts two themes in unflinching detail: childhood trauma and bravery. The notion is communicated wonderfully through a simple setup. We see Josephine‘s point of view

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Sundance Film Festival 2026: ‘Levitating’ is Spiritually Thrilling

Levitating is the kind of movie one hopes to see at a film festival. The type of narrative aims for otherworldly heights of creativity and ambition. In the first twenty minutes, the concept is made clear. The locals engage in trance parties, where dancers willingly let music invoke the spirits of animals to possess them as a spirit channeler using an

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Movie ReviewsReviews

Jason Statham Kicks Ass in ‘Shelter’

It appears that Ric Roman Waugh is this year’s Richard Linklater, having released two movies in the span of a month. While the first title of his January compendium, Greenland 2: Migration, unfortunately did not have a theatrical release outside the United States, his latest effort, Shelter, is getting a global rollout, and it might just be the most January movie

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Sundance Film Festival 2026: ‘Take Me Home’ Review

Take Me Home from Sundance Film Festival 2026 offers another perspective on the disability experience, this time from the vantage point of caring for someone with needs. However, the film ponders the caretaking role with an added layer. More specifically, when a guardian for a person with a disability begins to require care themselves. What happens to the family we have

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Sundance Film Festival 2026: ‘Joybubbles’ Movie Review

Joybubbles is quite a sincere opening for our Sundance Film Festival 2026 review coverage. Similar to the documentary The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, this documentary explores the challenges of a man living with a disability as he seeks ways to connect. For Ibelin, it was through the fantastic gaming landscape of World of Warcraft. For Joe Engressia (also known as Joybubbles),

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