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!


 

FeaturesMovie ReviewsReviews

‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ is a Pretty-Looking But Empty Jukebox Musical

The opening scene for Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux signals a stark shift in tone from the 2019 Oscar and Golden Lion-winning first installment. With a Looney Tunes-inspired short directed by The Triplets of Belleville’s Sylvain Chomet, the movie posits itself as a lighter, more humorous affair than the punishing first movie. The animation is fairly creative, paying tribute to

Read More
FeaturesMovie ReviewsReviews

‘My Old Ass’ is a Coming of Age Story with a Sci-Fi Twist

Most of us can remember how difficult the transition from young adult to the real world can be; going from being the biggest fish in a small pond, feeling invincible in almost every respect, to feeling small and insignificant. That cycle repeats throughout life as we outgrow one situation and move on to the next. Those transitional periods can be so

Read More
FeaturesMovie ReviewsReviewsStellar Picks

‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ Returns to Theaters for the 20th Anniversary

If you have never seen Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle, I must sincerely ask you what you are doing with your life. Do you hate love, fun, and wizards? Why have you chosen to punish yourself like this? Luckily, you have a chance to rectify this situation: for its 20th anniversary, Howl’s Moving Castle is in theaters nationwide starting September 26!

Read More
Film FestivalsMovie ReviewsReviews

Fantastic Fest 2024: ‘The Wild Robot’ and ‘Will & Harper’ Reviews

We continue our Fantastic Fest coverage with two of the most heartfelt experiences of the entire festival. Both have beautiful messages and were crafted with such love and care. The first is Dreamworks Animation’s latest effort, The Wild Robot, which sees the filmmaker behind How to Train Your Dragon tackle a new experience about parenting and raising children through the eyes

Read More
FeaturesFilm FestivalsMovie ReviewsReviews

Fantastic Fest 2024 Movie Reviews: ‘Anora’ and ‘Saturday Night’

Fantastic Fest 2024 is well underway and I had a chance to catch two more films screening there, Sean Baker’s Anora and Saturday Night, based on the beginnings of Saturday Night Live. Check out what I thought below! Anora: A slice of life film with a powerful message The Florida project is one of the best slice-of-life pictures in a long

Read More
FeaturesMovie ReviewsReviews

‘Apartment 7A’ Is A Chilling Prequel To A 60s Classic

Apartment 7A is a new streaming exclusive prequel from Paramount, set one year before the events of Rosemary’s Baby. Julia Garner portrays Terry Gionoffrio, a minor character in the original film, and the Castevet’s former tenant. The expansion of Terry’s backstory and the gradual incorporation of Rosemary’s Baby plot was an excellent choice for the prequel narrative. Apartment 7A is set

Read More
FeaturesFilm FestivalsMovie ReviewsReviews

Fantastic Fest 2024 Movie Review: ‘The Rule of Jenny Pen’

Fantastic Fest 2024 kicked off with a bang yesterday. Many titles were at the festival, including The Rule of Jenny Pen, Never Let Go, and an acid trip of a concert with a weird fast-food-inspired band called Mac Sabbath. The festival also gave horror fans a debut for the latest sequel, Terrifier 3. We were able to catch all of these

Read More
FeaturesMovie ReviewsPodcastReviews

‘The Substance’ Movie Review with John & Vin

The Substance has been activated! The buzzy festival film is now being released widely in cinemas around the world. Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat and starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid, The Substance is a brand-new body horror film combining sleek modern filmmaking with the gruesome core of B-movie exploitation. Join John and Vin as they break down

Read More
FeaturesMovie ReviewsReviews

Witness the Rise of Heroes in ‘Transformers One’

I know what you’re thinking… does the world need another Transformers film? That thought also crossed my mind when I first caught the upcoming Paramount animated film Transformers One trailer. Having just binged the entire cinematic franchise with my nephew, I see that some are better than others, with many less-than-stellar entries happening more recently. With the most recent film, Transformers:

Read More
FeaturesMovie ReviewsReviews

‘The Killer’s Game’ Is A Double-Genre Mess

After a lengthy spell in development purgatory, and various changes in lead actor, The Killer’s Game has finally hit theaters. Starring Dave Bautista as Joe Flood, this movie has nearly equal parts of a romantic comedy and action that at times feels like a parody of both. There are shades that a couple of other movies do better, but ultimately, this

Read More
FeaturesMovie ReviewsReviews

‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Re-Establishes Tim Burton’s Talent

36 years have passed since the original Beetlejuice. Over a decade has passed since Tim Burton has made anything worth more than a shrug. Legacy sequels are all the rage after Star Wars: The Force Awakens broke box office records back in 2015. The once-beloved Burton returning to the property, utilizing the legacy sequel framework anchored by a fresh face in Jenna Ortega should inspire no confidence of

Read More