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.
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Ballad of a Small Player is a fascinating follow-up to Edward Berger’s Conclave. Most of Conclave’s tone was overly serious and at times felt like a detective procedural wearing a pope’s uniform. Ballad of a Small Player is a complete gear shift in terms of style and feel. The film oftentimes has an enthralling, fast-paced energy that keeps the viewer hooked
Read MoreTron: Ares inspires perplexing feelings. Everything about the movie should work, and sometimes it really tries to dazzle the viewer. Yet, the entire experience feels like a Walmart putting out Christmas items and music in October. The music is undeniable, and the visuals are pretty, but the Wally World employees make some clear, baffling decisions. The new sequel aims to push
Read MoreThere comes a point in Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman where the thought of “What if I made different choices?” comes into our main character’s head, and this is essentially the main conceit of the film. A true story revolving around seeing the humanity of a man who did some terrible things but also has more to him than meets the eye. Cianfrance
Read MoreGood Boy is not your typical horror movie. One might even say it isn’t meant to scare the audience. The purpose behind this innovative film is to depict the fear of things we don’t understand. When something terrible happens, it’s frightening for the average person who understands what is happening. But it’s even more terrifying for someone like a child, who
Read MoreWe continue our Fantastic Fest 2025 coverage with the latest movie from Yorgos Lanthimos. The filmmaker behind provocative and quirky stories, such as Poor Things and The Favourite, brings a wildly bizarre, dialogue-heavy film called Bugonia. The film made a surprise appearance as one of the secret screenings at the festival. For many attendees, it was a delightful surprise. Bugonia continues
Read MoreOur Fantastic Fest 2025 coverage continues with an unexpected gem. The movie If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You made its Texas premiere at the intimate Alamo Drafthouse venue in Austin, TX. The film grapples with an uncomfortable discussion about caregiving. And while there are many forms of care, this movie targets the stresses of being a single mother or a
Read MoreThere comes a time within every couple of years of film where you get something so special, so relevant to our current moment, and so successful on virtually every front that it’s hard to believe it exists. A film where you know as soon as the credits roll, it will live on as a timeless classic, and just like with his
Read MoreLast night, we attended the first screening of Black Phone 2 at Fantastic Fest 2025. The sequel sparked considerable interest with its Nightmare on Elm Street-inspired advertising. Showcasing a follow-up that would maneuver the marquee villain of the franchise into a dream-lurking killer in the vein of Freddy Krueger. And given the long, extensive absence of that franchise, using Black Phone
Read MoreGoing into Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle (that title is a mouthful, which is why it will be mostly referred to as “Infinity Castle” from now on), it was immediately apparent that the first part of a planned trilogy of films to wrap up Koyoharu Gotuge’s adaptation of his own manga series would be filled with
Read MoreOur Fantastic Fest 2025 coverage continues with Shelby Oaks. When it comes to the topic of film criticism, it’s hard to identify anyone who has made more of an influence on my career than Chris Stuckmann. He remains one of the rare YouTube movie critics who can articulate constructive feedback with class and sincerity for the art form. Being put in the
Read MorePrimate is the latest film from Johannes Roberts, whose last movie was Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. As the festival kicked off, Fantastic Fest audiences gathered in a theater with various small cameras on tripods pointing toward the crowd. It was clear that Paramount was preparing to record the reactions of the movie-going audience. Right away, there was a strong
Read MoreIt’s always been interesting to see the lack of sports-centric horror films within the genre. Sure, we have some films with inklings of ideas, but in most cases, basketball or football stories within films never really reside in the horror space. With this in mind, a genre pic like Him is a breath of fresh air at first glance. The Justin Tipping-directed
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