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!

 

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Review: ‘Wish’ makes a sincere effort at tribute to Disney’s magical past

Ayla Ruby ,  ,  ,  5 min read

A nostalgic waltz through a fairytale kingdom, Disney’s Wish charms with pixie dust, enduring songs, and charismatic leads in Ariana DeBose and Chris Pine. Every frame of Wish’s watercolor-soft animation evokes a sense of comforting familiarity. In this cinematic ode to Disney’s legacy, Wish refers to Disney classics like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. While Wish may not be without its imperfections, it is perfectly

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Saltburn Review
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Review: ‘Saltburn’ is a Devilishly Delightful Film

Brian Kitson ,  ,  7 min read

Sometimes going into a movie or screener knowing as little as possible is the right way to go. No preconceived notions, therefore no expectations. This feat might seem nearly impossible with how prevalent spoilers and promotional material are nowadays. However, if possible, doing so allows for a completely different experience and interaction with the material on screen. That was how I

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‘The Marvels’ Podcast (Cosmic Circle Ep. 47)

Ayla Ruby ,  ,  ,  ,  3 min read

It’s another episode of Sloth Baby Productions… just kidding. The Cosmic Circle podcast is back, and we saw The Marvels just like (hopefully) all of you and had some thoughts about the return of Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). Their first big screen team-up featured Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), an interesting villain

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Review: ‘Trolls Band Together’ is Tuneful But Flawed

Ayla Ruby ,  ,  ,  5 min read

Trolls Band Together is out in theaters as of this past weekend. It’s a brightly colored boy-band symphony of animation and heart, but don’t expect a high-note encore to the previous two Trolls films. The film’s lighthearted message of familial love and self-acceptance, set to a catchy soundtrack and featuring incredible animation, is occasionally overshadowed by moments of questionable humor that raise the

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Ranking All The Live-Action Toho Godzilla Movies

Maxance Vincent ,  ,  20 min read

With Godzilla: Minus One making its way to movie theatres very soon and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters releasing on AppleTV+, I embarked on a rather ambitious project in preparation: watch every live-action Godzilla movie produced by Toho and rank them from worst to best. Before this project, I had already seen Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi’s Shin Godzilla alongside the animated

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Review: ‘The Marvels’ Unites an Electrifying MCU Team

Uday Kataria ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  11 min read

The Marvels, the long-awaited follow-up to 2019’s billion-dollar-hit Captain Marvel, has landed in theaters. While the original film was an MCU prequel, this team-up sequel jumps 30 years ahead to the present day to unite an electrifying new team of superheroes. Joined by Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau aka Photon, Captain Marvel is ready to take on a world-destroying

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Review: ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Deepens the World of Panem

Uday Kataria ,  ,  ,  8 min read

At long last, audiences are returning to the world of Panem and the Hunger Games! Directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, and Viola Davis, the prequel film follows future president Coriolanus Snow as he mentors Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from District 12, in the 10th Annual Hunger Games. An emotionally complex film anchored

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Cosmic Circle Ep. 44: Halloween Film and TV Series Discussion

Brian Kitson ,  ,  ,  ,  4 min read

Summer is long behind us over here in Michigan. The leaves are changing colors, bringing about the brilliant reds, oranges, and purples that signal the start of Autumn. As Halloween comes ever closer, and the gloomy clouds hang perpetually overhead in the sky, it’s time to embrace the reason for the season! That’s right, it’s time to get down with all

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Review: ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ is Flawed but Forgivable

John Dotson ,  ,  ,  5 min read

Growing up, this writer enjoyed shows like Little Monsters and Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark. However, at 10 or 11 years old, my interest grew into more intense horror films like Scream. Attending Five Nights at Freddy’s brought back memories of these early experiences. While Little Monsters, Goosebumps, and Are You Afraid of the Dark may not be considered classical horror or memorable adult entertainment, they provide a gateway

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Review: ‘Pain Hustlers’ Slumps in Clichés

Maxance Vincent ,  ,  6 min read

2023 has seen the resurgence of the rags-to-riches-to-rags biopic with Tetris, BlackBerry, The Beanie Bubble, and now Pain Hustlers. It wouldn’t be a problem if all of these movies were good, but only one of the five is well worth watching because it subverts the traditional biopic tropes in favor of something more energetic. Who would’ve thought a movie about the

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Review: Prime Video’s ‘Totally Killer’

Brian Kitson ,  ,  8 min read

When Ron Possible said “Time travel, it’s a cornucopia of disturbing concepts” back in 2003’s Kim Possible: A Stitch in Time, he was on to something. Depending on the film or television show and the rules of time travel setup, it can get complicated quickly. However, if done correctly, the hijinx and misadventures of someone out of time can be engaging.

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Review: ‘The Exorcist: Believer’

John Dotson ,  4 min read

Here we go again. Another exorcism movie brought to us by Hollywood after decades of failing to match the one that made them a mainstream commodity: The Exorcist. And another sequel to the property, no less. For the most part, it’s hard to have anticipation for this genre of horror anymore. Most of them try to replicate the shock-filled brilliance of

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