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 ReviewsPodcastReviewsStellar PicksTV/Streaming Series & Specials Reviews

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

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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Movie ReviewsReviews

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

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

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’

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’

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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‘When Evil Lurks’ Review: A Whole Other Level of Fear

Horror, like any genre, is beholden to certain tropes. A well within the genre that’s been run into the ground is the possession sub-genre, to the point where trailers for a new Exorcist film are eliciting eye-rolls instead of the desired terror. Repetition of the same beats from possession films ad nauseam is to blame. To reinvigorate the possession movie, you

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Film FestivalsMovie ReviewsReviews

Fantastic Fest 2023 Reviews: ‘What You Wish For’ and ‘Your Lucky Day’

Despite being different film subgenres, Your Lucky Day and What You Wish For are surprisingly similar. The two movies boast fantastic performers from Angus Cloud and Nick Stahl. Although Angus Cloud has passed away, his performance in the film is still a captivating force. Stahl, like Cloud, has also faced struggles, but his performance in What You Wish For may mark the beginning of a comeback for the underappreciated actor. Both

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Review:  Roald Dahl’s ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’

For those who read my Matilda: The Musical review from back in December, you may recall that the works of Roald Dahl were formative in my younger years. I remember being in first or second grade and choosing the box set of his most popular novels as my monthly reward for being an excellent student. Tearing through those books was a

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Film FestivalsMovie Reviews

Fantastic Fest 2023: ‘Dream Scenario’ Review

In the present era, popularity has taken a unique shape. Platforms like TikTok have enabled short and meaningless videos to thrust someone into unexpected stardom. Dream Scenario, starring Nicolas Cage, examines the contemporary idea of fame and how it can be a delicate issue in the public eye, even for something trivial. The movie cleverly utilizes satire to communicate its message,

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