Reviews

Although we mainly focus on reviews of movies and TV or streaming series, we have a wide array of reviews here at Cosmic Circus. This includes concerts, tech and other products, travel, games, books, and comics.

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


FeaturesMovie ReviewsReviews

Review: ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ is Empathetic, Tense, and Surprising

The late Roger Ebert once gave Jurassic Park a lukewarm 3-star review, broadly criticizing the movie for lacking the subtle nature of Jaws. For him, the monster movie approach in that movie hindered his experience and felt messy in character writing. The film critic’s gripes mainly were that there were too many monsters, and the monsters did not take a back seat

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FeaturesReviewsSeries & Specials Reviews

Death Comes to ‘Doctor Who’ in Spectacular Season Finale

The anticipation for the first season of the new phase of Doctor Who, following the BBC’s deal with Disney for the global rights to the series, was palpable. The wait between Jodie Whittaker’s final special and the arrival of Doctor Who in its new home felt like an eternity, but now we’re back in the saddle and off to the races,

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Book ReviewsBooksFeaturesReviews

Book Review: ‘The Stars Too Fondly’ by Emily Hamilton

What is love? That is the question that is at the heart of Emily Hamilton’s new sci-fi novel The Stars Too Fondly. Cleo McQueary has a hard time opening up to people. She has her three best friends, Kaleisha, Abe, and Ros, and that’s it. They’re her family and they’re all she needs. Well them and tech. Cleo loves engineering and

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Cosmic Psychologist: ‘Hit Man’ and the Tangled Web of Lying

We’ve all done something foolish in the pursuit of love, haven’t we? As a psychologist, I understand that we’re not alone in this. The need and desire to fit in and be accepted is a powerful force in all of us. The universal need for that intoxicating dopamine hit from another person drives us to seek love and support from those

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‘Inside Out 2’ is a Wonderfully Real Film of Adult Emotions

When the first Inside Out was released in 2015, it felt like animation had been changed for the better. The film follows 11-year-old Riley’s personified emotions as they attempt to help her navigate a significant move that fundamentally changes her life. The depth of the characters and the exploration of depression hit me and so many others like a sucker punch

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FeaturesGame ReviewsGamingReviews

‘Alan Wake 2: Night Springs’ Game Review: Wonderfully Weird Addition to the Mythos

Alan Wake 2 is one of the best games in recent years. It won three awards during last year’s Game Awards and has been one of the most beloved games by fans since its premiere. For a long time, fans were demanding DLC expansions for the game. DLCs were a big part of the first Alan Wake game. During the Summer

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FeaturesReviewsSeries & Specials Reviews

‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Premiere: An Epic Continuation of the Saga

After a two-year wait, HBO’s hit series House of the Dragon returned this past Sunday night. The first season was a hit installment in the Game of Thrones universe, leaving the second season highly anticipated. With June being a busy month for TV, it’s expected that House of the Dragon will open its season premiere to massive viewership numbers. The show

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‘The Imaginary’: A Beautiful Animated Film for the Whole Family

The story of The Imaginary, which releases on Netflix next month, centers on Amanda, a young girl who lives with her mom, Lizzie, and her best friend, and a playful boy named Rudger. But Rudger (not Roger!) is no ordinary boy. He just happens to be a creation of Amanda’s bountiful imagination, an imaginary friend.  The new animated film, coming to

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‘Ultraman: Rising’ Review: Netflix Presents “How to Train Your Kaiju”

Ultraman: Rising will not be what longtime fans might expect from the iconic character. Similar to Godzilla, the decade-spanning character has inspired numerous stories and versions through the years. This time Netflix has given it a childlike innocence, throwing a family dynamic in the mix. With Ultraman: Rising, there’s nothing technically new here on paper. We have seen this type of

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‘The Boys’ Season 4 Review: Insanity Reigns Supreme

Once again, the wildest comic book property returns to screens. That’s right, The Boys season 4 first three episodes are now streaming on Prime Video. All the heroes and villains return to play their parts to perfection and introduce another crazy storyline. This season is picking up after the shocking finale in season 3 of The Boys and the aftermath of

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FeaturesReviewsSeries & Specials Reviews

Max’s ‘Fantasmas’ is Undeniably Queer and Here for Pride Month

During our Pride Month episode of The Cosmic Circle, I, along with fellow writers Izzy Friedman and Cameron Brook, broke down the state of Queer media and how it has grown since last year. It feels like representation across television, film, and all other forms of media continues to grow in a positive trajectory, with one of the noticeable differences being

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Book ReviewsBooksFeaturesReviewsStellar Picks

Review: ‘Bruce Willis: Celebrating the Cinematic Legacy of an Unbreakable Hollywood Icon’ by Sean O’Connell

Bruce Willis is undeniably one of the most beloved pop culture icons of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It all started in the 1980s, when Willis landed an uncredited role in Brian G. Hutton’s The First Deadly Sin. But to me, his first ever meaningful role was as Tony Amato in one of my favorite TV shows, Miami Vice. From there,

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