Stellar Picks

Below find reviews of all the best movies, shows, books, games, and more according to Cosmic Circus contributors and writers.


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Top 10 Avatar: The Last Airbender Episodes from the Animated Series

Everyone and their mother seems to have seen and loved the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, and for good reason. It’s a masterpiece of a show. Despite originally airing in 2005, the world and characters remain relevant to this day. From the potent themes of striving for balance in the face of war to the dialogue, “My girlfriend turned into

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Read ‘Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up’ by Alexandra Potter Before ‘Not Dead Yet’ Returns!

Ever felt like you don’t know what you’re doing? Did life not exactly live up to the plans your thirteen-year-old self made? Are you sure that everyone else has it figured out and you’re the only one who doesn’t? Well, guess what, you’re not actually alone! From time to time, we all feel like f**k ups! And finally, Alexandra Potter dared

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Book Review: ‘Wicked’ by Gregory Maguire

Nearly thirty years ago, Gregory Maguire published his first book for adults. A reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West started a phenomenon. Wicked spawned a multibook series about the citizens of Oz, a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, and now a two-part movie series set to

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‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ Review: Refreshing Reboot With it’s Own Flair

Sometimes casting speaks for itself, so when the announcement of rebooted Mr. and Mrs. Smith came through with Donald Glover attached to star, co-create, and produce, I was totally on board. Alongside him is the amazingly talented Maya Erskine (who you may recognize from voicing Mizu in the Blue-Eyed Samurai) who was an excellent choice to replace Phoebe Waller-Bridge. If your

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Review: ‘Argylle’ is Pure Moviegoing Fun

Argylle, with Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill, and more, is a ridiculously good time. It’s a stylish and fun action spy film with both heart and cheekiness that’s pure moviegoing fun. Argylle is a visionary romp that will leave you a Matthew Vaughn fan if you weren’t one before. It subverts clichéd spy movies in the most exciting way, and has enough whirlybird twists to

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‘Hit Man’ Review: The Perfect Rom-Com Crowd Pleaser

The art of the crowd pleaser is a delicate craft. Trying to make something that will connect with audiences on a major scale while also maintaining artistic integrity, on a good day, might as well be near impossible. So it wasn’t difficult to look upon the rave festival reviews for Hit Man, the latest from legendary filmmaker Richard Linklater (Dazed &

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Review: ‘Alienoid: Return to the Future’ Changes the Game of Time Travel Movies

Choi Dong-hoon reinvents the language of time travel cinema through his Alienoid series. With its sequel, Alienoid: Return to the Future, now in theaters, the director takes even bigger storytelling, and aesthetic, risks to enthrall viewers.  “Don’t try to understand it. Feel it.” is the core tenet Christopher Nolan attempted to introduce its audiences within his time-travel sci-fi drama Tenet. But

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‘Freaky Tales’ Review: Genre Extravaganza Pays Tribute To 1987 Oakland

When an independent director is swallowed up into the blockbuster machine, there’s usually two paths for them. Either they stay in the machine or are never heard from again. It’s Kind of a Funny Story and Mississippi Grind directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck seemed destined for the latter after directing Captain Marvel when they didn’t return for the sequel or immediately

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Book Review: ‘Suddenly Super: A Twisted Tale’ by Jen Calonita

Another Twisted Tale that has so far only been released on the other side of the pond, Suddenly Super asks “What if Violet from The Incredibles became an Agent of Syndrome?”. Now before anyone starts freaking out too much, no, Violet doesn’t suddenly become evil. Instead, she’s a confused teen who gets manipulated by an evil man. What happens when an

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Comics & CollectiblesComics ReviewsReviewsStellar Picks

‘Heartstopper Volume 5’ Embraces Young Love and Growing Up

Heartstopper is a recent addiction of mine and one that has changed my life in ways I can never fully explain. I had missed out on the craze when the first season released on Netflix, and it wasn’t until just a bit after the second season dropped before I got to it. I suppose I have the Cosmic Circle podcast to

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Book Review: ‘The City of Stardust’ by Georgia Summers

The Everly family has lived under a curse for centuries. For each generation, one member must be sacrificed to the mysterious Penelope. The reason for the curse has been lost to the Everly family, they simply live with the debt they can never fully pay. Ten years ago, Violet’s mom walked out the door to find a way to break the

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‘Argylle’ by Elly Conway Book Review: Read It Before Seeing The Movie!

Get ready for a spy-thriller-treasure hunting adventure in Argylle by Elly Conway. Aubrey Argylle has been drifting ever since his parents died five years ago. But now he’s gotten the attention of the CIA, and they’ve recruited him for a special ops team. Argylle wasn’t quite sure what to expect working for the CIA, but this team isn’t it. While Argylle

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