MovieMuse
T
he MovieMuse Reviews (MovieViews) database is a searchable collection of films that the team have watched. It provides a link to an in-depth review or a short opinion on the film and a rating, as well as a link to the film’s poster or DVD cover. Over time this will build into a comprehensive guide about what to watch and what to avoid.
You can search and sort the list by individual film names, genre, reviewer, score and other variables to inform you on whether a film is worth your time, or to inspire you for your next movie night.
We will also use the database to create periodic lists of the recommended films in all sorts of categories. These lists will be shared on the website and some will even come with a video.
| Poster | Movie | Year | Genre | Comments | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Benny Loves You | 2019 | Comedy, Horror | Takes liberal influence from other 'demonic toy' films and the low budget shows in the acting quality and cinematography, but the special effects are generally quite impressive and the story and dialogue are amusing in places. | 2.5 |
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Disappearance at Clifton Hill | 2019 | Mystery, Thriller | This could have been a decent mystery film as the set-up is good and the acting is fine, but it's spoiled by the over-complicated story and simply horrendous freeform jazz score. | 2.5 |
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The Hidden | 1987 | Action, SciFi | The true nature of the antagonist is given away way too early and there is a fair amount of 80s cheese, but the acting talent is good and there's a decent mix of action and black comedy in this cult favourite. | 3.5 |
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His House | 2020 | Drama, Horror | A creepy haunted house story that also dwells on the isolation and loss of identity experienced by asylum seekers, this probably tries to cram too much into a 90 minute film but the acting is excellent and the scary moments are well executed. | 3.5 |
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James vs His Future Self | 2019 | Comedy, Drama, SciFi | Daniel Stern is the star attraction as the deranged older version of a man trying to convince his younger self not to invent time travel. An amusing movie that is less about Sci-Fi and more about learning to enjoy the lighter side of life. | 3 |
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Kill Command | 2016 | Action, SciFi | There are few better films to take liberal influence from than Terminator, Aliens and Predator so while this may not be very original, it's actually quite entertaining with better special effects than expected given its B-Movie status. | 3 |
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Zombieland: Double Tap | 2019 | Comedy, Horror | Does nothing that the first film didn't already do and is less impressive as a result, but still provides plenty of laughs, entertaining characters and its fair share of excessive violence. | 3.5 |
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An American Pickle | 2020 | Comedy | A ridiculous premise and a typical Seth Rogen vehicle with plenty of digs at religion and politics, but it also has some heart and enough funny moments to make it enjoyable. | 3 |
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The Faculty | 1998 | SciFi, Thriller | Invasion of the Body Snatchers for the Buffy generation, with nods to The Breakfast Club and The Thing along the way, but with snappy dialogue and a cool cast to help it stand out from the glut of similar movies from this era. | 3.5 |
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Biggles | 1986 | Action, SciFi, War | An odd use of the Biggles license, mixing it with an 80s time travel story where nobody is at all concerned about being zapped 70 years into the past or future. There are a few good action scenes though and it helps that nobody is taking it too seriously. | 2.5 |
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The Mitchells vs the Machines | 2021 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy | Despite being producers and not directors for this film, Lord and Miller's chaotic style and humour are all over this terrific family adventure. Think iRobot crossed with The Lego Movie. | 4 |
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Taken | 2008 | Action, Crime, Thriller | The film that created Liam Neeson as an action star still holds up strong today and whilst it isn't as clever as some of its contemporaries, it has enough thrills to easily sustain its short run-time. | 3.5 |
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Promising Young Woman | 2020 | Crime, Drama | A young woman seeks revenge against men for the traumatising effects of her past. Takes a few turns you probably won't expect and delivers a punch to the face for institutional misogyny. | 4 |
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Duck Duck Goose | 2018 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy | An amusing family adventure that see a lone-wolf goose learn the value of family when he is forced to look after two precocious ducklings. Some parents may take offence at some of the toilet humour however. | 3 |
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Creation Stories | 2021 | Biopic, Drama, Music | The story of Creation records and its founder has an interesting first half, but the film then degenerates into a tiresome collection of anecdotes with little to no insight into Magee, the label or the bands involved. | 2.5 |
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The Father | 2021 | Drama | By far the best ever portrayal of dementia put to film as Anthony Hopkins refuses help from his daughter despite his world becoming more and more confused. Incredibly well directed to the point where you become as befuddled as the old man. | 4.5 |
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Nomadland | 2020 | Drama | This quasi-documentary on the modern-day American nomad life is emotional and interesting with a great central performance, but it is hard to see why it has scored so many awards wins. | 3.5 |
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Blindspotting | 2018 | Comedy, Crime, Drama | A hard hitting film that manages not to preach as a young black man tries to see out his probation in a poor, volatile and racist town. A social commentary on modern America that deserves a very wide audience. | 4 |
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The Kid Detective | 2020 | Comedy, Drama, Mystery | An interesting and playful spin on the classic noir as a washed up former child detective prodigy who never achieved his potential is thrown into his biggest case yet - murder! | 3.5 |
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Chaplin | 1992 | Biopic, Drama | An unforgivably long film that doesn't give anywhere near enough insight and is held together by a poorly constructed reminiscence. A wasted opportunity and ripe for another attempt. RDJ plays it well however. | 3 |
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Deep Rising | 1998 | Action, Horror | Aliens meets Titanic in this cheese-laden thriller with some awfully one-dimensional characters. The action sequences are well done though and the biggest surprise is that most of the CGI effects have aged quite well. | 3 |
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Innerspace | 1987 | Action, Comedy, SciFi | A few scenes could have been left on the cutting room floor but otherwise this combines a great Sci-Fi story, Martin Short's brilliant physical comedy and some decent action and SFX sequences into an entertaining 80s film that has aged remarkably well. | 3.5 |
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Vantage Point | 2008 | Action, Thriller | Replaying the events surrounding an assassination from the perspective of different witnesses results in some repetition of scenes, but copying the 24 TV show formula in movie form works pretty well and has plenty of thrills and some unexpected twists. | 3.5 |
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When Jeff Tried to Save the World | 2018 | Comedy, Drama | The nostalgic aesthetic makes this appealing from the start and while the comedy is fairly gentle, the story, character relationships and lack of a typical blockbuster ending contribute to a very pleasant film to watch. | 3.5 |
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Spinster | 2019 | Comedy, Drama | Less zany than the marketing suggested but still enjoyable, with a pleasant performance from Chelsea Peretti and a witty story that quietly celebrates the benefits of being single as you get older. | 3 |