MovieMuse
T
he MovieMuse Reviews (MovieViews) database is a searchable collection of films that the team have watched, providing a comprehensive guide on what to watch and what to avoid. 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. For more recent entries we are also including a link to the film’s IMDb page and a trailer from YouTube.
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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The Edge of Democracy | 2019 | 6 | The democratic crisis in Brazil is a fascinating subject with unfortunate parallels to every other capitalist nation. But the pace at which this cautionary tale is told is far too slow to maintain interest. | 6 |
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Maleficent: Mistress of Evil | 2019 | 1, 8, 9 | Another interesting expansion of the Sleeping Beauty lore, but some of the casting and performances drag down a decent film. | 6 |
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Uncut Gems | 2019 | 5, 7, 20 | A chaotic day in the life of a jewellery dealer and hopeless gambling addict told in the Safdie brothers unique style. Sandler is excellent, but the frenetic pace of the film will unsettle some. | 7 |
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IT Chapter Two | 2019 | 11, 20 | After a promising set-up in the first film, this conclusion to the story is so bogged down by exposition, flashbacks and predictable jump scares that by the time they get around to the final showdown with IT you'll be too bored to care. | 5 |
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Charlie Says | 2018 | 3, 7 | This could have been an interesting study of three female members of Manson's family and what led them to commit murder, but in the end all it does is tell the already-known story about Manson and the crimes he helped perpetrate. A missed opportunity. | 5 |
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Feedback | 2019 | 11, 20 | Claustrophobic and sometimes gruesome, this single-location story has some good moments but would've benefitted from tighter editing. The ambiguous ending makes you wonder if any of the characters are actually good, which is both interesting and annoying. | 6 |
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Jumanji: The Next Level | 2019 | Action, 1, 4 | Story-wise it's less imaginative and recycles a lot of the plot elements from its predecessor, but it's still a very enjoyable adventure movie and Kevin Hart's hilarious impersonation of Danny Glover is worth the ticket price alone. | 7 |
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Say Anything... | 1989 | 4, 7, 16 | Probably best known for that boombox sequence, but aside from a couple of slightly generic scenes early on this is one of the better 80s high school rom-coms, with likeable characters, a heartfelt story and an excellent alt-rock soundtrack. | 7 |
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In the Shadow of the Moon | 2019 | Action, 17, 20 | An action packed, brain twisting time travel story that is original and clever, but the fact it covers almost 40 years in a 2 hour film means a lot is left unexplained. It may have worked better as a TV series which I definitely would have watched. | 7 |
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Honeyland | 2019 | 6, 7 | Beautifully shot documentary following a Macedonian bee keeper as her world is turned upside down by new neighbours. | 8 |
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I lost My Body | 2019 | 2, 7, 16 | As a hapless pizza delivery boy tries to woo a girl he meets, a severed hand travels across town to reunite with his body. A quite beautiful French animation. | 8 |
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A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon | 2019 | 2, 4 | It was always going to be a push to wring two movies out of a dialogue-less cartoon and this entry just feels forced and unnecessary. | 5 |
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Breakthrough | 2019 | 3, 7 | A horribly trite recruitment film for the church as a drowned boy miraculously comes to life due to his devout mothers prayer and unwavering faith. Would be completely forgotten if not for a Oscar nomination for best song. | 4 |
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The Ladykillers | 1955 | 4, 5 | A classic Ealing farce sees a gang led by Alec Guiness pretend to be classical musicians when the stay at an old ladies lodging house. | 8 |
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Portrait of a Lady on Fire | 2019 | 7, 10, 16 | A tender forbidden romance between a painter and her subject in eighteenth century France. Beautifully shot with a poetic and minimalist script, though it is the wonderfully nuanced acting from the leads that shines strongest. | 8 |
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Bait | 2019 | 7 | An interesting take on the invasion of coastal communities by rich city folk and second-homers. Told in a unique way with vintage cameras and stark edits. Like nothing else you will see this year! | 8 |
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Diego Maradona | 2019 | 3, 6, 19 | Far more than just an England fan's pantomime villain, we see warts and all how Maradona's Itallian dream became a nightmare. The spectacular rise and fall of a true footballing god. | 8 |
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Apollo 11 | 2019 | 6 | A stunning look at the moon landing told completely through archive footage. The lack of a voiceover, interviews or opinion really adds to the immersion and sets the film apart. | 9 |
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Richard Jewell | 2019 | 3, 7 | The true story of a hero security guard who was hounded as the villain by the FBI, told without an inch of subtly or nuance. | 5 |
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The Farewell | 2019 | 7 | A beautiful look at how east and west treat family and mortality as a Chinese-American goes back home when her gran is diagnosed with a terminal illness, | 9 |
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Judy | 2019 | 3, 7 | A biopic that follows the usual template of showing the worst of the person and hope we feel some pity. But Rene Zellweger's pantomimed performance as Judy Garland kills any hope of that. | 5 |
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Wrecker | 2016 | Action, 11, 20 | A pointless remake that does not deserve your attention! Check out our Podcast review (at 27 mins) | 3 |
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Little Women | 2019 | 7, 16 | Another adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's book. The first 40 minutes were a bit of a Walton's episode but I cared about the sisters and was interested in how it could be resolved without completely copping out and having Jo become the dutiful wife. | 8 |
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American Factory | 2019 | 6 | Following the changing fortunes and culture clashes of the rust-belt when the workers in an American factory town when General Motors move out and a Chinese glass company move in. | 7 |
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Sorry We Missed You | 2019 | 7 | Another depressing slice of real Britain in Ken Loach's indictment of the zero hour and gig economies. Not as powerful as I, Daniel Blake but still carries a punch. | 7 |