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Alise Chaffins

Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:

Alise (she/her) is a film critic out of Morgantown, WV. Alise loves highlighting movies from women and/or queer directors.

Reviews

Movies TV Shows
Big Girls Don't Cry (2026) 100% 4.5/5 EDIT “What makes the film work so well is that those difficult to watch moments are also the ones that are difficult to live through. It is a beautifully authentic film and one to watch for.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Mar 2, 2026 Full Review Extra Geography (2026) 100% 3.5 EDIT “...this is a charming coming-of-age film, and I think it’s one that will find a very devoted audience.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Mar 2, 2026 Full Review Hot Water (2026) 90% 3.5/5 EDIT “The way relationships between parents and kids change is always fascinating, and it’s hard to go wrong locking that change in a car and seeing what happens.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Mar 2, 2026 Full Review The Bluff (2026) 71% 3/5 EDIT “This movie has a strong start and a unique view on the topic of colonization, but as it wears on, the fun of the fight scenes morphs into a slog with thinly drawn characters.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Mar 2, 2026 Full Review American Doctor (2026) 100% 4.5/5 EDIT “This will not sit easy, but then again, what’s happening shouldn’t allow any of us to sit easy.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 25, 2026 Full Review All About the Money (2026) 91% 3/5 EDIT “There’s nothing wrong with All About the Money, but there’s nothing particularly worthwhile in it either. ” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 25, 2026 Full Review Jane Elliott Against the World (2026) 4/5 EDIT “Jane Elliott Against the World is an incredibly powerful and necessary documentary.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 25, 2026 Full Review How to Make a Killing (2026) 46% 3/5 EDIT “While this film does boast performances from the effortlessly charming duo of Glen Powell and Margaret Qualley, it struggles to figure out what kind of movie it wants to be, ultimately leaving it rather forgettable, if momentarily entertaining.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 24, 2026 Full Review Threshold (2026) 4/5 EDIT “In their film Threshold, coming to Peacock on February 23, directors Lars and Torsten Brinkema look into both her incredible skiing career, but also her struggles with the eating disorder, bulimia.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 23, 2026 Full Review Bedford Park (2026) 96% 3.5/5 EDIT “Stephanie Ahn’s debut feature is a touching, down-to-earth romance that examines not only the ways that we fall in love, but the way that money, race, and past relationships impact something new.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 19, 2026 Full Review How to Divorce During the War (2026) 100% 3.5/5 EDIT “...it is an examination, not only of the ways that relationships can begin to unravel, but also of how that unraveling can sometimes lead us to better versions of ourselves.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 19, 2026 Full Review Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! (2026) 94% 3.5/5 EDIT “Taking us deep inside the pain and the absurdity that happens following a major loss, this film uses dance and a chubby raven to explore what it is to lose someone close to you.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 19, 2026 Full Review André Is an Idiot (2025) 93% 4.5/5 EDIT “André Is an Idiot is a joyful celebration in addition to a somber reminder to get that colonoscopy.” – Movies We Texted About Feb 17, 2026 Full Review Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die (2025) 83% 4/5 EDIT “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die...blends comedy, action, and a sci-fi dystopia into something designed for the moment we are living through.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 16, 2026 Full Review If I Go Will They Miss Me (2026) 96% 4.5/5 EDIT “If I Go Will The Miss Me is a tender, beautiful portrait of the difficulties of father-son relationships and the nature of freedom. ” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 15, 2026 Full Review The Musical (2026) 58% 2/5 EDIT “...this movie squanders a good idea with one of the most unlikable main characters ever, and it doesn’t actually give us the musical we were promised.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 15, 2026 Full Review Carousel (2026) 68% 2.5/5 EDIT “...while the cast is exquisite, the storytelling in this film felt disjointed.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 15, 2026 Full Review Seized (2026) 100% 4.5/5 EDIT “Seized is entertaining, to be sure, but it’s also an alarm being raised about the importance of an independent press, something becoming increasingly more difficult to dig up.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 12, 2026 Full Review Silenced (2026) 100% 3.5/5 EDIT “Silenced does an admirable job of showing how the legal system works to protect those who already hold power. ” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 12, 2026 Full Review Joybubbles (2026) 82% 4/5 EDIT “Joybubbles is a lovely documentary that is inspirational, not because Engrassia overcame a disability, but because of his ability to find joy and connection with people despite the prejudices he faced because of his blindness.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 12, 2026 Full Review Whistle (2025) 62% 3.5/5 EDIT “...a fun, blood-soaked movie filled with some gnarly kills that will satisfy most gore-hounds.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 10, 2026 Full Review Pike River (2025) 86% 4/5 EDIT “The shift in focus means much less spectacle, but a deeper, more heartfelt story that gets to the center of what it means to be left behind following a major traumatic event like this.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 9, 2026 Full Review Run Amok (2026) 66% 3.5/5 EDIT “It’s an ambitious movie that has some of the most interesting and unique ideas I’ve seen in a minute, but it overplays its hand in a way that doesn’t allow it to live up to its potential.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Feb 5, 2026 Full Review The Incomer (2026) 91% 4/5 EDIT “This Scottish absurdist comedy is an absolute delight, addressing themes of isolation and authenticity with whimsy and fun.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Jan 30, 2026 Full Review Mercy (2026) 25% 2/5 EDIT “There’s a potentially interesting idea in Mercy (but) it is abandoned for innumerable plot conveniences, an overabundance of CGI screens, and an AI judge that seems to think the guy she’s trying to execute is actually pretty swell deep down.” – MacGuffin or Meaning (Substack) Jan 26, 2026 Full Review
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