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Puppetmaster

Puppetmaster

Horror · 1989

After being contacted by their mysterious former colleague, four psychics arrive at a secluded hotel where they are stalked by a group of murderous puppets.

Movie details

Puppetmaster

“Evil comes in all sizes.”

1989 Horror 1h 28m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.9 / 10

Community rating

After being contacted by their mysterious former colleague, four psychics arrive at a secluded hotel where they are stalked by a group of murderous puppets.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Puppetmaster?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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The Kindred

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Horror · 1987

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Saw 3D

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As a deadly battle rages over Jigsaw's brutal legacy, a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen, a man whose own dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror.

Night of the Living Dead

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A relaxing Christmas vacation turns into a terrifying fight for survival as the children begin to turn on their parents.

Cult of Chucky

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Horror · 2017

Confined to an asylum for the criminally insane for the past four years, Nica is wrongly convinced that she, not Chucky, murdered her entire family... until a string of grisly deaths occur after her psychiatrist introduces a new group therapy tool -- a "Good Guy" doll.

Fright

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Horror · 1971

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A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Horror · 1987

A psychiatrist, familiar with the knife-wielding dream demon Freddy Krueger, helps teens at a mental hospital battle the killer who is invading their dreams.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

David Schmoeller

Written by

David Schmoeller · Charles Band · Kenneth J. Hall · J.S. Cardone

Paul Le Mat

Paul Le Mat

Alex Whitaker

William Hickey

William Hickey

Andre Toulon

Irene Miracle

Irene Miracle

Dana Hadley

Jimmie F. Skaggs

Jimmie F. Skaggs

Neil Gallagher

R

Robin Frates

Megan Gallagher

M

Matt Roe

Frank Forrester

Kathryn O'Reilly

Kathryn O'Reilly

Carlissa Stamford

Court is in session

Put Puppetmaster on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Arthouse Gremlin

“Its refusal to behave is the point.”

The strange choices create the kind of friction that follows you out of the theatre and into the argument.

The prosecution The Prestige Tourist

“Oddness is not depth.”

A film can break every rule and still leave nothing behind but the memory of how hard it tried to be singular.