The defence The Prestige Tourist
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
Back to trending 
Paperhouse
Drama · Fantasy · 1988
A young girl lost in the loneliness and boredom of reality finds solace in an ill boy, whom she can visit in a surreal dream world that she drew in her school composition book.
Movie details
Paperhouse
“A drawing that became a dream. A dream that became reality.”
1988 Drama · Fantasy 1h 32m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.5 / 10
Community rating
A young girl lost in the loneliness and boredom of reality finds solace in an ill boy, whom she can visit in a surreal dream world that she drew in her school composition book.
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 Paperhouse?
For the defence
The Prestige Tourist
“You like your greatness pre-approved.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe 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.
Tideland
Fantasy · 2005
Because of the actions of her irresponsible parents, a young girl is left alone on a decrepit country estate and survives inside her fantastic imagination.
Tuesday
Fantasy · 2024
A mother and her teenage daughter must confront Death when it arrives in the form of an astonishing talking bird.
Waking Life
Animation · 2001
Waking Life is about a young man in a persistent lucid dream-like state. The film follows its protagonist as he initially observes and later participates in philosophical discussions that weave together issues like reality, free will, our relationships with others, and the meaning of life.
Closet Monster
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A creative and driven teenager is desperate to escape his hometown and the haunting memories of his turbulent childhood.
Melancholia
Drama · 2011
Two sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide with Earth.
A Mouthful of Air
Drama · 2021
Julie is a new mom and children's book author, who escapes into the bright Crayola-colored world of her creation in order to leave behind the darkness caused by her post-partum depression.
Herself
Drama · 2020
Struggling to provide her daughters with a safe, happy home, Sandra decides to build one - from scratch. Using all her ingenuity to make her ambitious dream a reality, Sandra draws together a community to lend a helping hand to build her house and ultimately recover her own sense of self.
Interstate 60
Adventure · 2002
An aspiring painter meets various characters and learns valuable lessons while traveling across America.
Donnie Darko
Fantasy · 2001
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
The Young One
Drama · 1960
A jazz musician seeks refuge from a lynch mob on a remote island, where he meets a hostile game warden and the young object of his attentions.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Bernard Rose
Written by
Matthew Jacobs
Charlotte Burke
Anna Madden
E
Elliott Spiers
Marc
Glenne Headly
Kate Madden
Gemma Jones
Dr. Sarah Nicols
Ben Cross
Dad
Jane Bertish
Miss Vanstone
S
Sarah Newbold
Karen
Court is in session
Put Paperhouse on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.