The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
Back to trending 
The Old Mill
Animation · Thriller · Family · 1937
Night in an old mill is dramatically depicted in this Oscar-winning short in which the frightened occupants, including birds, timid mice, owls, and other creatures try to stay safe and dry as a storm approaches. As the thunderstorm worsens, the mill wheel begins to turn and the whole mill threatens to blow apart until at last the storm subsides.
Movie details
The Old Mill
“Animals try to stay safe and dry in an old mill.”
1937 Animation · Thriller · Family 9m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.3 / 10
Community rating
Night in an old mill is dramatically depicted in this Oscar-winning short in which the frightened occupants, including birds, timid mice, owls, and other creatures try to stay safe and dry as a storm approaches. As the thunderstorm worsens, the mill wheel begins to turn and the whole mill threatens to blow apart until at last the storm subsides.
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 The Old Mill?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
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.
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Far from the Tree
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Piper
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The Gruffalo
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The magical tale of a mouse who sets foot on a woodland adventure in search of a nut. Encountering predators who all wish to eat him - Fox, Owl and Snake - the brave mouse creates a terrifying, imaginary monster to frighten them away. But what will the mouse do when he meets this frightful monster for real?
Snoopy Presents: It's the Small Things, Charlie Brown
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An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster
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Follow the clues to fun and excitement as the beloved little mouse takes on a big monster in this charming, full-length adventure. When a ferocious, mouse-nabbing creature puts fear into the hearts of New York City's rodents, Fievel and his friends team up with a reporter to chase after the scoop of the century and -- just maybe -- get a close-up look at the bad guy himself!
Mickey's Tale of Two Witches
Animation · 2021
On Halloween, Mickey tells a tale of two witches-in-training, Minnie and Daisy, who must pass four tests to graduate from the With Academy in Happy Haunt Hills.
Monster High: Ghouls Rule
Animation · 2012
Monster High: Ghouls Rule unearths an old conflict between "Normies" and monsters - and things are about to get scary! For years, students at Monster High were warned that Halloween was a night to stay inside and avoid conflict at all costs. But Frankie and her friends discover that ghouls and "Normies" once loved to spend the holiday together! The ghouls decide to turn back the clock and use the night to celebrate their individuality and show that it's okay to "Be Yourself. Be Unique. Be a Monster!"
Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You
Animation · 1999
After Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Rabbit see Christopher Robin making a valentine for -- gasp! -- a girl, they find he's been bitten by a "Smitten" and is lovesick! Worried that he'll no longer have time for them, and hoping a second bite from the love bug will cure him, they set out on a wild adventure to capture the Smitten. This wonderful story, filled with magic and whimsy, and sweetened with three new songs, reminds us all that the heart is big and always has plenty of room for friends -- old and new.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Wilfred Jackson · Graham Heid
M
Marie Arbuckle
Singer (voice) (uncredited)
J
Jean MacMurray
Crickets (voice) (uncredited)
L
Louise Myers
Birds (voice) (uncredited)
Clarence Nash
Frogs (voice) (uncredited)
M
Marta Nielsen
Singer (voice) (uncredited)
J
Jerry Philipps
Singer (voice) (uncredited)
B
Barbara Whitson
Singer (voice) (uncredited)
Court is in session
Put The Old Mill 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.