Rafael Motamayor

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Collider, IGN, IndieWire, Observer, Polygon, Slashfilm, TheWrap
For 142 reviews, this critic has graded:
  • 74% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 23% lower than the average critic
On average, this critic grades 10.8 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)

Rafael Motamayor's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average review score: 76
Highest review score: 100 Everything Everywhere All at Once
Lowest review score: 25 The Astronaut
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 118 out of 142
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 142
  3. Negative: 2 out of 142
142 movie reviews
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    • 51 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission
    My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission boasts the franchises' best animation yet, as well as a dark and menacing villain straight out of an X-Men comic. It all results in a compelling and thrilling adventure that, sadly, suffers from being an isolated non-canon story.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Wendell & Wild
    Henry Selick returns to our screens with Wendell & Wild, a new stop-motion nightmare that brings an edgier and darker tone, more mature subjects, and even more laughs to the director's toolbox. Partnering with Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key, this is a feast for the eyes; a hilarious, spooky, empowering story; and a movie you'll want to add to your Halloween rotation.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    BlackBerry
    BlackBerry may not get the awards love "The Social Network" did, but it does turn a fascinating story into a very entertaining film.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Fresh
    Fresh delivers a full-course meal with dazzling cinematography, disturbing imagery, and one of the best horror performances of the past few years. Sebastian Stan joins the pantheon of horror psychopaths as this delightfully gory movie explores the world of modern dating.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Vampires vs. the Bronx
    Vampire vs. the Bronx offers enough kid-friendly thrills and laughs to entertain and introduce newcomers to the horror genre, while also offering a socially conscious exploration of gentrification we haven't seen in the genre before.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Fixed
    The slapstick comedy works wonders, and stands in stark contrast to the endless pop culture-based animated comedies of the past 20 years. But it's the heart at the center of the movie – the dynamic between the dogs played by the likes of Adam DeVine, Idris Elba, Kathryn Hahn – that sells the story and makes this more than a one-joke movie.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Woman of the Hour
    Kendrick's directorial debut shows both confidence and great promise, crafting a disturbing tale, and a chilling examination of casual misogyny and violence towards women.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist
    Alexandre O. Philippe continues to impress by challenging what we knew of making-of documentaries with a poetic and lyrical film that’s as entertaining as its subject is eloquent, and a fascinating and thought-provoking as the horror classic that the documentary explores.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    The Sea Beast
    The result is a movie that's as fun as it has things to say, a true animated blockbuster that could play like gangbusters in multiplexes (if there is any indication from the world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where the crowd went wild towards the climax of the film), and lingers on your mind long after the credits roll.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    All You Need Is Kill
    The adaptation stumbles in its third act, but before that, Akimoto builds a killer video game-like time loop with striking imagery and a heartfelt depiction of loneliness. The action is tremendous, and the character of Rita provides an excellent viewpoint for watching an alien attack play out over and over again.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    The Surfer
    When it comes to Nicolas Cage movies where he fights insurmountable odds while losing his mind, The Surfer is a great time.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Bodies Bodies Bodies
    Bodies Bodies Bodies’ great ensemble and delightfully chaotic script make for a tense and laugh-out-loud funny film.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Blue Lock the Movie -Episode Nagi-
    Blue Lock: Episode Nagi improves upon the first season's story by retelling the it from a fresh perspective – adding new dimensions to a fan favorite character in the process.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die
    Though Verbinski's smallest movie since "Mouse Hunt," it still feels as ambitious as the director's blockbuster work.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Spencer
    Spencer is a narratively ambitious film that remixes reality and fiction to get us inside the head of the Princess of Wales, exploring mental illness and past trauma with high camp that captures the suffering of its main character. Kristen Stewart gives a career-best performance while Pablo Larrain cements himself as a go-to director for unique and thoughtful biopics.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning
    This may not be the film fans expected, but it is still a worthy addition to the Digimon franchise.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Children of the Sea
    One thing is for certain, you haven’t seen an anime movie like this.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Shin Ultraman
    It’s a joyful, uplifting ode to tokusatsu and to superhero tales, and well worth a watch no matter your level of familiarity with the character.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror
    Though it's hard to recommend this film to people without at least a passing interest in folk horror or folklore, those who stick with Woodlands Dark will find an expansive, practical, entertaining history lesson in a popular yet ill-defined subgenre of horror and come out the other side with a newfound appreciation for it.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
    Marcel the Shell With Shoes On suffers from an aimless plot that feels stretched too thin, but it provides one of the most endearing and adorable animated characters since Paddington Bear. It delivers enough heart, laughs, and innocence to forgive its shortcomings.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    Broker
    Broker is another showcase of empathy from Kore-eda, a movie about found families and finding a home with each other, about the small acts of kindness that can truly mean the world to someone. Though its tone doesn't always work and its runtime is excessive, it is an emotionally devastating and life-reaffirming movie that is hard not to sympathize with.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    The Deer King
    The‌ Deer King may feel familiar to fans of Studio Ghibli, but it’s made with such dedication to the craft and the story that it results in a brand-new experience full of heart and action.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Rafael Motamayor
    War Pony
    This is a brutally honest look at a community seldom portrayed on screen with care or honesty, with a simple story that may not pack much in terms of plot, but packs a whole lot of authenticity and empathy, with a stellar cast of mostly first-time actors.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 75 Rafael Motamayor
    Mad God
    After four decades of crafting creatures for iconic films, Phil Tippett has finally unleashed his magnum opus, and it is worth the wait. Mad God exudes devotion, with every frame carrying decades worth of ideas and craft, resulting in a film that is just as hard to describe as it is hard to forget.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 75 Rafael Motamayor
    The Blackening
    More importantly, the film specifically examines Blackness through the lens of whiteness, making a white man the enemy and showing how an outside force wreaks havoc among the closed group. The film jokes about Black suffering, but this is far from trauma porn. It’s a truly Black horror comedy.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 75 Rafael Motamayor
    The Harder They Fall
    The Harder They Fall may not be the second coming of the Western genre, but it is a highly entertaining film with inspired performances by Majors and Elba, and a thrilling debut from Jeymes Samuels, who makes the case for more movies like this to redefine the Western genre for a new generation.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 75 Rafael Motamayor
    The Lost City
    The Lost City doesn’t have the most exciting or novel plot, and it doesn’t push action filmmaking forward. But it does feature two of the moment’s greatest movie stars coming in at the top of their rom-com game, and mixing adventure and love.
    • 44 Metascore
    • 75 Rafael Motamayor
    Next Goal Wins
    There just isn’t much to differentiate Next Goal Wins from any other cliche-ridden underdog sports story. But what does salvage it is Taika Waititi’s ability to create quirky worlds filled with lovable characters.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 75 Rafael Motamayor
    The Front Runner
    The Front Runner is too afraid to take a side in its central debate, but a strong ensemble cast and interesting ideas about accountability and newsworthiness make this a timely and thought-provoking film.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 75 Rafael Motamayor
    Encanto
    From its predictably gorgeous yet unimaginative visuals, to its familiar songs and predictable story, the film does feel rather safe despite being superficially groundbreaking for the studio. And yet, when the film dives into the specificity of its portrayal of Colombia or its themes which share similarities with the seminal novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, it becomes an exciting, nuanced, complex magical realist adventure that pushes the nearly 100-year-old studio forward to a new era.
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