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Dave Made a Maze

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Dave Made a Maze

Released Aug 18, 2017

1h 20m

Adventure

Comedy

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

53 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Dave, a frustrated artist who has yet to accomplish anything significant in his career, builds a fort out of cardboard boxes in his living room, only to wind up trapped by the fantastical pitfalls and critters of his own creation. Ignoring his warnings, Dave's girlfriend Annie leads a band of oddball explorers on a rescue mission. Upon entry, they find themselves in an ever-changing supernatural world, threatened by booby traps and pursued by a bloodthirsty Minotaur.

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Critics Consensus

Dave Made a Maze offers decent storytelling but plunges deep into bold stylistic waters, establishing director Bill Watterson as a fresh and inventive filmmaker.

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Glenn Kenny

RogerEbert.com

I had never felt happier to be approaching senior citizenship.

Rated: 1.5/4

Mar 26, 2018

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Leah Pickett

Chicago Reader

This is a fun ride.

Sep 14, 2017

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Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

If you're looking for something different - and mean it when you say so - Dave Made a Maze is a joy.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 18, 2017

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Eve Tushnet

Patheos

A weird little gem. The kind of horror flick that isn't great-great, but is simultaneously so of its era and so individual in its vision that it will get brought up later in lists...

Sep 13, 2021

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Stephen Porzio

HeadStuff

The maze is a wondrous creation, somehow coming across very makeshift and tangible, yet also wondrous and vast

Jan 5, 2021

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Utterly brimming with creativity.

Rated: 8/10

Dec 5, 2020

Full Review

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TI H

DAVE MADE A MAZE out of cardboard in his living room. It’s much, much, much bigger on the inside than it is on the outside, so much bigger that Dave and all his friends get lost inside. Therein, they dodge booby-traps while being hunted by a cardboard minotaur who attacks with real violence, although all the “blood and gore” is represented by confetti. (Literally. Confetti.) This movie feels like Romper Room meets Cube. The actors remind me of the Monkees from the 1960s, always half-aware that they’re in a movie and perfectly stoic about events that would drive the average person bonkers. It’s like none of the principal characters are taking the movie seriously, which amounts to a wonderful comedic effect. Sadly, this gimmick doesn't hold up the entire movie. This should have been a short film in an anthology. It didn’t deserve eighty minutes of screen time.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/03/25

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Tyler G

"Dave made a maze" is one of the weirdest and most creative films I've watched in a while. It is clear how versatile paper, cardboard, and the medium can be. I can appreciate how the film maker utilized paper to its utmost, and every scene was quite different. The room with multiple visual ploys, like the photo on the wall/attached to the side of the camera was wonderful. The different outfits made of paper, while Dave and his girlfriend had variations of the same conversation sat with me as well. These were unbelievably well made scenes, and the story was fun to watch. I am very surprised by this movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/14/24

Full Review

Taylor I

This movie was so much fun to watch. It's silly, it's wildly creative, and the set design is so enjoyable and interesting. This movie was wildly enjoyable for so many different reasons, and I cannot recommend it enough. I don't want to say much more for fear of ruining any of it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/22/24

Full Review

Mayana L

This is the perfect movie. I will die on that cardboard box.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/24

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Thom G

The great thing about Dave Made a Maze is that from the start, it fully embraces its own universe and offbeat humor, resulting in a surprisingly engaging, fun, and creative experience.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/26/24

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Brennan M

This feels like a perfect metaphor -- incomplete, soft, complex, rich, and childlike all at once. Something to chew on for a long time.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/24

Full Review

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Kirsten Vangsness

Jane

Stephanie Allynne

Brynn

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Dave Made a Maze: Trailer 1

1:57

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Synopsis

Dave, a frustrated artist who has yet to accomplish anything significant in his career, builds a fort out of cardboard boxes in his living room, only to wind up trapped by the fantastical pitfalls and critters of his own creation. Ignoring his warnings, Dave's girlfriend Annie leads a band of oddball explorers on a rescue mission. Upon entry, they find themselves in an ever-changing supernatural world, threatened by booby traps and pursued by a bloodthirsty Minotaur.

Director: Bill Watterson
Producer: John Chuldenko, John Charles Meyer
Screenwriter: Steven Sears, Bill Watterson
Distributor: Gravitas Ventures
Production Co: Gravitas Ventures
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 18, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 18, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $13.2K
Runtime: 1h 20m

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