Synopsis
Dave, an artist who has yet to complete anything significant in his career, builds a fort in his living room out of pure frustration, only to wind up trapped by the fantastical pitfalls, booby traps, and critters of his own creation. Ignoring his warnings, Dave’s girlfriend Annie leads a band of oddball explorers on a rescue mission. Once inside, they find themselves trapped in an ever-changing supernatural world, threatened by booby traps and pursued by a bloodthirsty Minotaur.
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Cast
- Nick ThuneDave
- Meera Rohit KumbhaniAnnie
- Adam BuschGordon
- James UrbaniakHarry
- Stephanie AllynneBrynn
- Kirsten VangsnessJane
- Scott KrinskyLeonard
- John HenniganMinotaur
- Rick OvertonHobo
- Kamilla AlnesFlemish Tourist
Recommendations
- 80
The Hollywood Reporter
Wildly inventive on a micro-budget scale, actor Bill Watterson’s shift to directing is an impressively crafted feature that’s full of frequent surprises. - 80
Arizona Republic
Weird” is one word for it, and it certainly applies. But so does “creative,” “inventive,” “compelling” and, finally, “good.” Dave Made a Maze is all of those things, a one-of-a-kind movie from director and co-writer Bill Watterson. - 75
Movie Nation
Actor-turned-director and co-writer Bill Watterson keeps the tone light and the surprises surprising, for the most part. The energy flags as the picture loses a little of its momentum in the middle acts. It’s only 80 minutes long, so even that doesn’t hurt it much. - 67
The Film Stage
Where things go is easy to guess considering the plot’s rather simple trajectory of personal growth and emotional maturity, but the pathway is always surprising. - 63
Boston Globe
There aren’t sufficient words to describe the remarkable visual environment; suffice it to say that the production designers are the stars here as much as the cast. More so, really. - 60
Variety
The idiosyncrasy and resourcefulness are impressive, even inspiring to a point. But at 80-odd minutes, the self-conscious novelty begins to seem stretched, enough so that you notice this clever conceit is never particularly funny or meaningful — just cute. - 59
Paste Magazine
One of the more frustrating experiences in appraising art is arriving at the confusing intersection of admiring an artist’s work, while simultaneously not particularly enjoying it.... Bill Watterson’s fiercely creative yet endlessly frustrating Dave Made a Maze leaves the viewer in precisely this uncomfortable position. - 50
Los Angeles Times
While the dramatic underpinnings could have used more work, the labyrinth that’s the focus of Dave Made a Maze is truly an amazingly inventive sight to behold.
