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Mike McGranaghan

Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:

I started doing movie reviews in 1986, when I joined the staff of my high school newspaper and won several Keystone awards (the Keystone award is the highest honor given to high school journalists in Pennsylvania). That was all the encouragement I needed to continue. While still in college, I became the film critic for two central Pennsylvania newspapers: The Selinsgrove Times-Tribune and The Middleburg Post. I stayed with those papers for five years. In 1995, I became film critic of Gamut! - an online magazine devoted to entertainment. My website (www.aisleseat.com) is an off-shoot of that magazine. Additionally, I am the on-air film critic for Sunbury Broadcasting Corporation, which operates three central PA radio stations. My reviews run weekly.

Publications:
Favorites:

Favorite Films - The Brothers McMullen, JFK, Fletch, Do the Right Thing, Chasing Amy, Fargo, The Blair Witch Project
Favorite Directors - Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Edward Burns, Kevin Smith, Steven Soderbergh, the Farrelly Brothers, the Coen Brothers, John Waters, Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Best of All Time: Schindler's List
Worst of All Time: Caligula

Critics' Group:
Location:

Central Pennsylvania

Official Website:

http://www.aisleseat.com/

Reviews

Movies TV Shows
The President's Cake (2025) 100% 3.5/4 EDIT “Brimming with both emotion and political relevance.” – Aisle Seat Feb 3, 2026 Full Review Teacher's Pet (2025) 3/4 EDIT “A chilling film that makes a battle of the brains just as exciting as a battle of the brawn.” – Aisle Seat Feb 2, 2026 Full Review Solo Mio (2026) 3/4 EDIT “A sweet and swoon-worthy romance that lifts your spirits.” – Aisle Seat Feb 1, 2026 Full Review Send Help (2026) 93% 3.5/4 EDIT “Theaters should install seatbelts because this movie is a wild ride.” – Aisle Seat Jan 30, 2026 Full Review Arco (2025) 92% 3/4 EDIT “If you possess an appreciation for animation that isn’t afraid to experiment, strap in for a joyous adventure.” – Aisle Seat Jan 30, 2026 Full Review Moses the Black (2026) 20% 0.5/4 EDIT “If nothing else, the film does succeed in facilitating prayer. That is to say, you’ll be thanking God when it’s finally over.” – Aisle Seat Jan 28, 2026 Full Review Shelter (2026) 62% 3/4 EDIT “This is one of Statham’s most satisfying action movies because it’s got soul to match the violent mayhem.” – Aisle Seat Jan 28, 2026 Full Review Worldbreaker (2025) 50% 3/4 EDIT “A creature feature with something to say about parents, children, and the value of hope. ” – Aisle Seat Jan 27, 2026 Full Review Mercy (2026) 24% 1.5/4 EDIT “You can feel this thriller growing more and more stupid by the minute.” – Aisle Seat Jan 24, 2026 Full Review H Is for Hawk (2025) 80% 3/4 EDIT “The overall theme may be familiar – animals can help us heal – but the uniqueness of the creature gives the film a level of curiosity that’s easy to become invested in.” – Aisle Seat Jan 22, 2026 Full Review The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (2025) 80% 3/4 EDIT “It’s all very unpredictable and random, just as fans have come to expect.” – Aisle Seat Jan 22, 2026 Full Review In Cold Light (2025) 45% 3/4 EDIT “Gritty and suspenseful.” – Aisle Seat Jan 22, 2026 Full Review The Testament of Ann Lee (2025) 88% 3.5/4 EDIT “Director Mona Fastvold turns the story, which is based on true events, into a captivating cinematic experience.” – Aisle Seat Jan 21, 2026 Full Review A Private Life (2025) 81% 3/4 EDIT “Foster perfectly captures a woman caught in the web of transference and repression.” – Aisle Seat Jan 17, 2026 Full Review 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) 92% 3.5/4 EDIT “A remarkable sequel... gory and gruesome but also strangely touching.” – Aisle Seat Jan 16, 2026 Full Review Killer Whale (2026) 22% 2/4 EDIT “Maddie and Trish are supposed to be stranded on a rock in the ocean, but Gardner and Jarnson obviously filmed their scenes in a swimming pool somewhere, with the backgrounds added in later on.” – Aisle Seat Jan 14, 2026 Full Review Night Patrol (2025) 59% 3.5/4 EDIT “Fans of go-for-broke genre movies will be thrilled by the audaciousness that’s on display throughout.” – Aisle Seat Jan 14, 2026 Full Review Charlie the Wonderdog (2025) 42% 3/4 EDIT “A positive message, combined with cute characters and an overall sense of fun, makes this a movie parents can confidently take their children to see.” – Aisle Seat Jan 13, 2026 Full Review The Choral (2025) 67% 3/4 EDIT “Has a big heart that makes it a pleasure to watch.” – Aisle Seat Jan 10, 2026 Full Review Primate (2025) 78% 3/4 EDIT “A thrill-a-minute ride of terror. ” – Aisle Seat Jan 9, 2026 Full Review Is This Thing On? (2025) 86% 3/4 EDIT “The great film about stand-up comedy has yet to be made, but this one is sufficiently entertaining to hold us over until it is.” – Aisle Seat Jan 8, 2026 Full Review I Was a Stranger (2024) 75% 3/4 EDIT “I Was a Stranger stirs your intellect and touches your heart simultaneously.” – Aisle Seat Jan 7, 2026 Full Review OBEX (2025) 96% 3/4 EDIT “The love for ‘80s gaming shines through in this delightfully quirky indie.” – Aisle Seat Jan 7, 2026 Full Review The Plague (2025) 97% 3/4 EDIT “This is the kind of picture where you get a knot in your stomach early on, knowing that an unpleasant resolution is coming somewhere down the line.” – Aisle Seat Jan 1, 2026 Full Review We Bury the Dead (2024) 87% 3/4 EDIT “Horror with a soul.” – Aisle Seat Jan 1, 2026 Full Review
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