FictionMachine is an ongoing collection of essays. They were initially about science fiction, fantasy and horror cinema, but non-genre films are gaining increased coverage. Each essay takes on an individual film and submits it to closer examination. It explores the making of the film, using quotes by the filmmakers and actors where available. Ultimately it is an appreciation of both a genre and a medium: celebrating the biggest hits while shining a light on under-seen and under-rated gems.

Since February 2017 the site has also published short-form reviews of current and past feature films, as a supplement to the main essays.

The website is primarily written by Grant Watson. Since 2000 Grant has been writing film criticism, beginning with his William Atheling Jr award-winning column in Borderlands and continuing through his podcast Bad Film Diaries and more than 2,000 posts on The Angriest. This is the latest iteration of his critical writing project. He also writes for FilmInk and VCinema. In 2018 he served on the Fipresci Prize jury at the Taiwan Golden Horse Film Festival.