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How to Write a Movie Review

Last Updated: August 11, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Marissa Levis . Marissa Levis is an English Teacher in the Morris County Vocational School District. She previously worked as an English director at a tutoring center that caters to students in elementary and middle school. She is an expert in creating a curriculum that helps students advance their skills in secondary-level English, focusing on MLA formatting, reading comprehension, writing skills, editing and proofreading, literary analysis, standardized test preparation, and journalism topics. Marissa received her Master of Arts in Teaching from Fairleigh Dickinson University. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 5,665,623 times.

Whether a movie is a rotten tomato or a brilliant work of art, if people are watching it, it's worth critiquing. A decent movie review should entertain, persuade and inform, providing an original opinion without giving away too much of the plot. A great movie review can be a work of art in its own right. Read on to learn how to analyze a movie like a professional film critic, come up with an interesting thesis, and write a review as entertaining as your source material.

Sample Movie Reviews

english assignment movie review

Writing an Intro for a Movie Review

Step 1 Start with a compelling fact, quote, or opinion on the movie.

  • Comparison to Relevant Event or Movie: "Every day, our leaders, politicians, and pundits call for "revenge"– against terrorist groups, against international rivals, against other political parties. But few of them understand the cold, destructive, and ultimately hollow thrill of revenge as well as the characters of Blue Ruin. "
  • Review in a nutshell: "Despite a compelling lead performance by Tom Hanks and a great soundtrack, Forrest Gump never gets out of the shadow of its weak plot and questionable premise."
  • Context or Background Information: " Boyhood might be the first movie made where knowing how it was produced–slowly, over 12 years, with the same actors–is just as crucial as the movie itself."

Step 2 Give a clear, well-established opinion early on.

  • Using stars, a score out of 10 or 100, or the simple thumbs-up and thumbs-down is a quick way to give your thoughts. You then write about why you chose that rating.
  • Great Movie: ABC is the rare movie that succeeds on almost every level, where each character, scene, costume, and joke firing on all cylinders to make a film worth repeated viewings."
  • Bad Movie: "It doesn't matter how much you enjoy kung-fu and karate films: with 47 Ronin, you're better off saving your money, your popcorn, and time."
  • Okay Movie: "I loved the wildly uneven Interstellar far more than I should have, but that doesn't mean it is perfect. Ultimately, the utter awe and spectacle of space swept me through the admittedly heavy-handed plotting and dialogue."

Step 3 Support your opinions with evidence from specific scenes.

  • Great: "Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer's chemistry would carry Fruitvale Station even if the script wasn't as good. The mid-movie prison scene in particular, where the camera never leaves their faces, shows how much they can convey with nothing but their eyelids, the flashing tension of neck muscles, and a barely cracking voice."
  • Bad: " Jurassic World's biggest flaw, a complete lack of relatable female characters, is only further underscored by a laughably unrealistic shot of our heroine running away from a dinosaur – in heels."
  • Okay: "At the end of the day, Snowpiercer can't decide what kind of movie it wants to be. The attention to detail in fight scenes, where every weapon, lightbulb, and slick patch of ground is accounted for, doesn't translate to an ending that seems powerful but ultimately says little of substance."

Step 4 Create an original...

  • Does the film reflect on a current event or contemporary issue? It could be the director's way of engaging in a bigger conversation. Look for ways to relate the content of the film to the "real" world.
  • Does the film seem to have a message, or does it attempt to elicit a specific response or emotion from the audience? You could discuss whether or not it achieves its own goals.
  • Does the film connect with you on a personal level? You could write a review stemming from your own feelings and weave in some personal stories to make it interesting for your readers.

Composing Your Review

Step 1 Follow your thesis paragraph with a short plot summary.

  • When you name characters in your plot summary, list the actors' names directly afterward in parenthesis.
  • Find a place to mention the director's name and the full movie title.
  • If you feel you must discuss information that might "spoil" things for readers, warn them first.

Step 2 Start to talk about the film’s technical and artistic choices.

  • Cinematography: " Her is a world drenched in color, using bright, soft reds and oranges alongside calming whites and grays that both build, and slowly strip away, the feelings of love between the protagonists. Every frame feels like a painting worth sitting in."
  • Tone: "Despite the insane loneliness and high stakes of being stuck alone on Mars, The Martian's witty script keeps humor and excitement alive in every scene. Space may be dangerous and scary, but the joy of scientific discovery is intoxicating."
  • Music and Sound: " No Country For Old Men's bold decision to skip music entirely pays off in spades. The eerie silence of the desert, punctuated by the brief spells of violent, up-close-and-personal sound effects of hunter and hunted, keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat."
  • Acting: "While he's fantastic whenever he's on the move, using his cool stoicism to counteract the rampaging bus, Keanu Reeves can't quite match his costar in the quiet moments of Speed, which falter under his expressionless gaze."

Step 3 Move into your...

  • Keep your writing clear and easy to understand. Don't use too much technical filmmaking jargon, and make your language crisp and accessible.
  • Present both the facts and your opinion. For example, you might state something such as, "The Baroque background music was a jarring contrast to the 20th century setting." This is a lot more informative then simply saying, "The music was a strange choice for the movie."

Step 4 Use plenty of examples to back up your points.

  • Great: "In the end, even the characters of Blue Ruin know how pointless their feud is. But revenge, much like every taut minute of this thriller, is far too addictive to give up until the bitter end.""
  • Bad: "Much like the oft-mentioned "box of chocolates", Forest Gump has a couple of good little morsels. But most of the scenes, too sweet by half, should have been in the trash long before this movie was put out."
  • Okay: "Without the novel, even revolutionary concept, Boyhood may not be a great movie. It might not even be "good.” But the power the film finds in the beauty of passing time and little, inconsequential moments – moments that could only be captured over 12 years of shooting – make Linklater's latest an essential film for anyone interested in the art of film."

Polishing Your Piece

Step 1 Edit your review.

  • Ask yourself whether your review stayed true to your thesis. Did your conclusion tie back in with the initial ideas you proposed?
  • Decide whether your review contains enough details about the movie. You may need to go back and add more description here and there to give readers a better sense of what the movie's about.
  • Decide whether your review is interesting enough as a stand-alone piece of writing. Did you contribute something original to this discussion? What will readers gain from reading your review that they couldn't from simply watching the movie?

Step 2 Proofread your review.

Studying Your Source Material

Step 1 Gather basic facts about the movie.

  • The title of the film, and the year it came out.
  • The director's name.
  • The names of the lead actors.

Step 2 Take notes on the movie as you watch it.

  • Make a note every time something sticks out to you, whether it's good or bad. This could be costuming, makeup, set design, music, etc. Think about how this detail relates to the rest of the movie and what it means in the context of your review.
  • Take note of patterns you begin to notice as the movie unfolds.
  • Use the pause button frequently so you make sure not to miss anything, and rewind as necessary.

Step 3 Analyze the mechanics of the movie.

  • Direction: Consider the director and how he or she choose to portray/explain the events in the story. If the movie was slow, or didn't include things you thought were necessary, you can attribute this to the director. If you've seen other movies directed by the same person, compare them and determine which you like the most.
  • Cinematography: What techniques were used to film the movie? What setting and background elements helped to create a certain tone?
  • Writing: Evaluate the script, including dialogue and characterization. Did you feel like the plot was inventive and unpredictable or boring and weak? Did the characters' words seem credible to you?
  • Editing: Was the movie choppy or did it flow smoothly from scene to scene? Did they incorporate a montage to help build the story? And was this obstructive to the narrative or did it help it? Did they use long cuts to help accentuate an actor's acting ability or many reaction shots to show a group's reaction to an event or dialogue? If visual effects were used were the plates well-chosen and were the composited effects part of a seamless experience? (Whether the effects looked realistic or not is not the jurisdiction of an editor, however, they do choose the footage to be sent off to the compositors, so this could still affect the film.)
  • Costume design: Did the clothing choices fit the style of the movie? Did they contribute to the overall tone, rather than digressing from it?
  • Set design: Consider how the setting of the film influenced its other elements. Did it add or subtract from the experience for you? If the movie was filmed in a real place, was this location well-chosen?
  • Score or soundtrack: Did it work with the scenes? Was it over/under-used? Was it suspenseful? Amusing? Irritating? A soundtrack can make or break a movie, especially if the songs have a particular message or meaning to them.

Step 4 Watch it one more time.

Expert Q&A

Marissa Levis

  • If you don't like the movie, don't be abusive and mean. If possible, avoid watching the movies that you would surely hate. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
  • Understand that just because the movie isn't to your taste, that doesn't mean you should give it a bad review. A good reviewer helps people find movie's they will like. Since you don't have the same taste in movies as everyone else, you need to be able to tell people if they will enjoy the movie, even if you didn't. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • Structure is very important; try categorizing the different parts of the film and commenting on each of those individually. Deciding how good each thing is will help you come to a more accurate conclusion. For example, things like acting, special effects, cinematography, think about how good each of those are. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

english assignment movie review

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Expert Interview

english assignment movie review

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about writing, check out our in-depth interview with Marissa Levis .

  • ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_about_film/terminology_and_starting_prompts.html
  • ↑ https://www.spiritofbaraka.com/how-write-a-movie-review
  • ↑ https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/9-tips-for-writing-a-film-review/
  • ↑ https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/writing-help/top-tips-for-writing-a-review
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/summary-using-it-wisely/
  • ↑ https://twp.duke.edu/sites/twp.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/film-review-1.original.pdf
  • ↑ https://www.dailywritingtips.com/7-tips-for-writing-a-film-review/
  • ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_about_film/film_writing_sample_analysis.html
  • ↑ https://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/onnyx.bei/dual-credit/movie-review-writing-guide
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
  • ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-a-movie-review/
  • ↑ https://gustavus.edu/writingcenter/handoutdocs/editing_proofreading.php
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
  • ↑ https://edusson.com/blog/how-to-write-movie-review

About This Article

Marissa Levis

To write a movie review, start with a compelling fact or opinion to hook your readers, like "Despite a great performance by Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump never overcomes its weak plot." Then, elaborate on your opinion of the movie right off the bat so readers know where you stand. Once your opinion is clear, provide examples from the movie that prove your point, like specific scenes, dialogue, songs, or camera shots. To learn how to study a film closely before you write a review, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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english assignment movie review

Quick Guide on How to Write a Movie Review Essay

english assignment movie review

What Is a Movie Review

The internet has revolutionized the realm of film criticism. No matter a movie's level of quality, it is always worth analyzing. Despite the growing number of individuals attempting to write about movies, few are successful. Most people do not provide insightful analysis, instead simply state how much they liked or disliked the film.

A movie criticism, usually composed by a professional in film studies, takes a comprehensive look at the film from a historical, social, political, or theoretical standpoint. This is unlike the opinion or suggestion given in a movie review, which is shorter and more concise.

A remarkable aspect of a good film review is that it doesn't just rate the movie but provides explicit views that form the critique's basis. This form of writing, like crafting essays, research papers, and term papers, should be insightful and draw the reader in quickly. It's important to discuss the reputation of the lead actors and directors and to write about what you expected and if they were met. The reviewer must explain a story's development without recalling major plot points and endings. The review must be concise, engaging, and should involve metaphors, specific words, analogies, etc.

Movie Review Purpose

Most film reviews are intended to guide readers in deciding whether to view, rent, or purchase the film. They should provide the necessary information to aid readers in deciding without divulging any fundamental details, such as the storyline or any surprises. This paper is common in schools because the lecturer wants to evaluate the student's ability to think critically and report the event easily for others to understand.

Movie reviews typically present a brief summary of the film's storyline. They provide readers with an overview of the characters, relationships, and scenarios but do not convey the complete narrative. Perusing the review should be different from seeing the movie. Nonetheless, feel free to highlight the essential moments or pivotal points that make the film worthwhile viewing.

Our college essay writing service has put together some advice on composing a movie review essay like a real critic, so let's explore the article further!

How to Write a Movie Review: Movie Review Outline

The structure is key when it comes to the quality of your paper. Don't neglect the power of a good outline, no matter what paper you're writing. Outlines help you stay on track and make sure your paper flows well.

Taking the time to arrange your ideas before starting to write is an effective way to save time further down the line. With a well-structured plan already in place, you won't have to worry about other elements. This will also make the writing process less stressful. Here is a guide on how to organize your movie review outline:

Writing a Movie Review_ Step-by-Step Guide

How Do You Start a Movie Review Essay: Introduction

The introductory paragraph is the first obvious step in crafting a movie review essay outline. Here, you want to quickly captivate the reader. Deliver your viewpoint instantly and make it unambiguous. Don't leave the audience wondering whether you enjoyed the film. Tell them right off the bat so you have time to justify your assessment throughout the remainder of the process.

In the introduction movie review should also describe your thesis. Develop the main concept for your essay that you can support using your perceptions of the movie's various aspects. The reader should be able to tell from this statement if you thought the film was fantastic, awful, or simply alright. By including a thesis statement, you may move your analysis beyond the plot synopsis phase into the movie critique category, which is considered a separate creative process.

Crafting Your Essay Movie Review Analysis

According to our research paper service , film analysis is similar to building a case. You're attempting to influence the reader to follow your recommendation to watch or disregard the film. So, you must ensure your essay movie review will be convincing. Giving instances that demonstrate the validity of your personal opinion is the only method to do this. If you find any dialogue in the movie that you think best exemplifies whether the work is strong or not, utilize quotes. This also applies to all of the movie's artistic decisions. But, just because a movie's narrative isn't strong or engaging doesn't indicate the rest of the film is worthless. Carefully highlight how some factors might undermine the movie in your explanation.

The movie's plot is only one component and shouldn't dominate the overall piece. The following are the important aspects to include in your movie review structure:

Cinematography - Cinematography covers much more than simply camera angles. It includes how the picture is lit, how it moves, appears, and what lenses are used. Here you can try the following analysis: 'Warm, gentle colors are used throughout the film, combined with soothing whites and grays, to simultaneously create and gradually tear away the characters' romantic sentiments for one another. There is a painting-like quality to each image.'

Editing - The editing is arguably the absolute star of what creates a good movie review example. It affects both the duration and the flow of a movie. Without effective editing, there would be uncomfortable gaps between pictures and many errors.

Costuming - The clothing the characters wear is called a costume, but there are a number of things to consider while evaluating movie costumes. You should be able to decide if the outfits suit the characters and the movie's atmosphere.

Casting and Acting - Finding the ideal performers to bring characters to life is the goal of casting. This sometimes entails seeing performers portray both familiar personas and figures who are entirely at odds with who they are. Casting, therefore, involves more than just finding talented performers. You can assess the acting in the following way: 'Even though he excels while on the go, his stoic behaviorism causes him to fall short of his co-star during calm scenes where he keeps a blank look on his face.'

Once you have finished analyzing the acting, directing, cinematography, setting, etc., wrap up with concise, stimulating wording to sustain readers' attention. Don't forget to provide a few examples to support your statements about the film.

Concluding Your Essay Movie Review

Finalize your review by coming full circle. Close the review by returning to your introductory fact or thesis. Give your readers a refresher on the movie's most intriguing aspects. It's important to remember that before choosing a movie, viewers check reviews. Finish with a statement indicating whether it is worthwhile for them to view. Be specific about who this movie will be more fascinating to and why in your suggestions. Remember that your ending is your last shot at influencing your audience, so use it wisely.

No matter the kind of movie review you have to complete, our professional specialists are willing to help you. Directly forward your needs to our research paper service and get it done quickly.

Need Help With MOVIE REVIEW WRITING?

No matter what type of movie review you want, our qualified specialists are ready to assist you.

Short Movie Review Form

If you are currently working on a new or old movie review, reading our suggestions should be sufficient to help you earn an A. So what if you'll be writing many reviews in the future? In this situation, we advise you to develop a uniform movie review template, which will enable you to save time and complete your upcoming projects successfully.

So, how to write a movie review template, you may ask? Well, our essay helper prepared a simple yet great movie review template you may use as a foundation for your own writing if you need some help getting started:

movie review form

Example Papers

Once you know how to review a movie and learn the most valuable tips to handle this assignment, it is time to look at some movie review examples to get you on the right track.

Check out the following pieces to see which of these movie review essay examples you might want to keep at hand when working on your own assignment:

Helpful Tips on Writing Movie Reviews

Here are some extra helpful tips to keep in mind when unsure how to write a movie review essay:

Mistakes to Avoid While Making a Movie Review

  • Add Your Own Personal Feel to Your Movie Critique - You might not have much spare time for your pastime of reviewing. You won't be able to write a movie review, though, if you just wing it without reading what others have said. Make a note of the things that intrigued you, alarmed you, made you uncomfortable, or caused you to pause and consider something, and then use that list as the basis for your research.
  • Develop a Distinctive Writing Style - Have an idol—it's good for you. You must be careful not to just paraphrase and duplicate what they say without adding your own original viewpoint. Instead, in order to stand out from the throng, you must discover your own voice. When writing movie reviews, you should also have a distinct writing style.
  • Include Extensive Information -Mention the film's photographer, special effects designer, and director. Your review might be significantly impacted by this. Then you may list all the memorable movie moments that also stuck with you.
  • Voice Your Views and Back Up Your Criticism - Give your own assessment of the film. Make sure you have evidence to support your criticisms. Use the movie's details that most shocked or humiliated you. Review genuine information rather than merely expressing your opinions without supporting details.

Final Thoughts

Composing a good movie review essay sample is easy if you follow this article's main steps and techniques. Furthermore, we strongly believe that this guide will assist you in achieving remarkable outcomes and ease your writing process. The staff at EssayPro is always available to provide a helping hand if you need a little additional push with movie review examples or even if it's simply coming up with a catchy essay title .

Order an essay and await excellent results! Contact our expert writers and ask them to ' write my essay for me ' – and they will ensure your academic success!

Do You Require a Skilled Professional Writer?

Our writers take extra measures to make sure that your essay is created precisely in accordance with your specifications.

FAQs on Writing an Essay Movie Review

Here are the most frequently asked questions on how to write a movie review. We provided extra details on movie analysis to simplify writing film reviews.

What are the 6 Important Things to Include in a Film Review?

How long should a movie review be, what are the 5 c's in film.

Adam Jason

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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How to Write a Movie Review: Tips for Aspiring Critics

Updated 02 Sep 2024

how to write a movie review

If you wish to know how to write a movie review, then you are on the right page. A movie review forms part of essays college students writes. While many cinema-loving students find it interesting, others don’t. A film review does not mean writing what happened in a film; instead, it involves doing a critical assessment of the same as an art form that reflects cultural and societal values. Also, you can proof your paper instantly with the Edubirdie plagiarism tool .

What is a movie review? A movie review is a detailed analysis of a film or a documentary. It involves analysis, research, and reporting the writer’s views in a structured way. The writer assumes a position of educating readers whether they have watched the film or not. In fact, many people read movie reviews to decide whether they want to see a film or not.

Film criticism, as a historical and evolving practice, shapes the discourse around cinema. Notable critics and the transition of film reviews from traditional media to various platforms highlight the importance of analysis and personal insights in creating effective movie reviews.

A film review tests students’ critical thinking and reporting skills. It also examines their dexterity in writing in a logical, concise, lucid, and creative manner. This post shall teach you to craft the best film review in your class without being redundant in writing , and you can find many interesting tips on how to write a movie review for college and movie reviews examples. Writing a movie review requires critical analysis and attention to detail, and if you need assistance, a literature review writing service can help you craft a comprehensive and insightful review.

How to Write a Movie Review Like a Professional Critic

Watch the movie:.

Before you can review any film, you must watch it. You cannot review a motion picture you have not watched. Therefore, for success watch the film at least twice. Note: do not watch it like you’re a regular moviegoer or movie enthusiast. Be focused and conscious through the film. Take notes if necessary.

You will need to take notes hence have a notebook and pen handy. Record all events and characters (major and minor). Try to be meticulous do not overlook anything.

Research the movie

Watching the film should give you the overview and feel of the movie. With that, it should be easy and exciting to research the movie. The research augments what you have watched in the movie. In your research, you should find out who the filmmaker is, what prompted the making of the movie, the characterization, historical events the lead to the film, location, plot and so on.

If you are aware of the details behind the movie, the movie will be more understandable and engaging. Note also that if you do not understand the movie you cannot move to the next step which involves analysis. Try not to proceed to the next step unless you vividly understand the movie. If it entails watching it again until you fully get it, do it. The following should form part of your findings regarding the film:

  • Title and year
  • Names of the lead actors
  • Name of the director
  • Title of the book (if based on a book)

Draft the review outline

Draft an outline with which you will write the review. The overview will help you organize your review concisely and logically. The outline is more like the skeletal frame on which the whole study will stand. A good draft will yield a perfect report, and the reverse is also true.

An outline enhances the quality of the film review, and it is essential you have your outline before you start writing. A sample outline looks like this:

1. Introduction

  • Date released
  • Background info

2. Summary of the story

Main characters and their significance in the plot

3. Analysis of the plot elements

4. creative elements, 5. opinions (add examples to back up your claims).

  • Camera techniques
  • Special effects and so on

6. Conclusion

Analyze the movie.

After fully understanding the movie, you can start its analysis. Critically evaluate the film from the beginning to the end, noting every detail. While analyzing, if you observed any confusing part, re-watch to grasp the idea portrayed there fully. After you fully understand it, then you are set to write the movie review. To write a decent analysis, you need to know how to write a film critique. Observing different camera angles can enhance the viewer's understanding and engagement with the film.

Augment Your Review with Examples

While watching the movie, your observations should be supported with examples, i.e., mention scenes the event took place. If the plot is faulty, mention it but state examples to support that claim. You can also mention poorly developed characters evident in the movie and others. Everything you observed in the film must be noted.

Examples of notables include locations, faulty or beautiful dialogues, quotes that appeal to you, poorly made speeches, bloopers, editing errors and so on. Do take note that it is not enough to make general statements about how awesome or awful the movie is, you must support your claim with evidence in the film. That is why it is called a movie review and not opinion sampling interview about the movie.

Comment on the originality of the movie

Finally mention the uniqueness of the film which you noticed in the one you’ve watched. But even if the movie happens to be a standard feature with conventional approaches, you can still mention this as well. A regular film is still a film.

Write Your Review

With all the fact gathered above, you can now use the outline to write your film review. Make every part easy and enjoyable to read. Importantly, make the introduction engaging and captivating. You should go for a grand opening that will grab the attention of any reader. A good opening keeps the reader on the article.

Let us assume your introduction is watertight and engaging; any sloppy body will lose your reader. Hence, make the body informative and engaging. The review aims to reveal as much information as possible. Therefore, do your best to give all the details in the film to the reader. Engage your analytic mind. Analyzing technical aspects such as cinematography, lighting, and sound quality is crucial for a comprehensive review.

Another essential part of the review is the closing or conclusion. Here you give your view about the movie with evidence revealed in the body. Connect the conclusion with the introduction creatively.

Edit Your Final Draft

After writing your first version of the review, you can re-write the final one after editing. Also, you should check the final draft for spelling errors, grammar mistakes, and so on. Ensure sentences connects logically to each other and watch the format used. Make a final comparison of your work with the requirement by your professor or lecturer.

With the help of free word counter check the number of words required and cut them if more than needed but if not, add relevant information to make them up. Do not add irrelevant details for the sake of space. Ensure your final submitted draft is well edited, polished, plagiarism-free and presented in the recommended format or style.

Need more writing assistance?

Connect with our top writers and receive a movie review sample crafted to your needs.

Tips to Follow While Writing a Movie Review: Personal Opinion

Since a movie review essay requires dedication and time investment, you might want to know the special tips to get you through the assignment seamlessly. Do recall that perfect conclusion of this assignment will add to your grades, hence the need to take it seriously. If you wish to know How to write a movie critique easily, then this section will tell you that.

The useful tips you should consider are as follows:

  • Watch the film at least two times
  • If you have seen it before, make sure you re-watch it for the assignment.
  • Watch the movie not as a moviegoer but with an analytic mindset of a professional reviewer
  • Pay attention to details. Remember, your personal opinion is crucial as it provides a subjective interpretation of the film's events.
  • Take notes as you watch
  • Don’t be in a rush - take your time, but be aware of the deadline
  • Do not write out of the contest of your coursework. Tailor your review to the target audience and their expectations.
  • Follow the requirements of your professor
  • Use an outline to organize your work
  • Start working on the body of your film review first and the introduction next
  • Write an engaging introduction and a powerful closing.
  • Never forget to edit your work.
Read also: How to write an editorial Essay: Useful Tips for Those Who Want To Perfect Their Skill 

Elements of a Professional Movie Review: Plot Summary

One similar thing about these reviews is that they all should contain the same elements regardless of the genre. The elements of a movie review provide the structure on which you will base the analysis. A proper movie review format comprises the following components:

It’s not enough that the movie title appears on the headline, it must appear in the review too. Mention it in the text and feature it in the introductory paragraph; there is no harm in doing that. A movie review evaluates a particular film and helps readers decide whether to watch it.

The Storyline (Plot)

The motion picture review itself refers to the summary of the movie. Present it in a concise way for people who are yet to watch it. When you are beginning to write a movie review, never have the mindset that your professor or any would-be reader has watched the movie. Therefore, never leave important points or events out. Your job is to elucidate the movie clearly to the reader: mention the faults observed, and the filmmaker’s brilliant points or downers. Including a plot summary provides a brief overview of the film's plot, which is essential for a comprehensive review.

What is a movie analysis without the filmmaker? Your review must feature him or her. Therefore, dedicate a paragraph to him, write about the kind of personality he or she is. Reveal the filmmaker’s political stance (if relevant), background, the controversial life of the person (if he is one), etc. You can also use the opportunity to talk about other movies the director has worked on before now, and then connect it with the one under review.

Significance to your class

Relate the content of the film or documentary to your course topic. Check its importance for historical accuracy. If the film is for history class, discuss any over-dramatization noticed in the act. However, if the film was based on a book you have reviewed in one of your classes, mention the connection between the book and the movie: state variances, comparisons and other elements present in the book that are missing in the film.

Creative elements

Creative elements make or mar films, that is why filmmakers go out of their ways to add them to their movies. It is your job to state how these elements work in the plot and the film in general. For instance, comment on the effectiveness of the sound effect in enriching the viewing experience of the movie? Talk about the lighting, costume, makeup, colors, camera, etc.

The cast carry the movie; without them, there is no movie. Your review should reveal if they acted well or poorly. State if their acting was realistic or not. Do not fail to mention if they have the skills and charisma to portray the role they played. You can also state if they were the right actors to play the role they did. Furthermore, you can suggest actors who could have played certain roles better than those in the film.

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Common Movie Review Mistakes You Should Avoid

After your arduous work of submitting your film report, you might be shocked to learn that your hard work received a query. You may wish to know why, well it could be because you commit any of the following common mistakes:

  • Focusing on the wrong thing: Do not shift your focus. You might want to connect the film with some historical events, however, do not give unnecessary analysis or details that are not relevant to the movie under review. For instance, avoid giving the history of motion picture unless the film is about the development of the industry. Try and be focused.
  • Alienating yourself from the review: You are the one writing the review, therefore, do not insert yourself in it. The review already has your name and signature on it so adding the possessive pronoun “I” should be discarded. The mistake most student make is writing in the first person, e.g., “I like the movie a lot, I admired the lead character,” and so on. Since the review exposes your understanding, opinions, likes, and dislikes, then it is unnecessary to insert yourself in it.
  • Not doing your research: As said earlier, watching the movie is one side of the coin, you need to check out other details. Researching the film is highly critical because it would expound to you all the nitty-gritty details, not in the motion picture.
  • Lack of evidence: In writing about a motion picture, you must substantiate any opinion or claim. You need to state your reason for liking, disliking, etc. of the film.
  • Avoid irrelevant discussion: Do not start explaining issues not related directly with the motion picture you are analyzing.
  • Unstructured review: Never write a movie review without structure, it would reveal you as an unorganized student. Hence structure your review properly by first creating the outline and organize your work. A good movie review should include a structured summary, critical analysis, and a persuasive tone to guide readers in their decision to watch the film or not.
  • Avoid Generalization and be Precise: Never generalize ideas when you write a movie review. Avoid general statements like “a fantastic movie,” “beautiful set,” “excellent acting,” and such like. Support any comment you make with evidence from the film.
  • Review lacking substance and analysis: Avoid writing a motion picture review that does not have substance or analysis. A review is a piece of educational literature, therefore, add intelligent analysis to it.

Movie Review Example from Top Writers

Here are a few examples of movie review topics to steer you in the right direction:

  • Avatar Movie Review
  • Beautiful Woman Movie Review
  • Black Panther and its Global Significance
  • In Pursuit of Happiness: Lessons to Learn
  • iRobot: The Depiction of AI in the Future
  • Matrix Movie Review
  • Roots and Its Implication on the Life of the Black Men
  • The Good, the Bad, the Ugly Movie Review
  • The Last Holiday Movie Review and the Lesson of Living Life Too Cautiously
  • Titanic Movie Review

Quick & Reliable Writing Help

As you can see, a movie review essay is an interesting paper to write. Recall that the whole point of a movie review is to inform the reader about the film and the ideas behind it. Also, it reflects your unbiased and objective view about the film. Adopt all our tips, and you shall submit a professional-looking report.

However, if you don't care about movies or still have issues coming to terms with all we have explained above, then contact us for help. At EduBirdie, our movie and book review writing service  are poised to help with your assignment and guarantee a high-quality review at an affordable price. With us, you shall learn how to do a movie review that will wow any professor.

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Written by Elizabeth Miller

Seasoned academic writer, nurturing students' writing skills. Expert in citation and plagiarism. Contributing to EduBirdie since 2019. Aspiring author and dedicated volunteer. You will never have to worry about plagiarism as I write essays 100% from scratch. Vast experience in English, History, Ethics, and more.

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english assignment movie review

Writing a Movie Review: Teaching Tips and Lesson Ideas

To me, there’s nothing more enjoyable as a middle school teacher than blending films into English language arts classes. I’m a real movie lover, and I find that a good film-based activity is the perfect way to engage students in work on essential ELA skills in the last few weeks of school.

Thanks to Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming services, our students have more access to films than people at any other time in history! But I’ve noticed that even with so much exposure to movies, students need quite a lot of guidance to view films critically and with intention. 

This is why I find an end-of-year film review project to be so useful in the ELA classroom. Most students are natural movie reviewers already. They always come in on Monday mornings buzzing about the movies they saw over the weekend!

With this in mind, I like to tap into their natural instincts to share what they love, and help them learn the step-by-step organizational skills for writing a film review in the process. Here’s how this looks in the classroom:

1. Show Students Film Review Examples

To begin, I like to lead a brief whole-class discussion where we chat about the difference between getting a recommendation from a friend and reading a professional movie review . During this discussion, I point out that there are some specific things that a movie reviewer considers, including cinematography, actors, lighting, and sound.

Once students have the basic idea, I like to show them several examples of film reviews in different formats. If your school receives a newspaper subscription, you could collect and save film reviews to share with your class. Or, you may prefer a more modern approach and search online! Written film reviews tend to follow a similar structure and provide students with a good understanding of what they need to include.

Because most students also enjoy video content, we spend time looking at YouTube reviews as well. I might be dating myself, but I like to show old clips of Siskel and Ebert, the famous “two thumbs up” reviewers from the ‘80s and ‘90s! What I especially enjoy about their style is that they don’t always agree, but their reviews are still effective and engaging.

2. Know Your Audience

As we wrap up this lesson, I ask students to consider the audience of each review. For example, is the review aimed at children, adults, or even a teen magazine? The target audience affects not only tone and style, but also impacts the focus of the review. For example, a teen magazine review might focus on the famous actors of the film. By contrast, a special effects magazine might provide insight into a particular element of the filmmaking process.

3. Teach How to Watch the Film

The next step is to teach students how to watch a film with purpose, rather than simply for pleasure! In an ideal situation, I recommend watching a film twice. The first time is to get an overall understanding of the plot, and then to consider the choices the director and actors made in creating the film.

In the classroom, I like to pause the film frequently and let my students jot down notes. While they are watching, I remind them to consider each scene with an observant eye. I ask:

  • What does the director choose to show (or not show)?
  • How do the actors convey emotion, depth, and intention through their movements, as well as their words? 

english assignment movie review

4. Provide Common Vocabulary

As part of a film study, it’s important for students to be able to speak the “language” of movie making. After viewing the movie, I like to take some time to outline some key terms to help students write their reviews.

Words like blockbuster, avant-garde, disjointed, or uninspired can help elevate movie reviews in ELA from “friendly recommendations” to “review quality.” I find a printable list of useful writing terms is especially helpful. This is especially true if you want to avoid the “It was a good movie,” trap! 

Writing a Movie Review in ELA Activity Useful Writing Terms

5. Provide An Organizational Framework

When it comes to actually writing the review, I like to be quite specific in my instructions, breaking down the review into specific paragraphs .

For example, introductory paragraphs should start by engaging the reader with a strong opinion, thought-provoking statement, or even a quote to act as a “hook.” I like to remind students that the purpose of this paragraph is also to share some basic information about the film. This should include title, director, genre, and setting, as well as a brief plot overview. No spoilers, please!

Next, I have students plot out their paragraph about the main characters of the movie. I like to begin this process by having them reflect on the portrayal of the characters, and whether the actors are well-suited for their roles. As they evaluate the performances, middle school ELA students can support their opinions using evidence and examples from the film.

Writing a Movie Review in ELA Activity

Because film techniques can vary so much from movie to movie, I like to give quite a lot of freedom in the next paragraph. I ask students to consider the following film techniques and choose one to focus on in detail:

  • Camera work
  • Sound effects

After they have evaluated film techniques, it’s time for students to flex their ELA muscles and reflect on the overall theme of the movie. In their fourth paragraph, I ask them to consider how the director uses filming techniques, set design, characters, conflict, or other elements to express or develop this theme. I like to guide this paragraph by asking questions like:

  • Has the theme been developed effectively?
  • Does it have an impact on the viewer, a specific community, or the world?

Finally, it’s time to wrap up the review! In this final paragraph, students need to give the film a rating in whatever “system” they choose. Popular choices in my classroom include thumbs up, stars, or even popcorn kernels on a scale of one to five! As they justify their rating and provide their personal opinions, I also encourage the class to consider what type of person would enjoy the movie.

6. Give Prompting Questions

In my experience, prompting questions help students focus on key things to include in their ELA movie review. I like to remind my students that graphic organizers are a tool for working through their ideas. They don’t need to be filled out in complete sentences, but they provide a useful framework for structuring their review. 

Pre-Writing Planning for Writing a Movie Review

7. Make time For Peer Feedback & Editing

While students always resist the peer feedback and editing stage of the writing process, it really makes a difference in their overall quality of work.

Before they finalize their review, I have students work with a peer for a closer look at the grammatical and structural elements of their movie review. One way to do this is to follow the “three stars and a wish” format. In this activity, each student has to identify three positive things about the writing and one “wish” – an area of improvement.

Alternatively, if you have an established peer editing process in your classroom, this is a great opportunity to use it!

8. Provide Options for Presentation

Now for the fun part – the presentation of the movie review! I believe that students do their best work when they can express choice and voice in their finished product. 

Movie reviews can be shared in a lot of different ways (in the ELA classroom and in real life!). First, I have students select whether they want to share their completed review as a newspaper article, blog post, podcast, pre-recorded video, or even a live presentation in class.

If you’re tight on time, one trick I love is to put students in small groups (I find four works well) and present their reviews to each other. This alternative to whole-class presentations frees me up to circulate among the different groups. You’d be surprised at how much you can see and hear while doing this! At the end of each presentation, I like to have students grade each other using a common rubric. The presenters can self-assess their work as well!

There you have it! I hope you have a blast bringing a movie review assignment into your middle school ELA classroom. Three cheers to the end of the year!

english assignment movie review

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How to Write a Movie Review: 10 Essential Tips

As long as there have been films, there have been film critics. Starting with the early days of cinema, where reviews appeared in newspapers and magazines as brief, descriptive pieces, as filmmaking evolved as an art form, so did the role of the critic. James Agee, André Bazin, and Pauline Kael shaped the discourse around cinema, and today, famous film critics like the iconic Roger Ebert , The New York Times’s A.O. Scott , and The New York Times’s Manohla Dargis continue to leave an indelible mark on the world of cinema.

With the rise of the internet, film criticism now encompasses a wide range of voices and perspectives from around the globe. Sites like Letterboxd make it possible for anyone to write short-form reviews on film. Even stars like The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri have accounts and share opinions on the latest box-office hits.

How to Write a Movie Review

Today, contemporary YouTube and TikTok critics such as Red Letter Media , deepfocuslens , and DoMo Draper don’t just write film reviews, they shoot videos and skits. Through their creative formats, they offer refreshing and unique perspectives while building communities of diehard film and television enthusiasts. Whether you choose to write reviews for your own blog, other websites, or social media channels, by learning how to write a movie review, any aspiring filmmaker can start to watch films intentionally. 

@domodraperr Replying to @xsindeviltriggerx I’ll get right on that, Sir!🫡 #comments #movies #film #satire #fyp #mulan #disney ♬ I’ll Make a Man Out of You (feat. Black Gryph0n) – Cover – Samuel Kim

TikTok film critic “DoMo Draper” provides commentary on new and old films, often calling out racism, social injustice, misogyny, and prejudice.

While there’s no perfect approach to writing a review, there are best practices that every aspiring reviewer should consider.

Here are ten tips on writing a compelling piece.

1. Watch the film at least once.

For new reviewers, it’s impossible to capture everything after one viewing. Watching the film first, then watching to take notes, is an easy way to improve the quality of your final review. This will also make it easy to recall in-the-moment thoughts and reactions.

how to write a movie review

Take a review by Christian Blauvelt of Charlie Chaplin’s silent film The Circus , for example. Since the film does not have sound, properly critiquing the film requires close attention. Viewers have to pay attention to the various nuances in Chaplin’s performance, follow the story, and take in the cinematography. Regarding The Circus , Blauvelt writes, “The film lacks a conventional plot, but is rather a pearl necklace of strung-together episodes. ” The statement isn’t a criticism, but a keen observation likely gleaned from more than one viewing. 

So while every film reviewer has their own approach, many choose to watch a film more than once to deliver the best possible review. Image The Criterion Collection.

2. Express your opinions and support your criticism.

Professional reviewers do not shy away from sharing whether they thought a movie was good, bad, or indifferent. In a review for the film Mother!, reviewer Candice Frederick describes the film as “uncomfortable,” and “controversial,” helping viewers understand the tone of the movie. While Frederick seemed to enjoy the film, her honesty about how it would make audiences feel was vital in writing the review.

Be sure to back up these thoughts with specifics–a disappointing performance, beautiful cinematography, difficult material that leaves you thinking, and so on. Professional reviewers should express why and how they came to their criticism.

3. Consider your audience.

Are you writing for a fan site or a news outlet? Who will read your pieces, and what are their interests? Knowing who your readers are and where the review will be published can help you decide what elements of the movie to highlight. For example, take these two very different reviews for the film ‘Synecdoche, New York’.  

how to write a movie review

The first review was written by Alonso Duralde for The Today Show , and clocks in at around 500 words. The film focuses on the bullet points: characters, plot, and a concise review. The second review is over 3,000 words and published on the Critical Critics blog . This review goes into massive depth (and yes, includes spoilers) about the film, providing an incredible amount of analysis. The first review is tailored for the casual filmgoer, while the second is for cinephiles. Each review serves a different purpose.

It’s also a good idea to adjust your writing style to fit the target audience. For example, Alonso Duralde is a talented film reviewer and likely wrote the review to fit the tone of The Today Show site. Image via Director’s Library.

4. Talk about the acting.

When reviewing a film, it’s important to take space to discuss the performances. Does the film feature a seasoned actor in a new kind of role or a brilliant performance from a rising star? How was the acting? In a review by Brett Milam for the award-winning film Whiplash , he goes into rich detail about performances by both breakthrough actor Miles Teller and seasoned professional JK Simmons.

Regarding Teller, Milam writes, “This is a performance. This is art,” and about Simmons, “I found him fascinating to just look at.” Those are just small examples of the analysis he provides regarding their acting. As the film mostly focuses on the relationship between their two characters, Miles as the protagonist and JK as the antagonist, the review of the performances lends well to the plot of the film: student and teacher going head to head in an intense and determined showdown. 

Feedback about how well the actors handled the script, the dynamics in an ensemble, and so much more can help describe how the actors did in any given film.

5. Call out directors, cinematographers, and special effects.

Reviews that include highlights or missteps of directors, cinematographers, and costume designers can help provide support to your critiques. By providing specific examples of what worked, what surprised you, and what fell short of expectations, reviewers can write a well-thought-out review that goes beyond whether or not you liked it.

how to write a movie review

In a review for A Wrinkle in Time , Monique Jones artfully crafts a piece that diplomatically cites the missteps of the film. From analyzing the quality of the CGI to the camera techniques to inconsistencies in the rules of the fantasy universe, Jones fairly offers a critique that guides the filmmakers and crew on future endeavors. To write this type of review, it helps to have some knowledge of the filmmaking process so you can properly assess the screenwriting, cinematography, special effects, acting, and more. Image via Disney.

6. No spoilers!

The point of writing a movie review is to get people interested in seeing a movie. That’s why it’s absolutely best practice to not reveal spoilers in a film review. Film reviewer Robert Daniels approaches this creatively. In his review of Annihilation , he provides commentary on what would be considered spoilers. However, he places that part of the review at the bottom of the article under a bold header/image that warns the reader he’s about to spoil the film. For reviewers who want to dissect the entire film, this is a good way to both tease the film for anyone who hasn’t seen it and cater to people who want to know what the ending is.

Remember: the goal of any film review is to discuss the plot without revealing any twists or the ending of the film. 

7. Study the professionals.

As with all writing endeavors, the more you read, the better. However, with the modern landscape of film reviewing, which can go beyond writing and extend to content creation for social media platforms, there are a ton of reviewers to take notes from. First, determine what kind of reviewer you want to be, and what kind of medium you plan to deliver your reviews on. If you plan to post to Medium, for example, studying the reviewers already established on the site can be a great starting point.

Then, read film reviews for some of your favorite films. Determine which style of review you like and don’t like. Question why, and use your critical eye to consider why one reviewer has a hundred thousand followers and another only has two. If you’re looking to be featured on a website or a magazine, read the publications where you’d like your writing to appear as a template for your reviews, and don’t forget to read the submission guidelines. A few examples of film review professionals include Rotten Tomatoes , Roger Ebert , and Film Comment. 

8. Reread, rewrite, and edit.

While writing film critique is based on opinion, and follows the style of the reviewer, it’s still important to edit work. Writers should check for spelling, grammar, and readability. No matter how good a writer’s opinions are, they will not be taken seriously if the director’s name isn’t spelled correctly. Tools such as Grammarly and Hemingway Editor can be great for correcting and finding areas that need improvement. 

9. Find your voice.

The best reviewers have a distinct personality that comes across in their writing. Los Angeles Times film reviewer Carlos Aguilar wrote an impassioned piece about the film Beatriz at Dinner , going into a lot of detail about his experiences working in the film industry and his Mexican heritage. By sharing anecdotes about casual racism he’s experienced and connecting it to the film’s protagonist, and what she goes through, the review feels personal and relatable.

how to write a movie review

“If at a film festival – to which I’ve gotten access to because I’m a published writer – in a progressive city like Los Angeles, I must keep my guard up when people question my right to be there, then how are the voiceless supposed to feel safe, respected, or hopeful?” Aguilar writes. 

For new reviewers, developing this type of unique voice does not happen overnight, so take every opportunity to write as an opportunity to develop your style. Image via BBC.

10. Know your taste.

As a film reviewer, it can be helpful to identify your taste in film. By knowing specific preferences, strengths, and biases, reviewers can offer nuanced critiques that resonate with audiences and provide valuable guidance on which films they might enjoy. Additionally, it helps to maintain credibility and integrity as a reviewer by ensuring that assessments are authentic and reflective of personal cinematic sensibilities.

Try to explore various genres, directors, and themes to understand what resonates emotionally, intellectually, and aesthetically. Pay attention to the types of stories that engage you, which can help define your preferences.

Learn More About Filmmaking at NYFA

Film students with writing experience actually make great reviewers, as many of them are required to study a range of topics relating to film that can include cinematography, screenwriting, producing, and much more. Ready to build even more skills in filmmaking? Request more information about New York Film Academy’s filmmaking programs and workshops today!

How to Write a Movie Review and Where to Get Help

The first thing you do after watching a movie is to go online and write a comment about it. Comments about movies are usually posted on social media profiles or public pages, review sites, blogs, among other platforms. You can make the process easier with tools available online.

Writing a movie review is a common assignment that students have to do in high school and college. Even though it may seem simple, movie reviews require time and proper organization. It’s not just about writing what happens on the screen, the review goes deeper than that.

Movie Review Purpose

The main purpose of a movie review is to inform the reader about the film and its ideas. Seems simple, right? Reporting all events that happen and stating one’s opinion about them is a common mistake that many students make. While movie review allows writers to express their opinions about some film or documentary, there is also the need for the unbiased and objective approach. An ideal review combines both.

The review determines whether someone will want to see the movie. Even if the professor (or teacher) assigned a specific title and film to review, one should act like this is the perfect opportunity to introduce the cinematography work to their lecturer. Always assume they haven’t seen it before. As a result, it becomes easier to analyze events that happened on the screen.

Film review should be detailed enough to provide assistance in making an honest decision i.e. whether the reader wants to see it or if they’d like it. Why is this type of paper a common school assignment? Lecturers want to get more insight into a student’s critical thinking skills and the ability to report event (one or more of them) in a manner that others understand easily.

In addition, they want to assess the way you analyze plot and characters. After all, movie reviews also involve the analysis of events that happened in a documentary or “regular” film. Reviews test writing and vocabulary skills, adapting to different genres and events they portray, and your capacity to sum up some major work and report it in a cohesive, logical, and interesting manner.

While reviews entail more responsibility than initially thought, students find them fun and with this guide, you will too.

english assignment movie review

How to Write a Good Movie Review

You have to write a movie review for school and now what? Where to start, how to make it look more “academic”? Today, we have the opportunity to use numerous tools to make every part of our lives easier, and movie review writing isn’t the exception. Throughout this tutorial, you’ll learn how to compose a report about some film and what tools to use to simplify the process.

Step-by-Step Guide to How to Write a Movie Review

Beginnings are always the hardest. This is the point where you set the pace and determine how to approach this assignment in the most efficient manner. Here are some useful tips to kick-start the movie review writing process:

  • Watch the movie or documentary twice and take notes of both major and minor events and characters. It’s a mistake to rely on the power of your memory only, there’s always something we overlook or forget
  • Carry out a thorough research . Watching the movie isn’t enough, research is equally important. Look for details such as the name of filmmaker and his/her motivation to make that film or documentary work, locations, plot, characterization, historic events that served as an inspiration for the movie (if applicable). Basically, your research should serve to collect information that provides more depth to the review
  • Analyze the movie after you watching it . Don’t start working on the review if you aren’t sure you understand the film. Evaluate the movie from beginning to an end. Re-watch it, if necessary, if you find some parts confusing. Only when you understand events that happened on the screen will you find it easier to create the review
  • Draft an outline that you will follow to write the review in a concise and cohesive fashion
  • Include examples for claims you make about the movie. If the plot has holes, then mention an example of a situation or scene when that was evident. Also, if the character(s) is poorly developed or bad casting affected the movie quality, name examples too. Provide examples when commenting dialogues, locations, plot, everything. If you want the reader to agree with you, it’s essential to back up your claims with evidence. You don’t want to make it seem like you’re praising or criticizing the movie without any reason whatsoever
  • Consider and comment a movie’s originality and quality of scenes . Explain how the movie stands out or whether it just uses the same approach that worked for previous works in the industry

How to Organize Your Movie Review

Quality of your paper depends on the level of organization you implement. Never underestimate the importance of well-structured outline, regardless of the type of paper you have to write. Outlines help you focus on the subject and contribute to a logical flow.

In addition, getting things organized before you start writing is a great way to save time later on. Instead of trying to figure out what to include, you’ll have a well-structured plan to follow. It’s needless to mention you won’t be too stressed out. Here’s how to organize your movie review:

  • Introduction (with title, release date, background information)
  • Summary of the story
  • Analysis of the plot elements (rising action, climax)
  • Creative elements (dialogues, characters, use of colors, camera techniques, mood, tone, symbols, costumes or anything that contributes or takes away from the overall plot)
  • Opinion (supported with examples and facts from the story)
  • Conclusion (announcing whether the filmmaker was successful in his/her purpose, re-state your evidence, explain how the motion picture was helpful for providing a deeper understand of course topic)

Movie Review Elements

  • The title of the film/documentary – just because your headline features the name of the movie or documentary it doesn’t mean should skip mentioning it in the text. Always name the feature you’ve watched in the introductory paragraph. This may seem like a stupid thing to point out, but it’s one of the most common mistakes that students make
  • Summary – the whole point of the review is to summarize the documentary or movie for people who haven’t watched it yet. To make this as effective as possible, always assume that your professor hasn’t seen it either (as mentioned above). Why is this important? You won’t leave out some important details thinking he/she watched it already so they won’t bother. As a reviewer, your job is to explain what happened in the film and express whether the filmmaker failed or succeeded. Again, saying you liked or disliked it isn’t a viable comment. Your opinion has to be supported by specific reasons and examples from the feature itself
  • Filmmaker – do a little research on the person who directed the piece. Is that person a controversial figure? Is he/she known for a political stance? Does the filmmaker have a significant background? Devote a paragraph or two to the person behind the movie and their other works in order to establish the significance of the film you are reviewing for the director’s career
  • Significance to your class – How does the content of the documentary or film fit into your course topic? Is it important for historical accuracy? If you are watching the motion picture for history class, make note of over-dramatization. If the motion picture is based on the book you’ve analyzed in English class, you can mention similarities, differences, or some elements that film contains, but book doesn’t and so on
  • Creative elements – filmmakers work hard to include creative elements into their motion pictures. How are these elements important to the plot and movie in general? For example, costumes can either enhance the movie or betray its intent. Colors can be vivid and lift the atmosphere or mood in the movie or they can be dull and make it seem depressing. Good sound effects enrich the viewing experience while bad ones only destroy everything. Moreover, camera movements and angles also add elements to the story. Take notes of symbols in the story, if any.
  • Actors – let’s not forget the casting! Were the actors realistic? Did they portray the role of a specific character successfully? Did they have good acting skills? Do you believe that some particular actor was the right fit for the role?

Checklist / Outline for a Good Movie Review

  • Introduction (title, topic, release date, background information)
  • Accuracy of depiction
  • Use of sources in the documentary
  • Creative elements that enhance or tarnish the overall story (quality of script, visual design, performance, lighting, hair, and makeup, costume, set design, symbolism)
  • Your opinion

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Not focusing on the film – while connecting the plot to some specific historical event is a good idea (when applicable), strive to avoid writing about unnecessary details or introducing irrelevant information such as the history of cinematography or that particular genre, snacks, among other things
  • Inserting yourself – you’re the one who’s writing the review. The paper reflects your understanding and opinion of the motion picture you’ve seen and there is no need to write in first person all the time: I noticed this, I saw that I liked this, I disliked that
  • Failing to check facts about movie background and release date, director, casting etc.
  • Giving out your opinion without mentioning any reason why you think that way
  • Talking about irrelevancies
  • Writing a review without a structure
  • Writing generalities such as great acting, cool effects, a good movie, it was bad etc.
  • Writing a review without substance or analysis of the feature

Dr. Joshua

Finished papers

Customer reviews

Mandy

Movie Review Examples

  • The Hunger Games and the idea of dystopia
  • Mean Girls review: does it exploit stereotypes about high schools or it helps to undermine them?
  • The Martian review and its connection to Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe
  • The Last Jedi review: all the reasons it’s far from the original saga
  • Manchester by the sea and ideas of forgiveness and grief
  • Forrest Gump review
  • I am Sam review
  • Runaway Bride review and its role in modern understanding of marriage

Movie Review Help

Like other types of writing, movie reviews require patience and time. Being a student isn’t the easiest task in the world and you don’t have enough time to dedicate to one assignment only while neglecting others. There’s no need to despair; you can use the internet to get much-needed assistance with this assignment. Here’s how:

By Markers Expectations / Rubrics

Clear Organization – as stated above, the clear organization is vital for a well-structured movie review. You can use the Edusson website as a guide through this process via numerous posts about writing, self-help resources, and Essay Examples that serves as an excellent platform to sharpen writing skills and compose your paper.

RobotDon Essay Checker  platform proves to be handy when you complete the writing process and want to make sure it’s unique, without fluff and wateriness, repetitive words and expressions.

Let’s not fort that you can hire an essay writer  who will write a perfect review for you.

Use of Sources – just because it’s movie review, it doesn’t mean you should avoid using sources to support your claims. Sources are particularly important for reviews of documentaries or when you’re trying to connect the review with some problem in society. Research requires more time than any other part of the process and you can easily hire a professional i.e. a helper who will do that for you

Opinion – a movie review is about the equilibrium of unbiased report and personal opinion. While it’s okay to say what you think about the movie, you also have to approach certain aspects in an objective manner to help the reader get a better understanding of the motion picture. Finding the balance between subjective and objective writing can be frustrating, which is why professional service comes handy. All you have to do is to provide title, information, your opinion and a pro writer takes it from there

Essay Writing Service – there is no need to be stressed out because you have a ton of work to do when professional writer service can write movie review easily. Services like Edusson are used by students who can’t keep up with constant demands in school or college, but they don’t want to jeopardize their grades. With over 1000 writers, Edusson is a perfect assignment writing service . You have the full control of the project through set deadlines, choosing the writer for this task etc.

Essay Editing Service – sometimes students don’t need help with the writing process, but they need someone to edit it. Don’t ask your friends and family members to do it for you, hire professionals. Improve your paper. Raise your grades! Editors and proofreaders from Edusson correct grammar, spelling, syntax, punctuation mistakes, check the style, formatting, organization and other aspects of your work to boost its quality. You can also use RobotDon to edit an essay on your own.

Movie Review FAQ

Do I have to write a movie review in a certain formatting style? Everything depends on the instructions your teacher gives you. It often happens that a movie review can be free of academic formatting. But don’t exclude the possibility that you will have to complete this paper in MLA or get task writing a paper in APA .

Can I copy an existing movie review? Well, of course, it is important to look at examples of other movie reviews to get to know the structure and ways of ideas expressing better. But if you copy a film review directly from the other source, your curator will detect plagiarism in it.

My major is not moviemaking. Why am I assigned to write a film report? Students are assigned movie report writing, first of all, to broaden their mind and evaluate the way they can analyze material and express their opinion. Don’t feel confused if on the Psychology class your professor asks you to review a movie. It is a common practice for students who are completing their degree in various fields of study.

Will you just give me someone else’s review?

No, not at all! Edusson stands out as the writing service with full transparency. All essays and other papers are written from scratch by professional writers with strong work ethic and desire to help their clients get better grades. The movie review you receive is 100% original, which you can check with RobotDon’s plagiarism checker.

Will you send my review to someone else?

The answer is – no. Not only are the clients in control of the process, but author’s rights are transferred to them the moment the review is done. Once the writing process is over, the review is yours and can never be sent to someone else.

What if I need more edits?

If you need edits or want some specific info to be added, our writers will be happy to make necessary revisions.

I need more help with movie review service, how can I contact you?

Our customer service is always available through 24/7 live chat feature.

Do you like movies? Who doesn’t? Movie and documentary reviews give you a unique opportunity to improve your writing skills by combining school assignment with someone you really like. Although it’s not that difficult to compose a review of a motion picture or some educational/informative feature, feel free to use all the available resources to get the most out of your assignment. Use the advantage of the internet to work on your review for major benefits such as:

Improve Your Paper

Practice makes everything better and the internet allows you to make it happen. For instance, Edusson acts as a perfect tutorial + professional writing service platform as it allows you to improve writing skills while getting assistance from professional writers and editors when necessary . The do-it-yourselfers benefit greatly from RobotDon, a cute little helper that analyzes the review and identifies mistakes you need to correct. The result of using these resources is a well-written movie review that meets or exceeds your lecturer’s expectations.

Raise Your GPA (Grade)

Using multiple resources and platforms to your advantage can only be a good thing for your GPA. When you’re a student, everything you do counts and contributes to GPA. It all comes down to learning how to make student life easier for you and one way to do that is to incorporate online tools into your assignments. Your professor will appreciate the effort and thanks to the improved writing skills, good grades are unavoidable.

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How to write a film review

Writing a review is an option in many different English language exams, and films are such an obvious choice for reviews, so knowing how to write a film review is pretty important. It’s a great topic for the classroom too. Everyone watches films and there is a lot of opportunity to teach vocabulary, either film-related vocabulary or film review adjectives. I like to start off a class about films with some chat, or my personal favourite, the Movie Music Quiz , which also now has an excellent Movie Picture Quiz version too.

awesome review

The structure of a film review

Like any writing task, it’s essential to know the structure of a film review before you start writing. A basic film review template shows you how to write a film review using a simple structure. Film reviews for First (FCE) and Advanced (CAE) Cambridge exams, as well as Trinity ISE exams, should all use a 4 paragraph structure. Another thing to remember is that your review should always have a title, and that title should include the name of the film.

  • Introduction – Essential details and mini-summary
  • Summary – A description of the film and some important details
  • Analysis – An evaluation of different elements
  • Conclusion – Your opinion and a recommendation

Introduction

In the introduction of a film review, it is crucial to mention the film title and the names of the director and the main actors. A brief summary of the film’s plot and background information can also be included, but it should not give away too much detail. The introduction should engage the reader and entice them to continue reading the review. Additionally, it is important to mention the genre and target audience of the film, which will give the reader an idea of what to expect.

In the summary section, the film review should give a comprehensive but concise description of the film, focusing on the plot, characters, and any significant events. The summary should be written in a way that does not give away the ending or spoil the film for the reader. It is important to maintain objectivity and not include personal opinions in this section. This section should provide enough detail for the reader to have a clear understanding of the film without giving too much away.

The analysis section is where the reviewer can showcase their critical skills and provide an in-depth evaluation of the film. The review should examine various elements of the film such as the script, direction, cinematography, acting, and special effects. You could also make a comparison to similar films in the same genre. The analysis should be written in an objective style with the opinion only showing through the language used.

In the conclusion, the reviewer should give their personal opinion of the film, summarising their thoughts on its strengths and weaknesses. They should also consider the target audience and whether they believe the film will appeal to them. Finally, the reviewer should provide a clear recommendation. The conclusion should be concise, leaving the reader with a clear understanding of the reviewer’s overall opinion of the film.

Using adjectives in reviews

Reviews are a great way to show off your language with impressive adjectives. If you read a film review in a newspaper or magazine, you’ll notice that the reviewer rarely, if ever, gives an explicit direct opinion. However, their opinion of the film is always crystal clear. This is through the use of adjectives.

Many adjectives have a clear connotation. They are either perceived as positive or negative. Compare these two examples. Which one is a positive description and which is negative?

  • It’s a first-rate experience with an imaginative plot and a star-studded cast.
  • The second-rate writing combined with weak performances is typical of this director’s work.

When using adjectives in a film review, it is important to choose words that accurately convey the reviewer’s opinion. Adjectives with strong connotations, either positive or negative, can be very effective in expressing the reviewer’s thoughts about the film. However, it is also important to use a variety of adjectives to avoid repetition and keep the review interesting. The use of adjectives can also help to paint a picture of the film, allowing the reader to get a sense of its atmosphere and tone.

The materials

Many exams, such as the Cambridge First (FCE) and Advanced (CAE) exams, as well as Trinity ISE exams, require students to write a film review as part of their writing task. These materials will provide students with a solid understanding of the structure of a film review and help them to develop their writing skills. This will give them the confidence they need to write a review that meets the requirements of the exam and impresses the examiner.

The materials will help you learn how to write an introduction, summary, analysis, and conclusion of a film review. You will also see a range of useful adjectives that you can use to express your opinions in their reviews. Finally, you will get an opportunity to practise writing film reviews, which will help you to develop your skills. Then you can check your answers with the samples provided in the answer key. Whether you’re preparing for an exam or just looking to improve your writing skills, these materials will provide you with everything you need to write a great film review.

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How to Write a Movie Review With Our Template Based Example

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Did you know that a lot of people around the world read reviews before watching a movie? Yes, it’s true. A Statista survey was taken out last September in the United States which shows that 12 percent of moviegoers watch reviews before watching a movie while about 2 percent do it rarely.

However, a good movie review is not just about to rate the movie but provides explicit information from different angles. Reviewers must understand how to write a movie review to write an effective one.

Table of Contents

What Is A Movie Review?

A movie review is when someone gives their thoughts on a film, pointing out what’s good and what’s not so good, and how it all comes together. 

They look at things like the story, the acting, how it’s directed, how it looks on camera, the dialogue, the themes, and if it’s entertaining. These reviews can help you decide if a movie is worth watching.

Why Students Have To Write A Movie Review?

Learning how to write a movie review is not just for film reviewers or movie critics. Many Students might have to write film reviews for several reasons, such as:

Academic Assignments

Writing a movie review can be part of student coursework. However, many top teaching universities indulge students in such writing to develop critical thinking, analytical, and writing skills among them. It helps them apply theoretical knowledge learned in classes to practical evaluation.

Extracurricular Activities

Writing reviews might be part of journalism, media studies, or film club activities, allowing students to express their opinions, share insights, and discuss films.

Developing Analytical Skills

Analyzing a movie requires students to dissect various aspects of filmmaking, enhancing their ability to assess and critique artistic works critically. Having such skills could help them write an analytical essay well when needed.

How To Write A Movie Review: Helpful Tips

Whether you are a student, movie critic or movie lover, you have to follow some steps to write a movie review in a clear and persuasive way. Whether you are a beginner or an expert writer, these tips will help you write a compelling review that shines out from others.

Choose A Movie To review

If you are going to review a movie, the first thing you need to do is pick a movie.  It is recommended to choose a movie as per your interest. This could be a crime-based sci-fi, a psychopath movie, or even an adventure movie.

Watch The Film Mindfully

To learn how to write a good movie review, you have to watch the movie with focus. Remember to pay close attention while watching and note down the essential elements like plot development, acting performance, cinematography, and other aspects.

Write Down Special Notes

Note down the key elements, moments, observations, and impressions on a notebook, so you can’t forget them. Later on, these notes will help you to start writing a film review.

Provide Context

Now it’s time to officially know how to start a movie review. Begin with writing an introduction for your film review. However, keep in mind that the introduction of movie analysis is different from other types of writing.

It will include the title of the movie, the director’s name, genre, and release date. After that a concise summary of the movies without revealing major spoilers.

Analyzing The Elements Of The Film

Now it’s time to analyze the key elements from the movie. Evaluate the director’s vision, screenplay, dialogues, and camera work. Furthermore, do your best to analyze the performances of the actors and assess whether the movie is well-edited or not.

To make a deeper connection, talk about the themes, messages conveyed, and overall impression about what works well and what doesn’t. By integrating these elements, you can better understand how to write a movie review.

Express Your Opinion

Well, opinion is the key to a successful movie analysis. A reader will more likely watch the movies when your personal opinion is in the review. Remember to express your thoughts and opinions clearly and persuasively.

By any chance, if you don’t have an idea about opinion writing, get help from opinion writing examples and add your opinion effectively in the movie analysis.

Watch Movie At Least 2 Times

Richard Linklater , a famous American movie director quoted that “It’s hard to see a film one time and really “get it,” and write fully and intelligently about it. That’s a review. That’s not film criticism.”

According to his statement it is clear that to understand how to write a movie review, you need to watch it at atleast 2 times to analyze every angle.

Movie Review Template

You must have noticed that writing a film review is far more different from other kinds of writing like essay writing, paper writing, or research writing. No need to puzzle, as we are here to help you out with a compelling, concise, and easy-to-attempt template for a movie review.

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All outlines are clearly mentioned in the above movie review template. You just need to pick a movie and fill the template with relevant information.

Movie Review Examples

Providing examples is the best technique to clear your doubts related to how to write a movie review. In the below section, we have compiled two short and easy examples based on the above-given template to make your concept clearer. Let’s start with the example 1:

Movie Summary Example 1

Title of the Movie: Inception

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy

Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller

Release Date: July 16, 2010

Plot Summary

“Inception” follows Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a skilled thief who steals secrets from within the subconscious during the dream state. He is offered a chance to have his criminal history erased in exchange for planting an idea into a target’s subconscious. This “inception” mission takes Cobb and his team through a series of complex dream worlds.

Analysis Of The Main Key Point

Direction: The direction of Christopher Nolan in this movie is just mind-blowing and masterful. The way he combines complex storytelling with groundbreaking visual effects is just exceptional. His ability to add multiple layers of dreams into a coherent narrative is respectable.

Script: There is a strong sense of character development and a gripping plot in the screenplay, which is intelligent and thought-provoking. Furthermore, the dialogues were very sharp and effective and contributed to the depth of the story.

Acting: Every cast of the movie delivers a strong performance. Leonardo DiCaprio brings emotional depth to Cobb’s troubled character. Besides this, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tom Hardy also stand out with their charismatic roles.

Cinematography: The cinematography by Wally Pfister is visually stunning, especially the dream sequences that defy the laws of physics. As a result of the smooth integration of visual effects, the film takes on a surreal quality.

Music and Sound: The sounds by Hans Zimmer enhance the suspense and complement the film’s tone perfectly.

Editing: The editing is tight and well-paced by professional editors to keep the viewer engaged through the film’s complex structure. The transitions between different dream levels are smooth and effective.

Themes and Messages

“Inception” studies the themes of reality, dreams, and the subconscious. It questions the nature of reality and the power of the mind, which leaves the audience entertaining.

Overall Impression

“Inception” is a brilliant and innovative film that combines a convincing narrative with mind-blowing visuals and strong performances. It challenges the audience intellectually and, at the same time, provides an exciting cinematic experience. Highly recommended for fans of sci-fi and psychological thrillers.

8.8 out of 10 or (⭐⭐⭐⭐✰)

Example of Movie Review Summary 2

Title of the Movie: Lady Bird

Director: Greta Gerwig

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Timothée Chalamet, Lucas Hedges

Genre: Drama, Comedy

Release Date: November 3, 2017

Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is a senior in high school in Sacramento, California. The film shows her rough relationship with her mother (Laurie Metcalf), her desire to attend college on the East Coast, and her journey of self-discovery.

Direction: Greta Gerwig’s direction is sensitive and fine which catches the spirit of youth with authenticity and warmth. Her personal touch is noticeable throughout the film.

Script: The screenplay is very sharp and heartfelt throughout the film. Furthermore, the dialogue feels natural and genuine. The characters are well-rounded and relatable, making their experiences interlink with the audience.

Acting: Saoirse Ronan’s acting in the movie is as great as Lady Bird. She shows feelings of being both sensitive and brave. Laurie Metcalf plays the role of her mom who is both complicated and loving. Timothée Chalamet and Lucas Hedges play smaller roles but act well.

Cinematography: Sam Levy’s cinematography beautifully captures the suburban scenery of Sacramento. He uses close-up shots that focus on the characters, which helps to tell the story effectively.

Music and Sound: The soundtrack includes songs that match the right time-period. Also, an original score by Jon Brion matches the film’s nostalgic and emotional feel.

Editing: The editing by Nick Houy is completely smooth and in narrative flow. Undoubtedly, he effectively balanced the film’s comedic and dramatic elements.

“Lady Bird” movie clearly shows the themes of identity, family, and the transition from youth to adulthood. It highlights the complexities of mother-daughter relationships and the search for self-acceptance.

No doubt, “Lady Bird ” is a touching and beautiful movie for the upcoming ages. Greta Gerwig’s authentic storytelling tactics perfectly combined with outstanding performances. And for that reason, this movie left a heartfelt and relatable experience for the audience. Overall, It’s a must-watch for anyone who appreciates genuine and emotionally rich narratives.

7.4 out of 10 (⭐⭐⭐✰✰)

Common Mistakes To Avoid In Movie Review Writing

Writing an effective movie review demands a complete attention to detail and an exact approach. Here are common mistakes to avoid:

  • A common mistake that most review writers make while reviewing is that they exploit the main spoiler in plot summary.
  • Another mistake is writing a review without a clear organization or structure.
  • Only focusing on personal preferences and neglecting a fair assessment.
  • Ignoring elements like direction, cinematography, sound, and editing.
  • The most major common is not considering who the review is for.
  • A shift between formal and informal tones or inconsistent writing styles can make the reviewing experience bad.
  • Make grammatical errors and typos to distract the reader from your review. To tackle this mistake, you can utilize free grammar and punctuation checker tools to make your review go smoothly.

When you avoid these mistakes, you will likely have an idea about how to write a good movie review in a more insightful, engaging, and professional way.

The Author’s Top Recommended Movies To Review

Now that you have learned every aspect of how to start a movie review, it’s time to write your first one. Below are some top movies that the author has recently watched and wants students, critics and movie lovers to write reviews about them. You can choose one according to your interests.

  • Joker (2019): A psychopath, thriller and crime based movie
  • under paris (2024): Horror, action mystery
  • Unfrosted (2024): Comedy/ Drama
  • After everything (2023): A romance/ thriller movie
  • The Nest 2020: A thriller/ drama movie
  • The Guilty (2021): Triller and chrome
  • Uncharted (2022): Action + Adventure Movie
  • Return to sender (2015): A psychological thriller and action movie
  • Spaceman (2024): Sci-fi + adventurous
  • The Green Mile (1999): Crime/Fantasy Movie

Before going to wind up, we recommend you to watch these movies and write a compelling movie review on your own. In case anything remains unresolved, feel free to contact our creative writing helper and let them help you in writing a movie review.

Final Thoughts

Overall to understand how to write a movie review all you need is a template for a movie review, some helpful tips and some movie review examples. 

Surprisingly, we cover all of these factors to help you write an effective review. Just follow the tips, and you’ll be able to turn your ideas and observations into reviews that people can’t put down.

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How To Write a Movie Review Essay

By: Henrique Bertulino

How To Write a Movie Review Essay

Movie or book review writing , whether for a magazine or a school assignment, can present a unique challenge. It can be difficult to put one’s feelings about a visual form of media down in words, and more difficult still to figure out how to structure and format such a piece of work.

What Is a Movie Review Essay?

The film review essay format, movie reviews structure, film review outline, before you start writing, 🎓 example introduction: midsommar (2019), 🎓 example introduction: the lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring (2001), ✍️ example review: princess mononoke (1997), what is the format of a movie review, what are the 7 steps to writing a movie review, what should i write about in a movie essay, what makes a good movie review, how to start an essay about a movie.

In this article, we’ll talk you through what exactly a film review essay is, what format and structure you should adopt while writing one, and how you can write a gripping introduction. We’ll also give you some examples of film reviews to help you generate some ideas for essays of your own.

Whether you’re wondering how to write a movie review for college or want to dazzle your high school teacher, this article will help you craft your perfect essay .

A movie review essay is a critical piece of writing that aims to give a well-rounded assessment and analysis of a film. Good assignments will consider the film from all angles, looking at everything from the writing and acting, to the direction and editing.

How are movies written in an essay ? When answering “what is a movie review,” consider that these essays should be seen as far more than a summary of the film. Reviews can be works of art in and of themselves. They should entertain, educate, and persuade, and your written thesis should be original and compelling without necessarily spoiling the movie.

A good rule of thumb for such essays is that they should be a marriage of personal opinion and objective analysis. The most popular critics have their distinctive voice and style, and even different ideas of what makes a movie good, or even great; but they also have an understanding of film theory, and have a solid grasp of the fundamentals of cinematic technique.

So, now you understand what this kind of essay is; but how to write a movie review essay that is compelling? In the next section, we’ll consider the importance of format.

Your movie review essay format depends on the audience you are writing for. Are you a high school student working on an assignment ? A university student completing a piece of coursework ? A writer for a cultural arts magazine? A movie review format for students might look quite different from the format of a magazine article.

Generally speaking, however, all movie reviews will have a similar format. Here are a couple of ideas as to what your paper might look like:

  • Length. Movie reviews are not typically very long. On average, they range between 600-1200 words. If you’re writing this for university, you may be expected to produce a longer piece of work.
  • Paragraphs. Film reviews should always be split up into paragraphs. Each paragraph should have a clear point and direction and should work to develop your central argument in an informative way.

Regardless of the intended audience, a good film review will always stick to a rough structure. If you’re unsure of how to write a movie in a paper and especially how to structure a film review, check out these pointers:

  • Introduction As with any essay, your review should begin with an introduction . This should include the title, date of release, and any relevant background information on the movie. If it’s based on a book, you might want to mention that, too. You should also make sure that you are clear from the get-go about your feelings on the film, opening your piece with a strong, compelling opinion. That way, your audience knows what to expect.
  • Summary. Next, include a brief summary of the film. Your readers are here for your review, not a synopsis, so you don’t need to include every minute detail or plot twist. It’s enough just to outline the main elements of the story, making sure that you’re telling your readers enough that they won’t get lost.
  • Description. The summary will give your audience a good idea of the content of the film, but your description should give a more detailed description of your personal experience of the movie. In this section, you should focus on the parts of the film that stand out in your mind; what did they look and sound like, and how did they make you feel?
  • Analysis. Your essay analysis should form the bulk of the paper. In this section, you should deliver a critical interpretation of the movie, backing up your points with examples of scenes from the film. It might be helpful to refer back to your introduction while you’re writing, to make sure that you are supporting the opinion you laid out in the opening paragraph of your essay. You should analyze all aspects of the film, from direction and acting to setting and cinematography, highlighting the most interesting decisions. Also, consider the themes of the film and how the formal techniques highlight them.
  • Conclusion. Your conclusion should recap your feelings on the film, reminding the reader of your overall impression. If you like, you could also say whether or not you recommend watching the film; whether you leave that explicit or implicit is up to you.

If you follow our advice on movie review structure, you’re sure to have a striking, well-thought-out essay. However, if you still find yourself unsure, why not look up one of our movie review templates for college students?

Before you start writing the film review, it’s a good idea to put together a movie review outline. Having a strong outline means that you’ll be able to go into writing with a sense of direction. It is also useful to be able to refer back to a plan as you’re composing your essay. Doing so means that you won’t find yourself drifting off-topic, or going on meandering digressions.

Here are some tips for writing a good movie review essay outline:

  • Brainstorm. Start by pooling together all of your ideas about the film and your review. You’ll think about what to include in a movie review. Don’t worry if some don’t seem relevant right now; just focus on getting it all down on the page.
  • Decide on your thesis statement. If you haven’t already, try to decide on a central argument for your review. A good movie review paper doesn’t simply say “this film is bad,” or “this film is good.” Rather, a skillfully written review will try to prove a wider point about the movie. What is the point you would like to make? It’s alright if you don’t have a perfectly polished sentence ready to go, but you should at least have a solid idea. This will make planning your essay so much easier.
  • Filter. Now that you’ve decided on a thesis statement , it’s time to go back through your brainstorming notes. With your thesis in mind, decide which points are most relevant to your paper and discard the ones that aren’t. If you’re not sure whether a note is relevant, ask yourself how it backs up your thesis statement; if you’re able to give a clear, insightful answer, then you know it should be included.

If you’ve chosen a film to write on, you’ve already completed the first step of writing a film review. But there are several other things you should do before you even begin writing your essay:

  • Watch and re-watch the film. Ideally, you should view the film multiple times before sitting down to write your review. Take notes while you watch, writing down any parts of the movie that stand out to you, or any questions you have while watching the film that you might want to research later.
  • Research. At the very least, you will need to include a title, release date, and the names of the director, screenwriter, and perhaps even important actors in your review. However, you should also provide some additional context for your readers. It’s important, then, that you take the time to research the movie and its history. It may be worth checking out other reviews that have been written on the film as well. You don’t want to parrot the ideas of other critics, but reading what they have to say may help you generate a few ideas of your own.
  • Outline. Before you sit down to write, it’s a good idea to put together a movie review essay outline. Include the key points you’re going to make in your essay and make note of what scenes from the film you’re going to use to back those points up.

Once you’ve followed these steps, you’re ready to start writing!

What to Include in a Movie Review Introduction

How to start a movie review essay? Well, as we’ve already talked about, your introduction should include some key elements. In any essay, your introduction should serve to draw in the readers. It should display your voice as a writer while showing that you have original, interesting ideas about the film you’re reviewing. Review essays should be not only informative but entertaining as well.

What to write in the movie review introduction?

  • Title, release date, and important figures. Provide the title and release date, as well as the names of the director, screenwriter, and major actors.
  • Context. You don’t need to trace the film’s entire history while writing a movie review, but your audience will appreciate a little bit of context.
  • Hook. In your introduction, you should include a fact or quote to grab your reader’s attention.
  • Opinion. Make it clear exactly what your opinion is of the film. and introduce the central thesis of your essay.

If you include these central elements, you’re bound to write a memorable introduction—one that’s sure to grab the attention of your readers and stick with them long after they’ve finished reading your piece.

Want more information on how to write an introduction for a movie review? We’ve got you covered! Just check out these movie review introduction examples below.

"Ari Aster’s latest film, Midsommar, is the director’s second feature film—and, as it happens, his second feature film about cults. Released in 2019 by independent entertainment company A24, this gore-fest was met with mixed reviews. Given the polarizing nature of its subject matter, perhaps this is not altogether surprising. Despite a cast of shallowly written characters, powered by at best flimsy psychology, the film may be worth a watch if only for its dazzling cinematography, and Bobby Krlic’s eerie soundscape."

"The first installment of Peter Jackson’s epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, makes for a promising start. The film’s release in 2001 was a smashing success, and it’s not difficult to see why. A sweeping score and fantastical setting help bring J. R. R. Tolkien’s masterwork of fantasy fiction to life, while masterful performances from actors such as Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen help carry the emotional weight of this epic."

Examples of Film Reviews

One of the best ways to learn how to write a review essay on a movie is to read it yourself. Below, you can find an example of a review of Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke , a Japanese animated historical fantasy film released in 1997.

How To Write a Movie Review Essay Example

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OMG! This helps so much. I’m taking an online accelerated class and let me tell you the teachers instructions are not clear on the rubrics as far as breakdown and she doesn’t respond promptly. These are simple questions and I appreciate the prompt service.

I really cannot wait to turn in my next movie review to my professor after reading through this writing. I'm sure once I apply what was said about formatting, my writing will improve. I'll be sure to keep the guidelines in this writing in my thoughts for every text I write in my next movie review.

Many things are put into the creation of a great movie, from the casting to costumes and the scenery. I guess that explains why it can be really time-consuming to make a proper evaluation. As a very tired college student, any papers that are given as assignments involving movie reviews are instantly outsourced (please do not judge me). I honestly would rather pay someone who offers a writing service than spend hours watching the movie. However, I've read this, and very nice points were made. Maybe I'll try writing my next assignment myself😉

Now I know how to relay the storyline while I compose a review. The end result of following the guidelines in this writing will be a review that is professional in nature. I believe one can adopt this style while reviewing a documentary as well. I've gained knowledge about the standard word count for this type of writing as well. My main takeaway is on how to describe in a more detailed manner.

For blog/magazine writers to make or explain their critique on paper, they need to notice the plot, theme, and character interaction for a well-rounded review.

Going by everything the writer made mention of in this writing, this is exactly how films should be reviewed. Now I know I don't have to include every single plot twist and do away with some events that unfolded. I'm aware of the details that need to be highlighted in a review and I can edit the things that need to fall out.

This was a cool step-by-step guide on how to write a film review, and I like their formatting style. Major key point: a review tells readers if some movies are worth watching or not.

Of all the writings about a motion picture that I've come across, this one takes the cake. I've gained knowledge on how to use my writing skills to create a comprehensive plot summary which will improve the quality of my final draft.

David O'Brien

Oh wow! I never really considered the technicalities and writing process behind writing a great movie review. Film criticism can be somewhat confusing, but I think this write-up strongly shows the difference between writing a professional movie review and a mediocre one. I'll happily take the pointers and include them the next time I have to write anything regarding a movie. Thanks!

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How to write a movie review [Updated 2024]

How to write a review about a movie

Writing a movie review is a great way to practice critical analysis skills. In this post, we explore what a movie review is, how to start a film review, and steps for writing and revising it.

What is a movie review?

A movie review is a concise evaluation of a film’s content and formal elements (cinematography, sound, lighting, etc.). Also known as a film review, a movie review considers not just what a film means, but how it means. Essentially, when you write a film review, you are conducting a critical analysis or close reading of a movie.

How to write a movie review

To write a successful review about a movie, you need to evaluate a film’s content, as well as its form. In this section, we break down these two components.

A film’s content includes its plot (what it’s about), characters, and setting. You’ll need to determine the main plot points of the film and how the film’s story works overall.

Are there parts that don’t make sense? Are certain characters more important than others? What is the relationship between the movie’s plot and its setting? A discussion of a film’s content provides good context for an analysis of its form.

Form refers to all of the aesthetic and/or formal elements that make a story into a movie. You can break down form into several categories:

  • Cinematography : This element comprises all aspects of the movie that derive from the way a camera moves and works. You’ll need to pay attention to elements like camera angles, distances between the camera and the subject, and types of shots (i.e. close-up, aerial, etc.).
  • Lighting : Films use lighting in various ways to communicate certain effects. For instance, noir films tend to utilize chiaroscuro lighting (deep contrasts between light and dark) to express a sense of secrecy or foreboding.
  • Sound : The way a film uses sound can vary considerably. Most movies have a soundtrack, sometimes with music composed specifically for the film. Some films play around with ambient sounds or use silence at key points to signify important moments. What is the relation of sound to the image in specific scenes or sequences? Do sounds link images? Does it ever become more important than the image?
  • Editing : The movies we watch online or in theaters have been heavily edited in order to achieve a particular flow. When you are preparing to write a movie review, pay close attention to elements like the length of shots, transitions between scenes, or any other items that were finalized after filming.
  • Costumes, Props, and Sets : Are the costumes and props believable in relation to the film’s content and setting? Are costumes particularly elaborate or understated?

The important thing to remember when you are analyzing the formal elements of a movie is that every image, sound, movement, and object has meaning and has been planned. Your review needs to take into consideration how these elements work together with the film’s storyline to create a whole experience.

Once you’ve considered both the content and form of the movie that you’re reviewing, you can begin to evaluate the film as a whole. Is it a successful movie? Would you recommend it? Why or why not?

Step-by-step review writing tips

1. watch the movie.

The first time that you watch the movie, look for overarching themes or patterns, and establish what the film is primarily about. Take note of the main characters, as well as the setting.

2. Watch the movie again and take notes

Next, watch the movie again and take notes as you are doing so, keeping in mind the formal aspects discussed above. Write down anything that seems significant.

3. Evaluate the film’s form and content

Using the categories described above, and any handouts or guides provided by your instructor, evaluate the film’s formal elements along with its content. Are there elements of the movie that strike you as unfamiliar or perplexing? Are there elements that are repeated to emphasize a point or perception?

4. Write your review

A good movie review will contain:

  • an introductory paragraph that tells the reader what movie you’re reviewing
  • a paragraph that summarizes the movie
  • several body paragraphs that explore significant formal elements and how they relate to the content
  • a concluding paragraph that discusses your overall reaction to the film and whether or not you would recommend it to others

5. Create citations

You’ll need cite the film and any secondary sources that you consulted while writing. Use BibGuru’s citation generator to instantly create accurate citations for movies, as well as articles, books, and websites.

You may also want to consult a guide on how to cite a film in MLA or another major citation style .

6. Revise and proofread

Once you’ve written your review, you should set aside some time to revise and proofread it before you turn it in.

Movie review checklist

You can use this checklist to ensure that you’ve considered all of the formal elements, as well as the content, of the film that you’re reviewing:

🔲 Cinematography (camera moves and types of shots)

🔲 Lighting (natural vs. artificial light, contrasts between light and dark)

🔲 Sound (soundtrack, sound vs. silence, loud vs. soft sounds)

🔲 Editing (length of shots, transitions between scenes)

🔲 Costumes, props, and sets (believable vs. staged)

🔲 Content (plot, characters, setting)

Frequently Asked Questions about how to write a review about a movie

A movie review should contain a brief summary of the film, several paragraphs of analysis that focus on form and content, and a concluding paragraph that sums up your reaction.

Before you write anything, you need to watch the film at least once. Take notes as you’re watching and pay attention to formal elements and patterns. Then, write your review. The final step is to revise your work before you turn it in.

The tone for a movie review should be critical, yet objective. The goal of most reviews is to persuade a reader to either see a film or not.

The best film reviews balance plot summary with critical analysis of significant formal elements. A reader should be able to decide if she wants to see the film after reading the review.

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A Comprehensive Movie Review Writing Guide

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What is a Movie Review?

What is the purpose of a movie review, preparing to write a college movie review.

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How to Write an Outstanding Movie Review for College

The structure of movie reviews| the format of a movie review, the introduction, summary of the story in the movie, creative elements in the film- elements of a movie review homework, personal opinion, examples of movie reviews for college students, how to handle movie review assignments, get help with editing and writing your movie critiques, commonly asked questions on movie reviews: faq.

For students majoring in English, writing a movie review is never optional. High school and college students often find it hard to review a film. “Who can write my movie review, I’ll pay?” is common for students.

Well, writing a movie review is not just about what happens in the movie. Instead, it should be an entire critical process loaded with different steps. As students like watching movies, they often confuse writing film reviews with writing regular essays. However, this is always never the case.

Sometimes, even seeking help from academic writing companies do not help. Especially, if you don’t end up with a custom movie review. In this case, your movie review assignment is nothing less than that written using a movie review generator. Simply, it is useless and deemed for poor grades.

As a top, reliable, and cheap custom essay writing service, we help students write movie reviews online. Besides, our movie review examples for college students can be referenced as they are professionally written essays. However, students must be smart.

With an example of a film review, think of the film you just watched and follow the format of the sample movie review format for students provided.

We watch movies, discuss, and critique them daily. In college, watching movies on Netflix or Amazon is fun. Creating a high-quality review is a very tasking endeavor, especially for fresh college students. Well, before understanding how to write a movie review, let’s delve into its definition.

Simply, a movie review is a detailed, critical, and balanced synthesis or analysis of the thematic content and technical aspects as well as giving personal opinions on a film.

As a rule of thumb, movie reviews must have a minimum word limit of 1000-words. The maximum length of a movie review depends on the instructions and if the film is long, say a series.

Film reviews fall under creative, critical review. In this, they are seen as art and should be approached with creativity and critical thinking. In the end, it is like ending with a loaded persuasive or argumentative paper. But let’s begin by understanding what the purpose of a film review is. It will set a pace on how to write a good movie review.

Fundamentally, students taking English classes have to write film reviews. As a movie review writing service, we believe a professional movie review should:

The primary purpose of a movie review is to emancipate the reader on the ideas on the film. Often, students focus so much on events rather than the real issues of concern. It is good to express your personal opinion when writing a documentary or film review, but you should be objective and unbiased. A good movie review features the two.

Film reviews should detail and help a reader in making decisions on whether or not to watch a movie.  For lecturers, it is a chance to assess and test the creativity and critical thinking skills of the students.

Movie reviews should inform the reader about the content and quality of the documentary or movie. For example, if a reader is looking for a horror movie review of a specific nature, convince them why they should watch Vampire Dairies, Final Destination , or Wrong Turn .

A detailed analysis helps inexperienced viewers to get insights into the critical elements of the film based on the scenes. Now, let us prepare our college movie review assignment.

Before writing a film review, there are steps one should follow.

  • Choose a movie if your instructor does not assign one. Confirm from the review prompt if there is a specific genre to choose. Content and themes should guide your choice.
  • Watch the film. You should watch the film at least twice or thrice to get insights on the elements of the movie to include in the review. At first, get into the movie atmosphere to get a good impression. Second viewing gives you the chance to look at the cinematography elements, sound effects, lighting, background music, and acting.
  • Formulate a central theme o idea of the movie. If you are not sure, a third viewing is inevitable. This time, be very keen and take notes.
  • Your notes should record the breathtaking scenes, details, events, and moments. If there are phrases you need in verbatim, note them down, especially if they are from main characters. It is the best epigraph you can have for the film review.

The Do’s when reviewing a Film

  • Engage in some research on the movie to decorate your review and make it more convincing. Record any challenges when shooting the movie.
  • Focus on the director of the movie and the cast as well as prestigious awards. Any cinephile would want a deeply written movie review, and it is your chance to make it informative.

Our write my movie review experts always do the entire process. They understand how to write a movie review. Sometimes, when writing a movie review, it is great to read some of the reviews on the same film written by professional film critics. The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Times, Rolling Stone and The New Yorker, etc. can be helpful.

This is a step by step guide on how to write a good movie review. Arguably, beginning a movie review is the hardest.  However, follow these steps from our “write my movie review for me” experts:

  • Watch the documentary or movie twice
  • Conduct thorough research on the movie. Check for the characters, events, plot, location, motivation, storyline, and directors as well as the cast.
  • Only analyze a movie after watching it.
  • Always have a movie review outline with you.
  • Proofread and edit your movie review to remove mistakes. A good review should be flawless. Check for syntax, grammar, vocabulary, typos, errors, and word choice.
  • Write a firm conclusion for the movie. You are allowed to give recommendations and convince the reader to watch the movie. It is like selling the movie to someone with no interest in a film.

One area of technicality write my movie review experts face is advising on the movie review format for students. Even with a pdf on how to write a movie, you need to format your review in the best way possible.

Your introduction should have a grabber. It should have the name of the director, the title of the movie, the genre, the release date, and awards if any. Sometimes, professors want you to include the budget and the box office. Besides, the intro should have the cast members.

When writing a movie review, do not forget the thesis statement as part of the introduction. Notably, a compelling thesis statement should convince your reader to stay tuned.

The thesis statement should cover the plot summary and describe the technical aspects.  Here are some ideas for a good thesis statement for a movie/film review:

  • Establishing the themes of the film to current affairs.
  • Tying the plot to personal experiences or family events.
  • Connecting the elements of the film review to the thematic contents.

This stage is where the rubber meets the road. The first and second paragraphs of the body should expose your evaluation. Maybe it is a chance to offer your personal opinion. Our write my movie review for cheap experts know this, that some readers have no time to go through an entire review.

The body should have a brief plot summary where you focus on major events. Furthermore, you can describe the setting but give so much less that you dodge “, spoiler alerts.” Maintain the suspense; it makes a review sweet and entertaining.

The body should also reflect the purpose of the movie.

Why could it have been created? For this, great interviews with the director or the team that shot the movie can be a great starting point. However, most plots expose the purpose of films. Sometimes, the simplicity of movies makes them great. So, do not bother going too deep into the implications of a movie.

It is best to include the overall impression of the movie in the body too. What emotions, reactions, or thoughts does the movie/film/documentary evoke? The plot summary should very well capture this. You are allowed to take a personal stance on this part.

Here is where you focus on the details of filmmaking. An exhaustive movie review should always feature at least two elements in a film, however, avoid jargon in your review; they can anger the professor/instructor.

Check for the cinematography skills including angles, camera movement, and distance of cameras.

Also, analyze and critique the soundtrack used and whether or not it fits the themes of the film. Sometimes diegetic sounds like the chirping of birds, water in a river, or barking can form a good part of the review. Also, explain the non-diegetic sounds like sounds from aliens or outer space.

Another element is the visual effects, smiles or the actors and the landscape in the film.

The deeper meaning or symbols used in the movie is also an important element. Always check the repetitive phrases, scenes, or symbols for the same.

When giving personal opinions in a movie review, always use examples from the movie. Please focus on the character of a given character, their appearance, language, and body language.

Connect the movie review to your class or course topic. Sometimes draw the similarities and differences between the elements of the movie and the class reader content.

It would help if you always had an accurate depiction of the movie. Thus, it would be best if you never guessed anything. Instead, be as simple as possible.

Your review should have a strong conclusion . In this section, it is best to remind your readers of the movie elements, characters, setting, and themes.

Spicing up the conclusion with a set of recommendations is recommended. Keep the conclusion interesting by reformulating your thesis.

Reflect on the entire movie review process. Always give your honest opinion and give impartial details. The opinions are good as they swerve the readers to adopt and agree with your opinion. Remember, when writing a movie review for a movie club and children, the approach is never the same.

It might be a good idea to give details on how well the movie was directed and shot.  How about the lighting, was it good for the moods?

Here are some of how to write a movie review for college examples. We believe that with an example of a movie review assignment, you can be able to write a good movie review.

  • Review of Hunger Games: Demystifying Dystopia
  • Doctor Who Film Review
  • “Everybody Hates Chris” A Critical Review
  • The Notebook-Review of the Romantic Movie
  • Modern understanding of Marriage in Modern Family
  • Blackish Film Review
  • Hidden figures review on the Role of Women in Science
  • Representation of women in Science Movies
  • Ghostbusters Review
  • Review of Contact
  • Orphan Black Critical Review
  • Review of Gender Balance in Jurassic Park
  • Comprehensive Review of Black Panther.
  • Review of the Dawn of Planet Apes

Our “write my essay,” professional movie review helpers can always assist with your assignments.

There are some mistakes to avoid when writing movie reviews:

  • Generalizing the review using terms like it was a nasty movie, a fine movie, a good movie, cool effects on the movie, great expertise in acting, and so on.
  • Focusing on irrelevant stuff.
  • Not having a structure of the review before writing.
  • Lack of editing and proofreading.
  • Failing to support personal opinions with facts and examples from research or the movie.
  • Not watching the film or documentary before beginning to write.
  • Writing too much with personal pronouns. Arguably, it makes it informal and dilutes the content
  • Beating around the bush with ideas in the film.
  • Not getting movie review help in time. You can always ask for the “write my movie review, for cheap,” service from Gradecrest.com.

Ask for help today from a top custom essay writing service . Our assignment writing service has qualified professional essay writers .

We have helped many save their grades; it is now your chance. When you order, we let you have control of the paper by setting the deadlines and asking for movie review drafts.

Sometimes, you have written a movie review but are unsure if it meets the marking threshold in the rubric. In this case, you can use our Essay Editing Service . It makes no sense to ask your classmates to edit and proofread your essay.

The same level of experience does not count here. Instead, our keen editors can always help.

As an instant essay maker, we ensure that even the most urgent essays are submitted within the deadline.

Who will write my Movie Review?

We have experts in essay writing. They have exclusive experience in writing film reviews. If your review needs to choose a movie, they will also help you.

Will someone else have access to my Review?

No! Once you pay for the essay or paper, it becomes 100% your property. As a custom paper writing company, we never re-sell or distribute essays we write.

How can I contact you if I need help with a movie review service?

We have 24/7 customer support. You can reach us through WhatsApp or Chat.

Can I copy a movie review online?

No! That amounts to plagiarism, which has grave consequences. Universities use Turnitin to check plagiarism, and you might get caught and red-carded. Copying an existing movie review is a suicide mission. Instead, look for movie review examples for college students.

Do movie reviews get assigned to non-English Majors?

Yes, even students from psychology, sociology, history, or business are given movie review assignments. The aim is to assess your critical thinking and creativity skills.

How is a movie review formatted?

Most prompts will have instructions on what format and citation styles to use. However, most movie reviews we have written were on MLA and APA citation styles.

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How to Write a Movie Review

How to Write a Movie Review

english assignment movie review

Writing a Film Review

Movies have become a cultural mainstay of our society. Not only are they art and entertainment, but they have also become a way for people to bond and make connections. Finding someone who has a similar taste in movies can create new friendships and start interesting conversations. That's why understanding how to analyze a movie and write movie reviews is such a useful skill. 

Do you need to know how to write a movie review for college? Or how to write a movie critique? Or maybe just how to do a movie review? In this article, you will learn how to write a movie review step by step, as well as get an in-depth guide into each section of a movie review.

What is a Movie Review?

A film review essay is more than just a plot summary followed by a recommendation. A movie review analyzes different elements of a movie and mixes personal opinion with objective analysis. The goal of the movie review is to tell the reader about the details of a movie while giving them enough information to decide for themselves whether it's worth watching or not. Of course, a good movie review also has to be interesting and engaging! 

How to Write a Good Movie Review

More than most other pieces of writing, there are a lot of steps to take before actually getting into writing a movie review. But don't worry though, most of these steps are pretty fun and if you follow them, you will know how to review movies. 

Watch the film! 

It goes without saying that you need to watch a movie before you write a review for it, so, before you do anything else, watch the movie at least once. Don't worry about trying to pick up specific details on your first watch, just enjoy the movie and get a general impression of whether you liked it or not and what you liked or disliked. Ideally, you should watch the movie at least two times. On your second and third viewings, pay attention to movie review criteria like cinematography, acting, dialogue, character development, deeper meanings, etc. Read some film review examples to get a sense of the things they talk about.

Pause the movie on your second and third viewings and take notes on things that stand out to you. Don't be afraid to take as many notes as you want, after all these notes are just for you.  You might not use all the notes you have taken, but they will help you compose the main part of your body paragraphs.

Express your opinions

Once you have watched the movie a few times and taken notes, make a list of the strongest opinions you have about the movie. If you think that the quality of acting was one of the best parts of the movie, use your notes to come up with specific examples. You should have between 3 and 5 key opinions that you will elaborate on when writing a film review along with examples to back up your claims.

Think about your audience

The language you use is going to change based on who you are writing the movie review for. If it is an assignment for school or university, then you may have to use more technical language.  If you're writing an article for a website or personal blog, then think about who the audience is and use language appropriate for them. Keep in mind that your audience also depends on the genre of the movie you are critiquing. A movie review for a serious period drama will have a different audience than a buddy cop comedy and therefore different language. Look at a movie review sample from different genres to get an idea of the type of language to use. 

Research the actors

Having big movie stars associated with a film is often one of the main selling points of a movie.  If an actor is critically acclaimed, it’s especially important to mention the awards they have won as this is often a sign of the overall quality of the movie. It's also possible that you didn't like the movie overall, but one of your favorite actors was in it so you enjoyed the movie and another fan might enjoy it too. 

Do background research

An easy way to make a movie review interesting is to search for interesting details about the making of the movie. It may be worth mentioning if it was shot in a particularly beautiful place or a unique location, or if the special effects were practical rather than CGI. Include interesting casting decisions or other actors that were considered for a particular role. Think about what information could be interesting to someone who might want to watch the movie and include those details. Go over some movie critique examples to get inspiration. 

Research the professionals

People can be fans not just of the actors, but of directors, writers, cinematographers, costume designers, and many other elements of filmmaking. Many directors are auteurs, which means they have a very particular visual style or storytelling method. How much time you spend on this section is dependent on your audience. If you're writing for social media or a blog for general people, then this might not be interesting to most. But if you're writing for film school or for a specific audience interested in filmmaking, then this section will need to be more elaborate. Look at a film review example written for different audiences to understand the differences. 

Draft an outline

Now that you've done all the required research, it's time to come up with a review outline. An outline is always useful when doing any piece of writing because it gives you a  chance to visualize the structure and plan how you want to incorporate information. This is the general film review format.

Introduction

  • Brief summary of the film
  • Discuss plot, tone, characters
  • Discuss creative and technical elements
  • Your opinions

Conclusion 

Come up with a catchy title.

Almost more than any other piece of writing, a movie review’s title needs to be engaging. A title like ”film review of (name of the movie) might be to the point, but isn't going to stand out. A good title should grab the reader's attention and make them want to read more. A few ways you can do this is by talking about a specific actor or director, or by using one of the main plot points of the movie. For example, “A Romantic Comedy for the Unromantic”,  or “Chris Pratt Plays Against Type in the Best Possible Way”. Look at the titles of some movie review examples for inspiration!

Write your review

It's finally time to get to the actual writing! The next part of this article talks in-depth about each section of a film review. 

People aren't going to take a review seriously if you have spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. If it's an assignment for school, then you’re going to lose marks because of mistakes like that. Make sure you reread your paper a few times and check for typos and other silly mistakes.  Read the paper out loud once or twice to get an idea of if it has a good flow. Don't be afraid to move sections around if you think it helps you build a stronger case.

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How to Write a Film Review

Do you want a ‘how to write a movie review’ template? Let's go over the specific parts of a film review and what to include in each one.

Your first sentence needs to capture the reader's attention. You can do this by stating an interesting fact about the movie, starting off by expressing your opinion of whether it's good or bad, mentioning some of the important actors, comparing it to other movies in the genre or to real-world events, whatever it is, make sure it's catchy!

Next, give background information about the movie. This includes things like the title, release date, studio, important cast members, director, budget, etc. Make sure to highlight any achievements of the movie, for example, if it was nominated for any awards. The same goes for the director as well as important members of the cast. This shouldn't just be a dry stating of facts, rather this should be a collection of interesting information about the background of the movie. 

Finally, end your introduction paragraph with your thesis. In the case of a film review, your thesis is essentially what you thought about the film. Without giving away too much, express your overall impression of the movie noting particular things that you thought stood out or were weak.

Summary of the story

The trick to writing the summary of the story is giving readers an idea of what to expect without giving away any important plot points or spoilers. The goal of this section isn't to explain the plot of the movie, It's to make sure that people have a basic understanding of the story so that the rest of the review can make sense. Describe the setting of the movie, which includes the main locations and time period. Introduce the main characters (including the name of the actor in parentheses after the name of their character). And go over the general storyline. 

Plot elements

This is when you start explaining what you thought about the movie. Start with an analysis of the plot itself. Did it have a rising action that builds suspense? Was the climax a good payoff? What were your overall impressions of the movie? How did it make you feel? What do you think the purpose of the movie was and did the director succeed in their goal? 

This is also the section where you get to talk about the different characters in the movie. Why did you enjoy certain characters? Were some characters better developed than others? Could some characters have benefited from more development? Was the villain particularly interesting? 

Think about the overall mood of the movie, did it change over time? How did the tones and symbols of the movie emphasize elements of the plot? Remember that any point you make in this section has to be backed up by examples. So if you say that there are several plot holes that make the movie complicated to understand, mention the specific scenes.

Creative elements

There are a lot of technical and creative elements in a movie that can stand out even if the overall plot and story weren’t the best. On the other hand, even a great story can be spoiled by bad dialogue or set design. These are some of the creative elements you should pay attention to especially when rewatching the movie and taking notes.

Dialogue : This can refer to the overall writing of the movie as well. If you can get your hands on a script then read it! When thinking about dialogue ask yourself, did the conversation between characters seem natural and flow easily? Or did it seem choppy and unnatural? 

Cinematography : Cinematography refers to the camera effects and the choices of how to film a certain scene. The lighting, the choice of camera angles, essentially the unique perspective of the story as told through the camera. 

Editing : Editing refers to the transition between different scenes as well as how well the movie flows together. This could include things like clever montages, longshots, different perspectives, etc.  

Costumes : Some movies, especially historical movies, fantasy films, and science fiction films, depend heavily on costume design. Costumes are an integral part of making a character stand out or making the world seem more real.

Set Design : Set design refers to the backgrounds of scenes. Some sets might be more elaborate whereas others can be minimalistic. Each choice has its pros and cons and effective set design creates proper ambiance, setting the tone and mood for a scene or the movie.

Music and Sound : Sometimes the movie has a great soundtrack or just incredible sound effects that help make it stand out.

Stunts : More important for action movies, but in general stunts and action sequences can be a major selling point for a film.

Special Effects : Most movies rely on some amount of special effects, and whether it be CGI, or practical, or a combination of the two, the quality is important.

Once you have analyzed multiple different elements of the story from its plot, characterization, and other technical and creative elements, you can state your opinions and provide evidence for them. Make sure you refer to specific scenes or specific situations when looking for substantiating evidence. Remember that the goal of a movie review is not to just state whether you liked or disliked a movie, it is to analyze it in an objective way, and give information so that somebody else can decide whether they want to watch the movie or not.

In the conclusion you express your main opinion of the movie along with the most important pieces of evidence. You can talk about the purpose of the movie and whether the director was successful in showing that purpose. End with a recommendation of whether the movie should be watched or not, along with suggestions of movies that are similar to it.

Did you like our Film Review Guide?

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Mistakes to avoid

You now know how to write a review on a movie but let's take a look at some mistakes that you should be careful to avoid.

Not focusing on the film

It's easy to start writing about things like the historical events the movie you loved is based on or the importance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe overall rather than focus on the movie itself.  While those elements can be interesting to include as background information, the point of a film review is to go over a particular movie so that is what you should spend the most time on.

Not providing evidence 

A common mistake people make when they write movie reviews is to state their opinions without any objective analysis. An easy way to overcome this mistake is to make sure that you provide evidence for any claims that you make.

Spoilers are an easy way to make sure that people will be upset with your movie review. It is common to accidentally give away too much, especially when writing the plot summary. Find the line between giving enough information so that people understand the general story and revealing important plot twists and turning points. Read some sample movie reviews for examples of how to avoid spoilers.

Using personal pronouns

Statements like “I did not like the special effects” or “I did not like the pacing of the movie” are clearly expressions of opinion. It is better to make statements like “the special effects in certain action scenes were cartoonish and took away from the realism of the film”. 

A movie review essay can be incredibly fun to write, especially if you have a strong opinion about the movie. But keep in mind that a movie review isn't just about your opinion, it has to include an objective analysis with claims backed up by evidence from specific scenes. It's difficult to have a movie review definition, but a great movie review is a blend between personal opinion and objective analysis. It informs the reader about the strengths and weaknesses of the movie while letting them make the decision whether they want to watch it or not. 

If you found your way to this article because you were looking for help on how to write a movie review for college, then you're in the perfect place. If you need any help, don't hesitate to reach out to the experts at Studyfy. At Studyfy, we offer a wide range of custom writing services, including online assignment help , coursework writing services, and custom essay writing. Our team of experienced writers is well-equipped to handle any writing task you may have, no matter the complexity or urgency. Just say, ‘ do my Excel project for me ,’ ‘ write my discussion post ,’ or ‘ do my PowerPoint for me ,’ and we will ensure that you receive high-quality work that meets all your requirements. Trust us to provide you with the best support to help you achieve your academic goals.

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A Step-by-Step Guide: Movie Review Assignment Example

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english assignment movie review

Movie reviews are a classic assignment given to students studying film, journalism, and communications. writing a movie review can be a challenging task, especially if you’re new to IT . In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the process of writing a compelling and informative movie review.

Step 1: Choose a Movie to Review

The first step in writing a movie review is choosing a film to review. You may already have a movie assigned to you by your instructor, or you may have the freedom to choose your own. If you have the freedom to choose, select a movie that interests you and is also relevant to your course. It’s important to watch the movie with a critical eye, so choose a film that you can analyze in-depth.

Step 2: Watch the Movie

Once you’ve chosen a movie, it’s time to watch it. Take notes while watching the film, paying attention to the storyline, cinematography, acting, and overall impact. Try to identify the major themes, characters, and any notable aspects of the film that stand out to you.

Step 3: Research the Film

After watching the movie, conduct some research to gather background information. This may include reading reviews from other critics, exploring the director’s previous work, or learning about the film’s production and reception. Understanding the context of the movie can provide valuable insight into its significance and impact.

Step 4: Organize Your Thoughts

Before you start writing, organize your thoughts and notes. Create an outline that includes the key points you want to cover in your review. This may include an introduction, a summary of the plot, an analysis of the film’s strengths and weaknesses, and your overall evaluation of the movie.

Step 5: Write the Review

Now that you have a clear outline, it’s time to start writing your review. Begin with a captivating introduction that grabs the reader’s attention and provides some context about the film. Then, summarize the plot in a concise and engaging manner. Next, delve into your analysis of the film, discussing its strengths, weaknesses, and any standout elements.

Make sure to provide examples and evidence to support your points. If you’re discussing the acting, for example, mention specific performances or scenes that stood out to you. If you’re critiquing the cinematography, describe particular shots or visual elements that were noteworthy.

Step 6: Revise and Edit

Once you’ve written your review, take the time to revise and edit. Check for grammatical errors, clarity of language, and overall coherence. It’s also a good idea to have someone else read your review and provide feedback. Fresh eyes can often catch things that you may have overlooked.

Step 7: Add a Rating (Optional)

Some movie reviews include a rating to provide a quick summary of the reviewer’s overall assessment. If you choose to include a rating, make sure it aligns with the content of your review and provides a clear indication of your thoughts on the film.

Step 8: Finalize and Submit

After completing your revisions, finalize your review and prepare it for submission. Make sure to adhere to any specific formatting or submission guidelines provided by your instructor. Once you’re satisfied with the content, submit your review and await feedback.

Writing a movie review can be a rewarding experience that allows you to critically analyze a film and share your thoughts with others. By following this step-by-step guide, you can produce a well-crafted review that provides valuable insight and perspective.

What should I focus on when writing a movie review?

When writing a movie review, focus on the film’s storytelling, technical aspects, performances, and overall impact. Provide specific examples to support your analysis and engage your readers.

Is it important to watch the movie more than once?

While watching a movie more than once can provide a deeper understanding, it may not always be necessary for a review assignment. However, if you have the opportunity to rewatch the film, you may pick up on new details and nuances that can enrich your review.

How should I approach critiquing a movie without being overly negative?

When critiquing a film, it’s important to provide a balanced assessment that acknowledges both strengths and weaknesses. Instead of being overly negative, focus on constructive criticism and provide suggestions for improvement when possible.

With this step-by-step guide, you should feel more confident in approaching a movie review assignment. Remember to watch the film with a critical eye, conduct thorough research, and write a well-structured review that offers valuable insights and analysis.

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Film&Movie Review Examples and Samples

Reviewing films can seem fun, but it actually takes discipline to explain all the elements of a film and to express your opinion succinctly. Check out our film review samples to gain a better understanding of how to write one yourself.

How to Write a Movie Review: A Comprehensive Guide

Writing a movie review is an engaging process that combines film criticism, analysis, and personal opinion to create an informative and thought-provoking piece. A well-crafted review not only serves as a helpful guide for potential viewers but also deepens our understanding of the cinematic experience. In this article, we will explore the essentials of review writing, focusing on crucial elements such as plot summary, thesis, opinion, characters, cinematography, and more.

Start with a Plot Summary

Begin your movie review with a brief synopsis, offering an overview of the film’s storyline. This recap should be concise and engaging, giving readers a general idea of the movie’s premise without revealing too much. For a more structured approach, consider using an AI literature review generator to help you summarize key points efficiently. Remember that your summary sets the stage for the critique and analysis that follow.

Develop a Thesis

Your thesis is the central idea or argument that you will explore in your movie review. This main point should be clear and focused, serving as the backbone of your critique. Consider what themes or aspects of the film stood out to you, and build your thesis around these observations.

Express Your Opinion

A significant aspect of writing a movie review is sharing your personal viewpoint or perspective. Offer your judgment on the film’s strengths and weaknesses, providing specific examples from the movie to support your appraisal. Be honest and thoughtful in your assessment, considering both your own preferences and the film’s intended audience.

Analyze the Characters

Discuss the film’s characters, examining their roles, personas, and the actors’ performances. Consider how the cast contributes to the overall narrative and whether their portrayals are convincing and memorable. Analyze the characters’ development throughout the movie, as well as the relationships between them.

Examine the Cinematography

Cinematography plays a crucial role in a film’s visual style and storytelling. Delve into the camera work, lighting, photography, and framing, evaluating how these elements enhance or detract from the movie’s overall impact. Consider how the cinematography supports the film’s themes and emotions.

Conduct a Thorough Analysis

A comprehensive movie review requires a detailed examination of various aspects of the film. Study the director’s choices, the music and sound design, and the technical elements such as craftsmanship and artistry. This thorough scrutiny will help you provide a well-rounded critique that captures the essence of the movie.

Discuss the Director’s Role

The director is the creative force behind a film, responsible for shaping its vision and execution. Analyze the director’s choices, considering their impact on the film’s storytelling, pacing, and overall atmosphere. Reflect on the director’s previous work, if applicable, and how this film fits into their oeuvre.

Evaluate Music and Sound

Music and sound play an essential role in creating a film’s mood and atmosphere. Examine the soundtrack, score, and audio design, considering how these elements contribute to the movie’s overall experience. Discuss the effectiveness of the composition, melody, and soundscapes in enhancing the narrative.

Assess Technical Aspects 

Review the technical aspects of the film, such as the expertise and proficiency of the crew, the quality of the special effects, and the overall production value. Analyze how these elements contribute to the film’s success or shortcomings, and whether they support the movie’s themes and narrative.

Evaluate the Acting 

Analyze the actors’ performances, considering their delivery, expression, and interpretation of their roles. Discuss whether the acting feels authentic and engaging, and how it contributes to the film’s overall impact. Pay attention to standout performances or any instances where the acting may have detracted from the movie’s overall quality.

In summary, writing a movie review involves a careful balance of plot summary, thesis development, opinion sharing, and thorough analysis of various aspects of the film, including characters, cinematography, directorial choices, music and sound, and technical elements. By considering all these factors and incorporating the appropriate keyword density and LSI keywords organically throughout your review, you can create an engaging, informative, and well-rounded critique that will appeal to readers and enhance their appreciation for the film. Remember to be honest and thoughtful in your assessment, and most importantly, enjoy the process of delving into the world of cinema.

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How to Write a Film Review for High School

How to Write a Critical Summary of an Article

How to Write a Critical Summary of an Article

The assignment of writing a movie review for a high school class or newspaper can mean merely a grade from the teacher or publication that is read by the entire student body. Whether you are writing the movie review for a grade or not, you should follow certain conventions associated with the relation of information and opinion.

Choose a movie that is appropriate for the assignment if you have not been asked to review a specific movie. A movie review assignment may allow you leeway to review a movie that is not considered appropriate for publication. Inquire with your teacher as to your choice of movie, but keep in mind that the bulk of the student body will be too young to attend a movie rated above PG-13 without parental supervision and so you may be reviewing a movie that most students have not seen or will not see as a result of your review.

Introduce the movie by title and mention any stars or the name of the director if famous. Insert into the opening paragraph a thesis or overriding topic of your review. Instead of telling your readers that the movie is really great or simply awful, highlight one of the best or worst aspects of the film. Choose a highlight like innovative special effects, an actor’s performance that dominates the movie, a lack of logic in the plotline or some other aspect that sticks out.

Avoid relating the entire plot of the movie in your review. Do not turn the review into a synopsis of the film. Insert a SPOILER ALERT above a paragraph that reveals a surprise plot turn if you cannot adequately relate the essence of the movie’s plot without the revelation. Try to find ways to avoid any spoilers while still getting the point of your review across.

Address the film in the context of its genre. Become aware of what audiences generally tend to expect from a science fiction epic, a romantic comedy or a tearjerker drama. Inform yourself about the conventions and clichés associated with specific movie genres so that you can recognize and relate to your readers such examples as how the science fiction movie breaks new ground in special effects or how the romantic comedy is little more than a collection of the most obvious clichés associated with that genre.

Analyze all the components that make up a good or bad movie and provide insight into how these components are addressed in the movie you are reviewing. For example, state that the acting is very good, but the storyline presents nothing new or interesting; use examples to show how the direction of the movie is creative, but not enough to fill in gaping plot holes.

Conclude with your recommendation to see the movie or not, giving specific reasons as to whether it is worth the price of admission.

  • Bring along a pad and pen to make notes as you watch the movie so that you don't forget important elements.

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Timothy Sexton's more than 10,000 articles have been published on sites ranging from USA Today to CareerAddict, from PopEater to TakeLessons.com. His writing has been referenced in books ranging from "The Reckless Life...of Marlon Brando" to "Brand New China: Advertising, Media and Commercial and from Scarface Nation to Incentive!"

Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Movies — Movie Review

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Essays on Movie Review

Once in a while, you’ll be asked to do a movie review essay. This task is a great training tool for enhancing critical thinking skills. Essays on movie review aim at presenting a film from the most important scenes, special effects, to exciting moments and may be accompanied by criticism. From an advertising perspective, such a paper is aimed at convincing readers to watch the movie in question. Your writing should let a reader draw a conclusion, i.e, whether the film is worth their time or if they should try something else. Most importantly, your opinion must be independent and accurate. But how can you create a perfect introduction if you don’t have the experience in this type of writing? Relax. A good online writer can do it for you. If you have an idea but need some guidance, simply ask for a professional outline or use evaluation essay examples for students for more insights.

Hook Examples for Movie Review Essays

"a cinematic masterpiece" hook.

"Prepare to be captivated by the sheer brilliance of this cinematic masterpiece. Explore how every frame, performance, and detail contributes to a visual and emotional spectacle."

"Beyond the Screen: Themes and Messages" Hook

"This film transcends entertainment, offering profound themes and powerful messages. Dive into the underlying ideas and social commentary that make it a thought-provoking experience."

"The Journey of Character Development" Hook

"Follow the compelling journey of characters who evolve throughout the film. Analyze their growth, conflicts, and relationships, making this movie a character-driven narrative."

"Visual Delights: Cinematography and Special Effects" Hook

"Be prepared to be visually stunned by the breathtaking cinematography and cutting-edge special effects. Explore how these elements enhance the storytelling and immerse the audience."

"Unforgettable Performances" Hook

"The cast delivers unforgettable performances that breathe life into the characters. Discuss standout acting moments, character dynamics, and the emotional impact of their roles."

"The Soundtrack: Music That Moves" Hook

"The film's soundtrack is more than just music; it's an integral part of the storytelling. Explore how the score enhances emotions, sets the tone, and complements the visuals."

"Cinematic Analysis: Directing and Editing" Hook

"Delve into the meticulous craftsmanship of the director and editor. Analyze their choices in pacing, sequencing, and storytelling techniques that make this film a cinematic triumph."

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english assignment movie review

The Assignment

english assignment movie review

“ The Assignment ” is a film that arrives in theaters having already inspired vast outpourings of anger from two groups —the transgender community, which appears to be offended by its very premise, and action buffs, who are put off both by the premise (albeit for different reasons) and what they feel is a lazy execution that fails to offer the requisite thrills. While I am sympathetic to the complaints of both groups (somewhat more for the former) and recognize that it is indeed deeply flawed in many areas, I cannot quite agree with either. This is a modestly scaled B-movie by one of the best genre filmmakers of our time, Walter Hill , that has enough skill and personality going for it to make it worth checking out, even if it doesn’t quite live up (or down, depending on your perspective) to its borderline sleazy premise.

And what is that premise, you ask? In a nutshell, Frank Kitchen ( Michelle Rodriguez … just keep reading) is a ruthless San Francisco hitman who runs afoul of Dr. Rachel Kay ( Sigourney Weaver ), a brilliant but deranged surgeon who has lost her license for conducting various rogue experiments. Frank kills Dr. Kay’s brother, and the good doctor seeks vengeance and experimental research into the importance of physical identity on the psyche. She arranges with crime boss Honest John Hartunian ( Anthony LaPaglia ) to have him grab Frank and bring him to her secret lab, where she proceeds to perform gender reassignment surgery on him. Dr. Kay asserts that the surgery will take away Frank’s desire to kill. Needless to say, Frank sees things a little differently, and, once she discovers that the surgery cannot be reversed, she methodically hatches a grisly revenge plot on everyone involved with her transformation from Honest John and his goons all the way up to Dr. Kay. Helping Frank in her quest is Johnnie ( Caitlin Gerard ), a nurse with whom Frank had a one-night stand before his transformation and who doesn’t seem particularly nonplussed by recent developments, though it seems that she may be harboring a few secrets of her own.

At first blush, one can easily understand why the transgender community might be a tad put off by the very existence of “The Assignment,” but the actual film is nowhere near as offensive as it might initially seem. For one thing, the film as a whole is so willfully and deliberately pulpy in tone (I could easily see a short version of this tale fitting perfectly into the confines of a “ Sin City ” film) that it is hard to take the alleged provocations on display with any degree of seriousness—this is a film that is so archetypal in nature that the sort-of sweethearts at its center are literally named Frank(ie) and Johnnie. Additionally, to suggest that Frank is meant to represent all transgender people is nonsense because he is clearly not one himself, and, outside of the obvious physical construct, little about him changes after undergoing his forced surgery. I would also point out that no less of a filmmaker than Pedro Almodovar used the notion of unwilling gender reassignment surgery as a plot point in his own unabashed genre exercise, “ The Skin I Live In ,” and no one seemed especially put off by it even though the deployment there was arguably more questionable from a taste perspective than what is seen here.

That said, “The Assignment” is still a problematic work in many ways from a purely cinematic perspective. The screenplay by Hill & Denis Hamill (which Hill has been toying with since the late ‘70s) is an awkward construction with much of the story presented in a series of flashbacks, as the now-incarcerated Dr. Kay recounts the story to another psychiatrist ( Tony Shalhoub ). This concept is especially problematic since Hill is at his best when he allows characters to define themselves purely through their actions instead of relentlessly explaining themselves as they do here. The film also screams out for a more overtly stylized visual treatment in the vein of something like his great “ Streets of Fire ”—a fact underlined by the occasional bits of black-and-white photography and comic book-style transitions—that might have also helped to underscore the kind of pulpy approach Hill was clearly going for. Another big problem, at least at first, is the casting of Michelle Rodriguez as Frank. There is nothing wrong with her performance but the early scenes in which she portrays the male version of Frank, complete with a wildly unconvincing beard and a lingering close-up of his genitalia for good measure, do inspire a few bad laughs right when the film is trying to establish itself. For some viewers, it may never recover from that.

For those who can get beyond that, “The Assignment” contains plenty of points of interest. Sigourney Weaver is pretty much a blast throughout as the snidely condescending doctor who sets all of the events into motion. As for Rodriguez, once she sheds the beard, her performance improves greatly. Obviously, we know she can do the steely-eyed badass stuff as well as anyone else but she also gets a couple of quieter moments amidst the chaos where she displays a more vulnerable side without stepping out of character—in one, she consults a doctor about whether the surgery can be reversed and begins shyly inquiring about certain personal details regarding her new equipment. In the other, she is about to go to bed with Johnnie when she realizes that she has no idea of how to approach lovemaking from a female perspective. (“You’ll do fine,” she is reassured in a line that is both funny and strangely touching.) As for Hill, while he is clearly working with a lower budget than usual here (with Vancouver substituting, not too convincingly, for San Francisco), he is still able to establish a convincingly noir attitude toward the material and the scenes of violence are done in a spare and economical style that is a relief from the over-the-top pyrotechnics of most current action films. (He also gets bonus points for employing Giorgio Moroder to deliver a cheerfully retro synth score.)

It is easy to see how the dramatic excesses of the plot could prove offensive to the transgender community, though I can just as easily see “The Assignment” one day becoming a cult favorite in the way that the once-controversial “ Cruising ” would eventually find some fans within the gay community that once scorned it. As an exercise in unapologetic pulp fiction, it gets the job done in a smart, efficient and slyly subversive manner. As the latest entry in the Walter Hill filmography, it definitely belongs on the second tier. Even though it may not be the equal to a classic like “ The Driver ” or “Streets of Fire,” it will do until that next masterwork does come along.

english assignment movie review

Peter Sobczynski

A moderately insightful critic, full-on Swiftie and all-around  bon vivant , Peter Sobczynski, in addition to his work at this site, is also a contributor to The Spool and can be heard weekly discussing new Blu-Ray releases on the Movie Madness podcast on the Now Playing network.

english assignment movie review

  • Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Rachel Kay
  • Caitlin Gerard as Johnnie
  • Michelle Rodriguez as Frank Kitchen / Tomboy
  • Tony Shalhoub as Dr. Ralph Galen
  • Paul McGillion as Paul Wincott
  • Anthony LaPaglia as Honest John Hartunian

Writer (story)

  • Denis Hamill
  • Walter Hill
  • Giorgio Moroder
  • Raney Shockne

Cinematographer

  • James Liston
  • Phil Norden

Leave a comment

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Home » Movie Review: SPEAK NO EVIL

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SPEAK NO EVIL movie poster | ©2024 Universal Picturesl

Movie Review: SPEAK NO EVIL

The english-language remake of the 2022 danish horror thriller.

english assignment movie review

SPEAK NO EVIL movie poster | ©2024 Universal Picturesl

Rating: R Stars: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, Kris Hitchen, Motaz Malhees Writer: James Watkins, based on the screenplay by Christian Tafdrup & Mads Tafdrup Director: James Watkins Distributor: Universal Pictures Release Date: September 13, 2024

Anyone who saw the original 2022 Danish horror thriller SPEAK NO EVIL is bound to wonder what a big-studio English-language remake would be like. This is because big studios do not make movies entirely like the original 2022 Danish horror thriller SPEAK NO EVIL .

This is not a matter of quality or integrity. Contrary to popular lore, studios do take risks all the time, with subject matter, with styles, with filmmakers. But they’re not going to spend money they won’t recoup on something so dark, and such a gut punch, that even some admirers of the first SPEAK NO EVIL say that they’d just as soon not see it again. (For those made curious by this introduction, the film is available on AMC+ and FreeVee.)

This is a testament to the power of the 2022 original, but it also means that at a certain point, the funding entity would prefer to make something that potentially will bring back return viewers, who may even bring friends along.

There’s also the matter of what American audiences will and won’t accept in terms of behavior. What we may merely question in a culture clash between Danish and Dutch characters, we won’t suspend disbelief for when it comes to Americans and Britons.

Director/writer James Watkins is faithful to a point with the 2024 version of SPEAK NO EVIL , adapted from the 2022 script by Christian Tafdrup (who directed the first film) & Mads Tadrup.

The premise and set-up are largely the same. Two vacationing couples, each with a young child, meet each other in Italy and strike up a warm relationship.

Here, one couple consists of Ben (Scoot McNairy) and Louise (Mackenzie Davis), Americans who have moved to London for Ben’s job. They’ve stayed there even though the job fell through. Their eleven-year-old daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) is mostly a sweet little girl, though overly attached to her stuffed animal Hoppy.

The other couple are Paddy (James McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi). They are from County Devon in southwest England. Their little boy Ant (Dan Hough) doesn’t speak. Paddy explains that Ant was born with a tongue that did not fully develop.

Paddy and Ciara say they want Ben, Louise and Agnes to visit for a weekend. They are so committed to this that they send a written invitation through the mail. Louise is a little hesitant, but Ben thinks it might do them all good.

For a while, what we have is a dark comedy of manners, with Ben and Louise unsure of how to react to awkwardness with Paddy and Ciara. Is this innocent social misunderstanding, or intentional micro-aggression?

The first half of SPEAK NO EVIL conforms relatively closely to its predecessor, albeit there is some deepening of characters who got shorter shrift in the original.

Then the nature of the danger is revealed, along with its accompanying back story, which provides full horror bona fides on its own. A different character makes the discovery here, which makes it feel more tragic and urgent.

And then SPEAK NO EVIL , while still fully living up to its R rating for blood and violence, changes course.

This is largely to the good. Filmmaker Watkins fills in a lot of plot holes from the earlier film with a simple line of dialogue, a change of language, or a photograph. It makes it easier for us to avoid balking at narrative points, and also keeps us easily invested in what’s happening.

Something else that Watkins does is deftly delineate the differences between Louise and Ben. She is quicker to take and (at first politely) express offense, whereas Ben wants to keep the peace because he craves the big brother masculinity that Paddy offers.

Fans of the excellent and under-seen TV series HALT AND CATCH FIRE will delight in seeing Davis and McNairy as wife and husband (they were computer whiz colleagues in HALT ). There is probably a college thesis paper to be written on Ben’s journey throughout SPEAK NO EVIL . For the purposes of this review, we’ll just stipulate that McNairy enacts every stage of it with empathy and conviction.

Davis delivers Louise’s occasional zingers with expert timing, and makes us believe her character is capable of the script’s demands. She sometimes goes big on silent astonishment, but what she’s reacting to is fairly astonishing.

McAvoy is a wonderful chameleon as Paddy, charming, supportive, mischievous, enraged, or icy as the scene demands.

Franciosi is beguiling and keeps us guessing until the end as Ciara. Lefler is natural as the plaintive Agnes, and Hough is compelling as Ant.

SPEAK NO EVIL has different satisfactions and different messages than its progenitor. It emerges as a discussion-worthy horror thriller that uses an existing foundation to become something different but worthwhile, which sticks with us after it ends.

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Tags: Aisling Franciosi , Alix West Lefler , Christian Tafdrup , Dan Hough , Halt and Catch Fire , James McAvoy , James Watkins , Kris Hitchen , Mackenzie Davis , Mads Tafdrup , Motaz Malhees , Scoot McNairy , Speak No Evil , Speak No Evil 2024 , Speak No Evil movie , Speak No Evil movie review , Speak No Evil review

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    Film review: The Hunger Games. Sci-fi adventure, 2012. In the future the USA is a new country called Panem. Every year the Capitol of Panem chooses 12 boys and 12 girls to go on a TV show called The Hunger Games.In this TV show the teenagers have to fight until there is only one person left.

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  22. Interstellar movie review & film summary (2014)

    November 3, 2014. 8 min read. Interstellar. Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar," about astronauts traveling to the other end of the galaxy to find a new home to replace humanity's despoiled home-world, is frantically busy and earsplittingly loud. It uses booming music to jack up the excitement level of scenes that might not otherwise excite.

  23. The Assignment movie review & film summary (2017)

    6 min read. " The Assignment " is a film that arrives in theaters having already inspired vast outpourings of anger from two groups —the transgender community, which appears to be offended by its very premise, and action buffs, who are put off both by the premise (albeit for different reasons) and what they feel is a lazy execution that ...

  24. Movie Review: SPEAK NO EVIL

    reviews Movie Review: RED ROOMS (LES CHAMBRES ROUGES) » 09/06/2024 reviews Movie Review: THE FRONT ROOM » 09/06/2024 interviews ENGLISH TEACHER: Actor Enrico Colantoni on new FX TV series ...

  25. 'Beetlejuice 2' conjures thoughts of first film

    "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" bites plenty of hands that fed it, but it's not jaded enough to become a parting gift. A third installment is likely. It just shouldn't wait 36 years to appear.