How to Write a Movie Review

Make an argument based on your analysis. After thoroughly researching this film, what unique perspective can you bring to the reader? Come up with a central point and idea to discuss and reinforce it with observations about various elements in the film. Your argument should be addressed at the beginning of the review. Having a thesis will help you move beyond the summary stage and into the realm of film criticism which is itself a worthy art form. Ask yourself the following questions to find a compelling argument for your review:

• Does the film reflect a recent event or a hot issue? This could be a way for the director to address more important issues. Look for ways to connect movie content to the “real” world.
• What message does the film have or is it trying to elicit a specific reaction or emotion from the audience? You can talk about whether the film achieves its goals.
• Does the movie have a personal connection to you? You can write a review based on your own feelings and add personal stories to make it appealing to readers.

After the thesis statement, write a short plot summary. It’s helpful for readers to know in advance what they’ll be seeing when they decide to go see the movie you’re reviewing. Write a brief plot summary, in which you name the main characters, describe the setting, and briefly outline the main conflict or meaning of the film. Never violate the number one rule of a film review: don’t let your readers know too much. Don’t “ruin” the movie before the reader has seen it!

• When naming characters in the plot synopsis, list the actors’ names immediately following them in parentheses.
• Find a place to mention the director’s name and the movie’s full name.
• If you feel like you need to mention information or movie details to your readers, warn them in advance.

Move on to the movie analysis. Write a few paragraphs about the interesting details of the movie to support your point. Let’s talk about acting, directing, cinematography, setting… Use clear and engaging voice to attract readers.

• Keep your writing clear and easy to understand. Don’t use too much technical jargon in the art of filmmaking, but keep the language clear and accessible.
• State both the events that took place in the movie and your opinion. For example, you could write, “The Baroque soundtrack is so inconsistent with the 20th-century setting.” Writing that way is more informative than simply writing, “The music choice in the movie is rather strange.”

Use lots of examples to support your ideas. If you have a point about the movie, back it up with a descriptive example. Describe the content of the scenes, the performance of a certain actor, the angle of the shot, and other things. You can also quote lines to express your point of view. This will help readers get a feel for the film and at the same time help you express your opinion of the film.

Mark your review. You can treat your critique like a formal college essay, but it’s much more interesting if you make it your own. If your writing style is often witty and humorous, your critique is no exception. If you’re serious and always make an impression, that’s also very effective. Let your language and writing style reflect your own perspective and personality. Readers will find it much more interesting.

End your review with a conclusion. It should summarize your original thesis and provide advice on whether or not the audience should go see the movie. Your conclusion itself needs to be compelling and interesting because it’s already the end of your essay.

Edit your review. When you’ve finished writing your first draft, re-read it and decide if it’s coherent and structured. You may need to move paragraphs, delete sentences, add details in several places to enrich missing passages. Edit your review at least once, maybe two or three times until you think it’s perfect enough.

• Ask yourself if your critique is on the right track. Does the conclusion summarize the ideas you made initially?
• Determine if your review contains sufficient information about the film. You may need to go back and add descriptions to give your readers a better idea of what the movie is about.
• Determine if your review is interesting enough on its own? Did you make a special contribution to the discussion of the film? What will readers get by reading your review that they can’t get by simply watching the movie?

Double-check your review for errors. Make sure you have all of the actors’ names spelled correctly and the dates are correct. Correct typographical errors, grammatical errors, and misspelled words as well. A “clean” and error-checked review is much more professional than one full of blunders.