How to Write a Movie Review

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.

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
 Conclusion

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 badetc.
 Writing a review without substance or analysis of the feature