How to Write a Compelling Movie Review

Writing a movie review can be an exciting task, but many people feel lost and don’t know where to start. In this article, we’ll provide you with some useful tips on how to write a good movie review.

Be Honest

The true opinion of the author is essential for any text. When writing a movie review, it’s crucial to be honest and respectful. Did you like the movie? Good for you. You didn’t like it? Also good, you can still do a proper review. However, the review must not be reduced to a simple “I like/I don’t like.” It’s about the evaluation of the different aspects of the movie and strong argumentation why, in the end, all the efforts of the film crew led to the case when a movie can or can’t attract part of the audience whose opinion you represent.

Take notes while watching the movie

Take Notes While Watching

It’s a helpful thing to save your time. Especially when you need to write a review as an academic paper, quoting a character’s line or event and indicating the time code. It’s much easier to write down a note with time than trying to find that moment and its time code later. In addition, after you have watched the full movie, you can easily forget about some details that could make your review deeper and more interesting.

Don’t focus on retelling the plot

Don’t Focus on Retelling the Plot

This is a common mistake people can make when they are trying to write a movie review. The simplest way is to start retelling the plot because it’s the easiest thing to do after you watch the movie. However, the review is not about retelling the plot. You can do it, in short, to define the main characters and events you’ll analyze and evaluate further in the text. Still, you must remember that your main aim is to evaluate and analyze to explain why the different elements of the film work or don’t work properly to impress the audience.

Analyze the Key Elements

Discuss the screenplay, direction, acting performances, cinematography, editing, sound design, and musical score. Evaluate how well these elements work together and contribute to the film’s success or failure. Even if you don’t know much about some of these elements, a short mention of them can make your review more professional and interesting.

Comparing and contrasting

Comparing and Contrasting

Do you want to make your review a little bit more interesting and, at the same time, show your awareness? Compare and contrast the film you’re writing about with other similar works. It can be previous movies of the same franchise or just other films of the same genre. If you have something to say when comparing them, do that without hesitation.

Audience and Evaluation

Movies are often a matter of taste. Someone might not like a film that is recognized as a masterpiece in the world but admires a movie that most people don’t like. At the end of the review, you can summarize your rating of the film and note which audience and occasions it’s suitable for.

Proofread and edit

Proofread and Edit

This tip is also useful for any text you ever write. Even if you don’t have much time, take a very short break and then proofread your review. It’s important for the text to be without any mistakes or misprints. In the case you’re writing it just because you wish, the clear text will please the audience more. If you’re writing it as an assignment, proofreading is important to get a higher grade.

By following these tips, you can be sure that you’ll get quite a decent movie review. Good luck working on it!