How To Write A Movie Review

Every person could find what she/he needs in a movie- humor, drama, adrenaline, love, an alternative reality, or a journey back through time. Thus, writing an outstanding movie review turns out to be one of the most intriguing assignments for most students. But, enjoying an amazing film in the evening and watching it solely to craft a review is not quite the same.

An incredible movie review can be a work of art in its own right. It should serve to entertain, persuade, and inform, offering an original opinion without giving away too much of the plot. Also, it should be presented logically, concisely, and creatively, enabling the readers to decide whether they want to see the movie.

Undeniably, it can be a bit daunting to articulate your thoughts into words perfectly that will truly captivate your reader’s attention. Today’s well-detailed post will walk you through certain unique guidelines that will enable you to craft your unique analysis of the movie and make it an intriguing read for the audience.

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Movie Review: A Brief Overview

A movie review is a detailed analysis of a film or documentary. It includes extensive research, thorough analysis, and reporting one's views in a structured way. The writer assumes a position of educating readers whether they have watched the movie or not. Countless people go through movie reviews to determine whether they want to see a film or not.

A movie review is categorized as a creative review. It implies that any film is considered an artwork. One must pursue creative and analytical approaches while crafting a movie review.

The Key Purposes of Writing A Movie Review

According to the best minds who cater to your 'do my movie review essay' requests, the key to writing an impeccable movie review lies in comprehending its purpose. Hence, it is essential to keep your objectives in mind while writing-

Discuss The Plot Briefly- share certain information about characters, relations, and events, but don't reveal the whole story. Yet, you can mention the crucial moments or turning points that make the film worth watching.

Evaluate The Film- Ensure assess the film in general and certain aspects, like acting, the director's work, theme, music, and special effects. Conclude if the key idea of the film was duly implemented. Try being objective and detailed in your assessments.

Share Your Views- Explain your feelings during and after watching the film. Specify what you liked and didn’t like. Offer your general impressions about the movie based on descriptions, examples, and comparisons helping readers to make their own decisions.

Offer a Recommendation- Try not to be categorical while writing your movie review. However, let your readers know what they can expect from the movie and who might find it intriguing. Say if it matches the official film description and declared genre, why it might be worth watching, and what its weaknesses are.

Entertain the Reader- Going through movie reviews is kind of fun in itself. But, try to draft an easy-to-read review and write it intriguingly.

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A Step-By-Step Guide To Write A Movie Review

Whether you’re a student, an actor, a filmmaker, or a film geek, drafting film reviews can help you hone your ability to think critically and watch movies with a response to goes deeper than ‘That movie was fantastic!’

Here are practical guidelines on how to write a perfect film review that people will want to read remarkably-

Watch The Movie Like A Film Critic

Even if you've seen a movie a hundred times, watch it again to unravel new details and comprehend the characters and their motives better. We recommend watching a film at least two or three times. While watching it for the first time, try to focus on the main heroes, their storylines, and their emotions. The second time around will enable you to notice the details of minor characters and their stories, like music, timelines, costumes, decorations, and locations. All these crucial aspects contribute to how you perceive the movie.

Conduct An In-Depth Research

A close look at the ‘Do my movie review essay’ forums will enable you to understand that watching the movie isn't enough. Conducting extensive research is equally vital. Look for crucial details like the name of the filmmaker and his/her motivation to make that film or documentary work, locations, plot, characterization, and historical events that serve as an inspiration for the movie. Your research must assimilate information that offers more depth to your review

Evaluate The Movie

After fully comprehending the movie, you can begin its analysis. Critically assess the film from beginning to end, noting each detail. While assessing, if you come across any confusing part, re-watch to grasp the idea portrayed completely. After you've finally understood it, you are set to draft the movie review like a pro.

Draft A Detailed Outline

Before you start writing the movie review, it is essential to craft a detailed outline. The outline is a skeletal frame on which the whole review will stand. A sample movie review outline looks like this-

Introduction (Title, Date Release, Background Info, Cast, Director)
Summary of the story
Analysis of plot elements
Creative elements
Opinions (add examples to back up the claims)
Conclusion

Come Up With A Catchy Title

A title like ‘My Review for Titanic’ sounds hugely boring. Instead, try thinking of interesting or impressive titles like ‘Why taking the cruise is not always an excellent idea .'This is to make your readers want to read further.

Begin With A Compelling Fact Or Opinion On The Movie

While drafting the review, you will want to get your readers hooked instantly. This sentence should offer them a feel for your review and the movie. For example- 'Despite an outstanding soundtrack and compelling performance of Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump never gets out of the shadow of its weak plot and questionable premise.'

Offer A Clear and Well-Established Opinion In The Early Phase

Do not leave the readers guessing whether you like the film. Let your readers know early on so you can spend the rest of the time 'proving' the rating. Use stars or a score out of 10 or 100 to convey your thoughts.

Like, For XYZ is a rare movie that succeeds on almost every level, where every character, scene, costume, and joke fires on all cylinders to make a film worth repeated viewings.

Support Opinions With Evidence From Specific Scenes

This is the section where taking notes while watching the movie really pays off. It's challenging to sway other people's opinions if you can't offer facts supporting your argument.

Example- ‘At the end of the day, Snowpiercer can’t determine what type of movie it desires to be. The attention to detail in fight scenes, where each weapon, light bulb, and a slick patch of ground is accounted for, doesn’t in any way translate to an ending that seems powerful but ultimately proves to be a little of substance.’

Formulate an Original Thesis Based On Your Analysis

Now that you’ve studied the movie diligently, what crucial insights can bring you to the table? Develop a thesis statement, a central idea that will discuss and back up your observations on the different elements of the film. Having a strong thesis will also take your review beyond the plot summary stage and realm of film criticism that is rightfully its art form.

Present A Summary Of The Story

You must always concentrate on summarizing the story without mentioning spoilers. It's wise to offer a summary of the plot in which you determine the main characters, explain the setting, and offer a sense of the central conflict or point of the movie. But don't give too much away. Don't ruin the movie for your readers.

Move Into Your Movie Analysis

Craft several paragraphs discussing the movie's intriguing elements that support your thesis statement. Discuss the acting, the direction, the cinematography, the setting, and the like with the use of clear prose that keeps your readers engaged. Avoid using excessive technical filmmaking jargon and make your language accessible.

Use Plenty Of Examples

The opinion and judgment you present in your movie review must always be backed up with concrete examples from the movie. Making a strong statement always requires evidence. Like, if you believe that Rami Malek deserves the Academy Award for Best Actor 2019, make sure to justify your statement by looking for scenes from his movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, that reflect your statement.

You can also quote dialogues from the movie for the same. This is because including examples makes your review more comprehensible and credible.

End The Review With A Bang

Wrapping up the movie review can be a tad bit confusing. Once you've already said everything, you had to claim, what more is left? Thus, the best way of ending is to bring your review to a full circle. Restate your thesis and bring a conclusion to the review with your stand on the movie.

It should also be written to remind your readers about the film elements that impressed you the most. Also, make it a point to add certain personal recommendations and mention for whom this film will be interesting and why. Remember that your conclusion is the last opportunity to convince your readers, so give your best!

Now, let’s take certain brilliant and yet inspiring movie review examples so that you have a remarkable visual understanding of the structure as well as the writing style-

The first horror movie | ever saw was ‘Jaws’
an all-time classic filmed in 1975 by Steven
Spielberg. My parents did not let me watch
“Alien “Friday 13; or any other cult thrillers,
501 desperately wanted to see one. Kids in
my class were bragging about watching this
or that scary movie, and | remember envying
them greatly. One day when my parents were
out, and | was staying home, lazily clicking
the TV remote, when all of a sudden a huge

maw with razor-sharp teeth almost jumped out of the screen. It was already the middle of
the movie and | did not get all the premise, but | still watched it till the end. Next day, |

could finally boast of watching a horror film.

“Jaws” still evokes warm memories in me. This is why | was disappointed with the sequels:
they could never recreate the feeling of imminent danger lurking beneath the sea surface.
Besides, they were worse than the original in almost every aspect. Long story short, | these lie
movies about sharks. | I also like sharks in general, but even more than that, | admire
prehistoric gigantic sharks: megalodons. So, when | saw trailers of “The Meg” | knew what |
wanted to watch.

Now, before you proceed to read this review, let me make two tiny disclaimers. First of
all, there are going to be minor spoilers ahead, so if you are one of those people who hate
the idea of knowing what they are going to see in a movie, | recommend you to stop
reading now. Secondly, | liked the movie, even though sometimes it feels cringely stupid.
Okay, now let's move on.

“The Meg” was filmed by Jon Turteltaub in 2018, and is based on a novel by Steve Alten—
at least, this is what Wikipedia says. | want to believe that the book-"Meg: A Novel of a Deep
Terror is much more consistent than the movie and matches the criteria of the sci-fi genre.
The film, however, even though it is often related to “sci-fi” and “horror, is actually a typical
popcorn action movie with Jason Statham. | have nothing against summer blockbusters; |
guess | was just hoping to see a sci-fi horror movie about a huge shark—something like

“Jaws?

‘Anyways, the movie tells about a team of scientists financed by an eccentric billionaire who
discovers that the Mariana Trench is much deeper than it was believed before. What was
considered to be its bottom tums out to be a dense (layer of hydrogen sulfide forming a
thermocline. This Layer covers 2 whole new ecosystems, and to research it, scientists send a
submersible with a team of three people: Lori, Toshi, and “The Wall” (| cannot recall this guy
being named otherwise). When they penetrate the thermocline, they witness a rich variety.
of unique flora and fauna that have developed under the layer of hydrogen sulfide. However,
S00n after the discovery, the submersible is attacked by a huge squid-which, in its turn,
gets attacked by a megalodon. The submersible is heavily damaged, Lor is wounded, and in
order to save them, Dr. Minway Zhang~the head of the Mana One station, from which all
the research is conducted decides to fetch an experienced Lifesaver. This lifesaver is Jason
Stat... un, Jonas Taylor, who had once faced a megalodon during a lifesaving operation, with
‘tragic consequences.

1 Will not get into further details regarding the movie's plot, except in cases when | needs to
illustrate one claim that | makes or another. For now; let us focus on the movie's strong
sides, and gradually move to criticize it

“The Meg" is a distilled action movie and | would even say it could serve as a decent
example of how action movies should be made. The word action” obviously implies people
running around and all things fluttering and going boom. Unfortunately, Hollywood
producers and directors sometimes seem to forget about this, and we get to see such
sluggish “action” movies as “Terminator: Genisys” (sorry, Arie, but t sucked) or
“Transformers: The Last Knight” In this regard, “The Meg” reminded me of “Mad Max: Fury
The road almost every minute of the movie is packed with events, and a few calm episodes
only serve as transitions between intense action. One ordeal is changed by another, and the
flux of tough situations the main characters have to overcome never stops. Due to this, “The
Meg® is to be watched in one breath. There was no such moment when | would feel like the
movie was boring or stow: “The Meg” is packed with action up to the top.

Now, the fact that Lori is Taylor's ex-wife changes nothing in the plot. It is the main
argument for scientists to persuade Taylor to take the job, and he acts all worried, but after
Lor is saved, and Taylor goes completely cold turkey about her, paying much more attention to
Suyin. Scientists quickly figure out they have to deal with a megalodon-but instead of
approaching the matter with all due seriousness, they Just crack jokes and do nothing to
prepare to fight with the monster. They know the sharks are 75 feet long-and what, they just
sail off on a small boat to kill her? They use a super-tough ultra-modern shark cage~and
what, they just dunk it underwater using a thin line and flimsy crane? Their friends die in
the shark's maw-and what, they just move on right away? The amount of inconsistencies,
logical flaws, and plot holes in “The Meg is amazing. Usually, people start noticing flaws
when watching 2 movies for the second or even third time. In the case of “The Meg? you can
see the flaws immediately; they just jump at you out of nowhere, yelling: ‘Benold, 1 am a
huge hole in the logic of this mover

Oh, and for a movie dedicated to a huge prehistoric shark, | would really love to see more of
it. There were several amazing moments with the megalodon showing off its jaws, or
boasting of its enormous size, but | still feel like there could be more.

Other than this; there s not so much to talk about. The soundtrack and music are okay,
although not memorable. Actors do their obs: Jason Statham saves everyone multiple

times, women adore Jason Statham, and guys Who are Not Jason Statham either die heroically, or
Stay in the background. If you are looking for a nice action movie for a summer night, “The
Meg* is something you might want to consider.

There is a saying that lightning never strikes the same place
‘twice. Many of us, however, probably experienced a series of misfortunes at least once in
our lives. When something bad happens, you think, "Alright, that should be it. Nothing

‘worse can happen to me now-and-then it happens. But | guess few people have had a day
(or night) as bad as Connie Nikas, the main character of an American criminal drama called
“Good Time? Really, just how unfortunate can a man be?

Filmed in 2017 by Josh and Benny Safdie, the movie is their debut. Starring Robert
Pattinson as Connie, the film reveals him not only as a brilliant actor but also redeems him
of his role in the “Twilight” saga. In other words, Connie Looks totally different from what
You would have expected of Pattinson, considering his previous characters. | will get o this
aspect later; for now, Let me briefly review the movie's plot. So, spoilers ahead —consider
yourself warned.

Let's go.

It starts with Connie breaking into a psychiatric clinic, where a psychiatrist interviews his
brother Nick. Nick suffers from some kind of autistic spectrum disorder, so he needs to
go into therapy. Connie believes it only hurts his brother, So he interrupts one such
Sessions and takes him away from the clinic.

Together, they rob a panic as far as | understood, they need money to buy a farm where they
can Live all by themselves, of which they dream together. The brothers manage to escape
The money is in a getaway car, but the bag with the money has an exploding dye pack in
it as a safety measure to mark the robbers to the police. Nick and Connie have to make a
Stop at a restaurant to wash the dye away Later, as they walk down the street, a police
patrol officer stops them for an identification check; Nick panics and runs, causing the
police to chase the two brothers. Connie flees, but Nick gets arrested.

Ironically, Nick becomes the reason why the plan fails. What | Liked about Connie though is
how he never gave up. Despite all the difficulties, despite obstacles piling up, he keeps
Looking for ways to overcome them. Did my brother get arrested? Bail him out. No money? Kidnap
him from a guarded hospital chamber. Mistook Nick for another guy? Develop a new plan of
how to get the money. Failed? Try to escape and start all over again. Improvising on the fly,
Connie demonstrates an incredible ability to extricate himself from hopeless situations. He
is, uses his charm, and makes people believe him so masterfully that | almost admired
him-although, in some sense, he and his brother are anti-heroes.

“The movie's pace (or rather, the suspense) quickly increases. It reminded me of one of my
favorite movies, “The Talented Mr. Ripley” Indeed, Connie and Ripley are somewhat alike.
Both are nobodies; both virtuously manipulate other people in order to reach personal
goals; both are skilled in improvisation and are unlikely to give up in difficult situations.
And, just as in “The Talented Mr. Ripley” Connie gradually pulls himself into bigger and
bigger trouble.

Other characters are detailed and vivid as well | felt sympathy for Nick. Unable to take full
responsibility for his actions, he becomes a victim of his brother's ambition. | felt
compassion towards Crystal and Corey women Connie uses for his plans. | even felt. pity for
Raya slave to his addictions. These, as well as other characters shown in the movie,
created an incredibly convincing picture of the bottom of American society and contributed
to the atmosphere dissolved by the film.

The acting and characters are not the only pillars the movie stands on. The visual images in
“Good Time" is as important as the characters. A dull, gloomy picture filled with blueish
and red neon lights perfectly conveys the mood of hopelessness, of endless days filled with
poverty and the same routine. The greater part of the movie unfolds in the dark, on night
streets, in urban slums. Connie's desire to get out of this dump becomes almost tangible,
and his idea of the robbery starts Looking like his only chance for a normal life. The
camerawork always emphasizes the atmosphere in the film, and at some point, | found
myself perceiving “Good Times” almost as a documentary.

And on yes, the music. It is fantastic. The soundtrack was composed by Oneathix Point
Never, been a composer of experimental electronic music based in Massachusetts. After watching
the film, | went directly to iTunes and downloaded his official ‘Good Time” soundtrack
album and | recommend you do the same. In fact, it is 50 good, it won the Soundtrack
Award at the Cannes Festival 2017. You should rather listen to it yourself or, which is
better, watch the movie and hear the soundtrack alongside the story.

Overall, “Good Time" is a strong drama with complex characters, great visuals, and.
unforgettable music. It is a movie about criminals, but unlike most gangster movies, you
Will not find any romanticism or nostalgia here. It is a dark, hopeless underworld existing
right next to our everyday lives —an underside of our society. Things depicted in “Good
Time" happens every day-and this film is your peephole to the other side.

Also Read: Thomas Hobbes Leviathan Summary

Well, that's all for today, peeps! With the lucid guide on writing a movie review, you can nail that task like never before. You can also look at the aforementioned examples to connect the theory to practice. Here's wishing you all the luck!

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