Definitive Guide to Writing a Movie Review
Your professor wants you to write a movie review, but all you can think of is your ginger cat Oscar? Don’t panic! Even if you have no idea which film to choose and how to create a review, your mission is still possible!
Check out the below tips to know how to write a substantiated and objective movie critique essay.
- Choose a movie and watch it. The only way to form an opinion about a movie is to watch it. That will enable you to understand the message its creators wanted to convey. While watching it, you shouldn’t let anything or anyone distract you. Refrain from performing any other tasks simultaneously, either.
After watching the movie, you should be able to:
- express your general impression of the film
- share the moments you liked best
- know the plot
- tell how good the actors’ play was
- describe what impressed you the most – the music, visual imagery or dialogues
- Read another review. If you don’t have enough experience in such kind of writing, try finding samples of movie reviews. Once you have, you should analyze them, paying special attention to the type of language used. It should help you understand what a movie review exactly is and what it should include. But first, you should make sure that the author is authoritative enough and have an in-depth knowledge of the movie industry.
- Collect the most important facts about the film. This information is absolutely mandatory. By including it in your essay, you’ll make sure that the reader is aware of some general facts about the movie. Look for quotations from the movie and rules on how to cite a movie in your paper – that will make it more interesting to read. Be sure to point out the name, genre, director, actors, and date of release. In case it’s a book adaptation, you should also provide information about the author and the book itself. Including some unusual facts about the shooting, the process will be a great way to grab the readers’ attention. You can find all the above data in online movie guides and platforms.
- Time to start drafting. While writing a critique movie essay, you will probably make a bunch of mistakes and would like to rewrite it. To avoid wasting your time, you should make some drafts or plan the structure of your paper well in advance. It will help you understand what exactly you want to share with your readers and what to put emphasis on. Keep in mind that you should start writing a draft right after watching the movie, otherwise you risk forgetting about its most memorable and important moments. Don’t be too emotional about the film – your opinion about it should be objective and unbiased.
- Stick to a structure. Your essay should have three main parts – the introduction, body, and conclusion. Whatever you do, you should always keep this structure in mind.
- The introduction. This is the most important part because it’s supposed to grab your readers’ attention and make them read your paper all the way through. Therefore, you should come up with the most innovative and unorthodox ideas here Mla format cover page.
- The body. Next comes the body of the review, in which you should express your opinion and present your argument. Even if you like the film a lot, you shouldn’t just write about your feelings – try staying as objective and unbiased as you can here.
- The conclusion. The readers really look forward to this section because this is where they get an answer to the question, ‘Is the move worth watching or not?’ Be objective and point out any plot inaccuracies, bad actor play or poor soundtrack, if there’s any.
- Write your essay. Start writing only when inspiration strikes. Imagine being on the Golden Globe jury and having the power to change the movie industry.
- Proofread your review. Proofread your essay, eliminating any grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes. Make sure that it is easy to read by dividing the paragraphs into smaller parts, creating lists and highlighting essential moments in bold. Also, check your work for plagiarism. For the best results, ask your friend to proofread it, too.
Well, now you have a full guide to writing a movie critique essay. Check out these additional hints to improve your writing:
- Stay objective — even if you did not enjoy the movie, don’t write a negative review
- Read more reviews — it will help you make your critique essay more interesting and exciting
- Spoilers — just avoid them
- Ask for someone else’s opinion — ask your friends to share their thoughts about the movie or read other people’s comments on the Internet
We hope our tips will make your writing process easier and more enjoyable!
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