Everyone loves watching movies. However, before we select a movie to watch, we skim through so many reviews or comments about the same. We do this to make sure the movie is worth our time and money. Film criticism is a wide-open art form. Bloggers and critics spend hours writing the perfect movie review that influences the readers to either watch it or ditch it. If you are wondering how to write a perfect movie review, we have got it covered with our beginners' guide.
Writing movie reviews seem fun. It makes you think critically. You begin to examine the movie carefully and try to find meaning or symbolism in each and every scene. Although the main purpose of a movie review is to inform the reader about the film and its ideas, it isn't easy to write.
Struggles of A Beginner While Writing a Movie Review
As new bloggers, many of us look forward to writing our very own movie reviews on our blogs or websites. It all seems pretty easy until you actually start writing a movie review. The biggest problem is that most of us aren't aware of what to write and what to skip.
Many new bloggers aren't sure of how to write a movie review. The biggest mistake that newbie bloggers make while writing a movie review is that they end up discussing the whole plot of the movie including the spoilers. Although there is no harm in writing the whole plot or the spoilers, readers usually prefer otherwise. Hence, you need to have your review outline ready.
If it's a good movie, the sound could go off and the audience would still have a perfectly clear idea of what was going on. - Alfred Hitchcock
As a beginner, I struggled with creating a perfect movie review. However, over time, I picked up the essentials of what makes a movie review great. Yet, I believe I still have a long way to go. I will be sharing a beginner's guide to writing a movie review. Personally, these simple tips have helped me in reviewing any movie.
12 Steps To Write A Movie Review
Firstly, keep in mind that the length of a movie review doesn’t usually exceed the limit of 1000 words. Here is what to include in a critical movie review:-
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| Source: Pixabay |
1) Basic Information
Firstly, include the basic information about the movie when you start to write your movie review. Along with this, make sure you also include a trailer. Basic movie information included:
- The name of the movie
- The genre of the movie
- Cast and director
- The production house
- The release date or year
- Awards and nominations
2) The Story In Brief
Next, try to cover the whole story in brief. Make sure you keep it in short. Additionally, don't give away any major plot points. However, if writing the main plot points needs to be a part of your review, mention a disclaimer about the spoilers at the beginning of the post. Similarly, don't let your story go on and on for many paragraphs and pages. Keep it short.
It's possible for me to make a bad movie out of a good script, but I can't make a good movie from a bad script. -George Clooney
3) Your Opinion On The Story
It is extremely important that you share your opinions on the storyline. If you feel the plot was very predictable or quite intriguing write your view on the same. Sugarcoating isn't a good way to write any movie review. Additionally, highlight the positive and negative aspects of the story. Lastly, give your feedback on how the storyline could have been different.
4) Talk about Casting and The Actors
This is one of my favorite parts. The cast plays an important role in bringing the story to life. A good cast can make the movie whereas a bad cast can break the movie. Therefore, share your thoughts on the casting. Additionally, if you feel that the casting of the movie could have been better, share your view on it. Write down who should've been cast instead of the current actors.
5) Talk about the Directing
Most of the bloggers skip this step which I don't feel is right. The way a movie is directed plays an important role in its success. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, production design, and the creative aspects of filmmaking. They are responsible for every visual aspect of the film. Hence, appreciate or criticize the director in your movie review.
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| Photo by Martin Lopez from Pexels |
6) Talk about soundtracks and music
For a film to be a box office hit good soundtrack is unavoidable. Music can serve several purposes. They help to set the tone for a scene. A good soundtrack can build suspense or set the emotion. Additionally, they enhance the storytelling. Hence, it is extremely necessary to stress the positive aspects of the music that is being reviewed.
7) Talk about the editing
Editing and special effects are what defines the movies these days. Most of the time, movie editing is spot on. However, sometimes it's basically meh! Therefore, take some time out to highlight the way the movie was edited when you write a movie review. If you found any errors or glitches, you may also share the screenshot in the movie review.
8) Your view about the publicity or promotions
Few movies generate quite the hype. However, they fail to impress the audience. Some good movies come and go by and no one ever notices. The way the movie is promoted plays a great role in its earnings as well as ratings. If you feel that the producers spent more money on marketing rather than the story, mention it in your movie review.
9) What you liked
This is usually one of the favorite parts for a beginner while writing a movie review. There may be certain aspects or parts of the movie that really touched you. This can be a scene, a dialogue, or just a reaction. In your movie review, create a paragraph just to discuss what caught your attention.
10) What you disliked
No movie is perfect for everyone. There may be something that really upset you. Maybe, you would have preferred certain things some other way. Share your opinions on what part of the movie you disliked. You may club this with the paragraph on likes or just create another paragraph altogether.
11) The message you got
Every time the audience leaves the theatre, they take away a message with them. Some movie messages have a lasting impact on the audience. On the other hand, you may find it difficult to identify the message in some others. Don't forget to mention this in your movie review.
12) Overall rating
Lastly, rate the movie. This is the most important part of your movie review. Some bloggers prefer rating the movie at the beginning of the post. On the other hand, many prefer rating thee movie at the end of the post. There are many creative ways to rate the movie.
In Conclusion.
Ask yourself, would you recommend this movie to others? The answer may help you conclude your movie review. Writing a movie review is not that difficult. All it needs is a plan and a systematic arrangement. Also, keep in mind, it is not necessary to cover each and every point mentioned here. Curate the movie review to fit your style and the theme of your blog.
What steps do you follow while writing a movie review? Is there any other factor that a beginner should consider while writing a movie review? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
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