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- “North” by Roger Ebert. This review starts off with a catchy hook, making readers curious for Ebert to elaborate on his statements. “I have no idea why Rob Reiner, or anyone else, wanted to make this story into a movie, and close examination of the film itself is no help.”
- “The Flash” by Justin Chang. This movie review example starts off right away with a brief overview synopsis of what the movie, The Flash, is about. “‘The Flash’ is a time-travel story and a cautionary tale, a warning of how dangerous it can be to change the past or mess around with alternate realities.”
- “Bonnie and Clyde” by Roger Ebert. Another great movie review example, using a movie as a sense of societal self-reflection, is Roger Ebert’s review of Bonnie and Clyde.
- “Black Panther” by Soraya Nadia McDonald. Yet another movie review example is this Black Panther review by Soraya Nadia McDonald. The whole review deep dives into the cultural context of the movie and its timeliness or lack thereof.
- Overview
- Writing an Intro for a Movie Review
- Composing Your Review
- Polishing Your Piece
- Studying Your Source Material
Whether a movie is a rotten tomato or a brilliant work of art, if people are watching it, it's worth critiquing. A decent movie review should entertain, persuade and inform, providing an original opinion without giving away too much of the plot. A
movie review can be a work of art in its own right. Read on to learn how to analyze a movie like a professional film critic, come up with an interesting thesis, and write a review as entertaining as your source material.
Start with a compelling fact, quote, or opinion on the movie.
You want to get the reader hooked immediately. This sentence needs to give them a feel for your review and the movie – is it good, great, terrible, or just okay? – and keep them reading. Some ideas include:
Comparison to Relevant Event or Movie:
"Every day, our leaders, politicians, and pundits call for "revenge"– against terrorist groups, against international rivals, against other political parties. But few of them understand the cold, destructive, and ultimately hollow thrill of revenge as well as the characters of
"Despite a compelling lead performance by Tom Hanks and a great soundtrack,
never gets out of the shadow of its weak plot and questionable premise."
Follow your thesis paragraph with a short plot summary.
It's good to give readers an idea of what they'll be in for if they decide to see the movie you're reviewing. Give a brief summary of the plot in which you identify the main characters, describe the setting, and give a sense of the central conflict or point of the movie. Never break the number one rule of movie reviews: don't give too much away. Don't ruin the movie for your readers!
When you name characters in your plot summary, list the actors' names directly afterward in parenthesis.
Find a place to mention the director's name and the full movie title.
If you feel you must discuss information that might "spoil" things for readers, warn them first.
Start to talk about the film’s technical and artistic choices.
Once you've finished the first draft, read it through (you can even read it out loud!) and decide whether it flows well and has the right structure. You may need to shift paragraphs around, delete sentences, or add more material here and there to fill out parts that are stunted. Give your review at least one editorial pass, and maybe two or three, before you consider it to be editorially sound.
Ask yourself whether your review stayed true to your thesis. Did your conclusion tie back in with the initial ideas you proposed?
Decide whether your review contains enough details about the movie. You may need to go back and add more description here and there to give readers a better sense of what the movie's about.
Decide whether your review is interesting enough as a stand-alone piece of writing. Did you contribute something original to this discussion? What will readers gain from reading your review that they couldn't from simply watching the movie?
Gather basic facts about the movie.
You can do this before or after you watch the movie, but you should definitely do it before you write the review, because you'll need to weave the facts into your review as you write. Here's what you need to know:
The title of the film, and the year it came out.
The names of the lead actors.
Take notes on the movie as you watch it.
Before you sit down to
Roger Ebert's website offers movie reviews and ratings by film critic Roger Ebert and other contributors. However, it does not provide any examples of movie reviews or how to write them.
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Learn how to write a movie review with a comprehensive guide and free samples. Find out how to summarize, analyze, and critique various aspects of a film, such as plot, characters, cinematography, and more.
5 days ago · Read the latest movie reviews from The New York Times critics, covering blockbusters, independents and everything in between.
Jun 7, 2021 · Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 4 min read. Whether it’s for pleasure or a job assignment, writing a good movie review can be a useful exercise that allows you to explore your personal connection to a film.
Oct 3, 2023 · October 3, 2023. How to Write a Movie Review: A Step-by-Step Guide with Examples. Introduction. Watching movies is a popular pastime for many individuals. While some enjoy being entertained by the latest releases, others find satisfaction in analyzing and critiquing films.
