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How to Write a Movie Review: A Step-by-Step Guide with Examples

• backlinkworks
• Writing Articles & Reviews
• October 3, 2023

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. If you fall into the latter category, then writing a movie review can be a rewarding activity. Whether you aspire to become a professional film critic or simply want to share your opinion with others, this step-by-step guide will help you craft a compelling and engaging movie review.

Step 1: Watch the Movie

Before you can write a movie review, you need to watch the film attentively. Take notes while watching, paying attention to the plot, characters, cinematography, acting, and any other elements that stand out. Understanding the movie in its entirety is crucial to providing an informed perspective in your review.

Step 2: Gather Your Thoughts

After watching the film, take some time to gather your thoughts and reflect on your overall impressions. Did you enjoy the movie? What were its strengths and weaknesses? Consider the movie’s themes, messages, and intended audience. Jot down key points to use as the foundation of your review.

Step 3: Start with a Strong Introduction

The introduction sets the tone for your movie review. Begin with a captivating hook that grabs the reader’s attention and provides a brief overview of the film. Offer some context, such as the genre or director, and any interesting background information that adds value to the review. Make sure to state your overall opinion clearly and concisely.

Step 4: Analyze the Plot and Storyline

Provide a detailed analysis of the movie’s plot and storyline. Discuss the main narrative, subplots, and any twists or surprises. Evaluate the pacing, coherence, and depth of the story. Highlight any standout moments or memorable scenes that contribute to the overall narrative experience.

Step 5: Evaluate the Acting and Characters

An important aspect of any movie review is assessing the acting performances and the development of the characters. Discuss the actors’ portrayals, their chemistry, and whether they effectively brought their characters to life. Analyze the characters’ depth, growth, and believability. Give examples to support your claims.

Step 6: Critique the Cinematography and Visuals

The cinematography and visual elements greatly impact a movie’s overall appeal. Evaluate the camera angles, lighting, set design, costumes, and any special effects used. Explain how these choices contribute to the storytelling and enhance the viewer’s experience.

Step 7: Assess the Sound and Music

The sound design and music play a vital role in creating the right atmosphere for a film. Analyze the sound effects, soundtrack, and any background music utilized. Discuss how the audio elements complemented the visuals and enhanced the emotional impact of key scenes.

Step 8: Highlight the Strengths and Weaknesses

In this section, discuss the movie’s strengths and weaknesses. Offer constructive criticism where necessary, but also acknowledge the film’s positive aspects. Be specific and provide examples to support your claims, giving readers a well-rounded perspective of the overall quality of the movie.

Step 9: Conclusion

The conclusion should summarize your main points and provide a final assessment of the film. Reiterate your overall opinion and encourage readers to watch or avoid the movie based on your review. End with a thought-provoking statement or a call-to-action to engage your audience further.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. how long should a movie review be.

A movie review can vary in length, but a typical review ranges from 500 to 1000 words. However, if you feel the need to provide a more in-depth analysis, IT can extend beyond the usual word count.

2. Should I include spoilers in my review?

IT is best to avoid spoilers, as they can ruin the viewing experience for those who haven’t seen the film. If you must discuss specific plot details, clearly indicate spoiler warnings and use HTML tags to hide text, ensuring readers have the option to read or skip the spoilers.

3. How do I maintain objectivity in my review?

While a movie review reflects your personal opinion, try to maintain objectivity by offering balanced arguments and supporting your statements with evidence from the film. Acknowledge that different viewers may have different tastes and perspectives.

4. Is IT necessary to include a rating in my review?

Including a rating is not essential, but IT can provide a quick summary of your overall opinion. You can use a numerical scale, stars, or any other rating system you find suitable. Just ensure you explain the reasoning behind your rating within the body of the review.

5. How can I make my review stand out?

To make your review stand out, write in a clear and engaging style. Incorporate your unique voice and use captivating language to draw readers in. Including relevant screenshots from the movie or embedding a trailer can also enhance the overall appeal of your review.

writing a movie review provides an opportunity to express your thoughts and opinions about a film while helping others make informed decisions about their movie choices. By following this step-by-step guide, you can craft a well-written and insightful review that captures the essence of the movie. Remember to watch the film attentively, gather your thoughts, and provide a balanced assessment of its various elements. With practice, you’ll refine your skills as a movie reviewer and contribute to the world of film criticism.

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How to Write a Movie Review: 10 Essential Tips

As long as there have been films, there have been film critics. Starting with the early days of cinema, where reviews appeared in newspapers and magazines as brief, descriptive pieces, as filmmaking evolved as an art form, so did the role of the critic. James Agee, André Bazin, and Pauline Kael shaped the discourse around cinema, and today, famous film critics like the iconic Roger Ebert , The New York Times’s A.O. Scott , and The New York Times’s Manohla Dargis continue to leave an indelible mark on the world of cinema.

With the rise of the internet, film criticism now encompasses a wide range of voices and perspectives from around the globe. Sites like Letterboxd make it possible for anyone to write short-form reviews on film. Even stars like The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri have accounts and share opinions on the latest box-office hits.

How to Write a Movie Review

Today, contemporary YouTube and TikTok critics such as Red Letter Media , deepfocuslens , and DoMo Draper don’t just write film reviews, they shoot videos and skits. Through their creative formats, they offer refreshing and unique perspectives while building communities of diehard film and television enthusiasts. Whether you choose to write reviews for your own blog, other websites, or social media channels, by learning how to write a movie review, any aspiring filmmaker can start to watch films intentionally. 

@domodraperr Replying to @xsindeviltriggerx I’ll get right on that, Sir!🫡 #comments #movies #film #satire #fyp #mulan #disney ♬ I’ll Make a Man Out of You (feat. Black Gryph0n) – Cover – Samuel Kim

TikTok film critic “DoMo Draper” provides commentary on new and old films, often calling out racism, social injustice, misogyny, and prejudice.

While there’s no perfect approach to writing a review, there are best practices that every aspiring reviewer should consider.

Here are ten tips on writing a compelling piece.

1. Watch the film at least once.

For new reviewers, it’s impossible to capture everything after one viewing. Watching the film first, then watching to take notes, is an easy way to improve the quality of your final review. This will also make it easy to recall in-the-moment thoughts and reactions.

Take a review by Christian Blauvelt of Charlie Chaplin’s silent film The Circus , for example. Since the film does not have sound, properly critiquing the film requires close attention. Viewers have to pay attention to the various nuances in Chaplin’s performance, follow the story, and take in the cinematography. Regarding The Circus , Blauvelt writes, “The film lacks a conventional plot, but is rather a pearl necklace of strung-together episodes. ” The statement isn’t a criticism, but a keen observation likely gleaned from more than one viewing. 

So while every film reviewer has their own approach, many choose to watch a film more than once to deliver the best possible review. Image The Criterion Collection.

2. Express your opinions and support your criticism.

Professional reviewers do not shy away from sharing whether they thought a movie was good, bad, or indifferent. In a review for the film Mother!, reviewer Candice Frederick describes the film as “uncomfortable,” and “controversial,” helping viewers understand the tone of the movie. While Frederick seemed to enjoy the film, her honesty about how it would make audiences feel was vital in writing the review.

Be sure to back up these thoughts with specifics–a disappointing performance, beautiful cinematography, difficult material that leaves you thinking, and so on. Professional reviewers should express why and how they came to their criticism.

3. Consider your audience.

Are you writing for a fan site or a news outlet? Who will read your pieces, and what are their interests? Knowing who your readers are and where the review will be published can help you decide what elements of the movie to highlight. For example, take these two very different reviews for the film ‘Synecdoche, New York’.  

The first review was written by Alonso Duralde for The Today Show , and clocks in at around 500 words. The film focuses on the bullet points: characters, plot, and a concise review. The second review is over 3,000 words and published on the Critical Critics blog . This review goes into massive depth (and yes, includes spoilers) about the film, providing an incredible amount of analysis. The first review is tailored for the casual filmgoer, while the second is for cinephiles. Each review serves a different purpose.

It’s also a good idea to adjust your writing style to fit the target audience. For example, Alonso Duralde is a talented film reviewer and likely wrote the review to fit the tone of The Today Show site. Image via Director’s Library.

4. Talk about the acting.

When reviewing a film, it’s important to take space to discuss the performances. Does the film feature a seasoned actor in a new kind of role or a brilliant performance from a rising star? How was the acting? In a review by Brett Milam for the award-winning film Whiplash , he goes into rich detail about performances by both breakthrough actor Miles Teller and seasoned professional JK Simmons.

Regarding Teller, Milam writes, “This is a performance. This is art,” and about Simmons, “I found him fascinating to just look at.” Those are just small examples of the analysis he provides regarding their acting. As the film mostly focuses on the relationship between their two characters, Miles as the protagonist and JK as the antagonist, the review of the performances lends well to the plot of the film: student and teacher going head to head in an intense and determined showdown. 

Feedback about how well the actors handled the script, the dynamics in an ensemble, and so much more can help describe how the actors did in any given film.

5. Call out directors, cinematographers, and special effects.

Reviews that include highlights or missteps of directors, cinematographers, and costume designers can help provide support to your critiques. By providing specific examples of what worked, what surprised you, and what fell short of expectations, reviewers can write a well-thought-out review that goes beyond whether or not you liked it.

In a review for A Wrinkle in Time , Monique Jones artfully crafts a piece that diplomatically cites the missteps of the film. From analyzing the quality of the CGI to the camera techniques to inconsistencies in the rules of the fantasy universe, Jones fairly offers a critique that guides the filmmakers and crew on future endeavors. To write this type of review, it helps to have some knowledge of the filmmaking process so you can properly assess the screenwriting, cinematography, special effects, acting, and more. Image via Disney.

6. No spoilers!

The point of writing a movie review is to get people interested in seeing a movie. That’s why it’s absolutely best practice to not reveal spoilers in a film review. Film reviewer Robert Daniels approaches this creatively. In his review of Annihilation , he provides commentary on what would be considered spoilers. However, he places that part of the review at the bottom of the article under a bold header/image that warns the reader he’s about to spoil the film. For reviewers who want to dissect the entire film, this is a good way to both tease the film for anyone who hasn’t seen it and cater to people who want to know what the ending is.

Remember: the goal of any film review is to discuss the plot without revealing any twists or the ending of the film. 

7. Study the professionals.

As with all writing endeavors, the more you read, the better. However, with the modern landscape of film reviewing, which can go beyond writing and extend to content creation for social media platforms, there are a ton of reviewers to take notes from. First, determine what kind of reviewer you want to be, and what kind of medium you plan to deliver your reviews on. If you plan to post to Medium, for example, studying the reviewers already established on the site can be a great starting point.

Then, read film reviews for some of your favorite films. Determine which style of review you like and don’t like. Question why, and use your critical eye to consider why one reviewer has a hundred thousand followers and another only has two. If you’re looking to be featured on a website or a magazine, read the publications where you’d like your writing to appear as a template for your reviews, and don’t forget to read the submission guidelines. A few examples of film review professionals include Rotten Tomatoes , Roger Ebert , and Film Comment. 

8. Reread, rewrite, and edit.

While writing film critique is based on opinion, and follows the style of the reviewer, it’s still important to edit work. Writers should check for spelling, grammar, and readability. No matter how good a writer’s opinions are, they will not be taken seriously if the director’s name isn’t spelled correctly. Tools such as Grammarly and Hemingway Editor can be great for correcting and finding areas that need improvement. 

9. Find your voice.

The best reviewers have a distinct personality that comes across in their writing. Los Angeles Times film reviewer Carlos Aguilar wrote an impassioned piece about the film Beatriz at Dinner , going into a lot of detail about his experiences working in the film industry and his Mexican heritage. By sharing anecdotes about casual racism he’s experienced and connecting it to the film’s protagonist, and what she goes through, the review feels personal and relatable.

“If at a film festival – to which I’ve gotten access to because I’m a published writer – in a progressive city like Los Angeles, I must keep my guard up when people question my right to be there, then how are the voiceless supposed to feel safe, respected, or hopeful?” Aguilar writes. 

For new reviewers, developing this type of unique voice does not happen overnight, so take every opportunity to write as an opportunity to develop your style. Image via BBC.

10. Know your taste.

As a film reviewer, it can be helpful to identify your taste in film. By knowing specific preferences, strengths, and biases, reviewers can offer nuanced critiques that resonate with audiences and provide valuable guidance on which films they might enjoy. Additionally, it helps to maintain credibility and integrity as a reviewer by ensuring that assessments are authentic and reflective of personal cinematic sensibilities.

Try to explore various genres, directors, and themes to understand what resonates emotionally, intellectually, and aesthetically. Pay attention to the types of stories that engage you, which can help define your preferences.

Learn More About Filmmaking at NYFA

Film students with writing experience actually make great reviewers, as many of them are required to study a range of topics relating to film that can include cinematography, screenwriting, producing, and much more. Ready to build even more skills in filmmaking? Request more information about New York Film Academy’s filmmaking programs and workshops today!

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How to Write a Movie Review

Last Updated: May 13, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Marissa Levis . Marissa Levis is an English Teacher in the Morris County Vocational School District. She previously worked as an English director at a tutoring center that caters to students in elementary and middle school. She is an expert in creating a curriculum that helps students advance their skills in secondary-level English, focusing on MLA formatting, reading comprehension, writing skills, editing and proofreading, literary analysis, standardized test preparation, and journalism topics. Marissa received her Master of Arts in Teaching from Fairleigh Dickinson University. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 5,613,883 times.

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 great 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.

Sample Movie Reviews

Writing an Intro for a Movie Review

• 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 Blue Ruin. "
• Review in a nutshell: "Despite a compelling lead performance by Tom Hanks and a great soundtrack, Forrest Gump never gets out of the shadow of its weak plot and questionable premise."
• Context or Background Information: " Boyhood might be the first movie made where knowing how it was produced–slowly, over 12 years, with the same actors–is just as crucial as the movie itself."

• Using stars, a score out of 10 or 100, or the simple thumbs-up and thumbs-down is a quick way to give your thoughts. You then write about why you chose that rating.
• Great Movie: ABC is the rare movie that succeeds on almost every level, where each character, scene, costume, and joke firing on all cylinders to make a film worth repeated viewings."
• Bad Movie: "It doesn't matter how much you enjoy kung-fu and karate films: with 47 Ronin, you're better off saving your money, your popcorn, and time."
• Okay Movie: "I loved the wildly uneven Interstellar far more than I should have, but that doesn't mean it is perfect. Ultimately, the utter awe and spectacle of space swept me through the admittedly heavy-handed plotting and dialogue."

• Great: "Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer's chemistry would carry Fruitvale Station even if the script wasn't as good. The mid-movie prison scene in particular, where the camera never leaves their faces, shows how much they can convey with nothing but their eyelids, the flashing tension of neck muscles, and a barely cracking voice."
• Bad: " Jurassic World's biggest flaw, a complete lack of relatable female characters, is only further underscored by a laughably unrealistic shot of our heroine running away from a dinosaur – in heels."
• Okay: "At the end of the day, Snowpiercer can't decide what kind of movie it wants to be. The attention to detail in fight scenes, where every weapon, lightbulb, and slick patch of ground is accounted for, doesn't translate to an ending that seems powerful but ultimately says little of substance."

• Does the film reflect on a current event or contemporary issue? It could be the director's way of engaging in a bigger conversation. Look for ways to relate the content of the film to the "real" world.
• Does the film seem to have a message, or does it attempt to elicit a specific response or emotion from the audience? You could discuss whether or not it achieves its own goals.
• Does the film connect with you on a personal level? You could write a review stemming from your own feelings and weave in some personal stories to make it interesting for your readers.

Composing Your Review

• 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.

• Cinematography: " Her is a world drenched in color, using bright, soft reds and oranges alongside calming whites and grays that both build, and slowly strip away, the feelings of love between the protagonists. Every frame feels like a painting worth sitting in."
• Tone: "Despite the insane loneliness and high stakes of being stuck alone on Mars, The Martian's witty script keeps humor and excitement alive in every scene. Space may be dangerous and scary, but the joy of scientific discovery is intoxicating."
• Music and Sound: " No Country For Old Men's bold decision to skip music entirely pays off in spades. The eerie silence of the desert, punctuated by the brief spells of violent, up-close-and-personal sound effects of hunter and hunted, keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat."
• Acting: "While he's fantastic whenever he's on the move, using his cool stoicism to counteract the rampaging bus, Keanu Reeves can't quite match his costar in the quiet moments of Speed, which falter under his expressionless gaze."

• Keep your writing clear and easy to understand. Don't use too much technical filmmaking jargon, and make your language crisp and accessible.
• Present both the facts and your opinion. For example, you might state something such as, "The Baroque background music was a jarring contrast to the 20th century setting." This is a lot more informative then simply saying, "The music was a strange choice for the movie."

• Great: "In the end, even the characters of Blue Ruin know how pointless their feud is. But revenge, much like every taut minute of this thriller, is far too addictive to give up until the bitter end.""
• Bad: "Much like the oft-mentioned "box of chocolates", Forest Gump has a couple of good little morsels. But most of the scenes, too sweet by half, should have been in the trash long before this movie was put out."
• Okay: "Without the novel, even revolutionary concept, Boyhood may not be a great movie. It might not even be "good.” But the power the film finds in the beauty of passing time and little, inconsequential moments – moments that could only be captured over 12 years of shooting – make Linklater's latest an essential film for anyone interested in the art of film."

Polishing Your Piece

• 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?

Studying Your Source Material

• The title of the film, and the year it came out.
• The director's name.
• The names of the lead actors.

• Make a note every time something sticks out to you, whether it's good or bad. This could be costuming, makeup, set design, music, etc. Think about how this detail relates to the rest of the movie and what it means in the context of your review.
• Take note of patterns you begin to notice as the movie unfolds.
• Use the pause button frequently so you make sure not to miss anything, and rewind as necessary.

• Direction: Consider the director and how he or she choose to portray/explain the events in the story. If the movie was slow, or didn't include things you thought were necessary, you can attribute this to the director. If you've seen other movies directed by the same person, compare them and determine which you like the most.
• Cinematography: What techniques were used to film the movie? What setting and background elements helped to create a certain tone?
• Writing: Evaluate the script, including dialogue and characterization. Did you feel like the plot was inventive and unpredictable or boring and weak? Did the characters' words seem credible to you?
• Editing: Was the movie choppy or did it flow smoothly from scene to scene? Did they incorporate a montage to help build the story? And was this obstructive to the narrative or did it help it? Did they use long cuts to help accentuate an actor's acting ability or many reaction shots to show a group's reaction to an event or dialogue? If visual effects were used were the plates well-chosen and were the composited effects part of a seamless experience? (Whether the effects looked realistic or not is not the jurisdiction of an editor, however, they do choose the footage to be sent off to the compositors, so this could still affect the film.)
• Costume design: Did the clothing choices fit the style of the movie? Did they contribute to the overall tone, rather than digressing from it?
• Set design: Consider how the setting of the film influenced its other elements. Did it add or subtract from the experience for you? If the movie was filmed in a real place, was this location well-chosen?
• Score or soundtrack: Did it work with the scenes? Was it over/under-used? Was it suspenseful? Amusing? Irritating? A soundtrack can make or break a movie, especially if the songs have a particular message or meaning to them.

Expert Q&A

• If you don't like the movie, don't be abusive and mean. If possible, avoid watching the movies that you would surely hate. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Understand that just because the movie isn't to your taste, that doesn't mean you should give it a bad review. A good reviewer helps people find movie's they will like. Since you don't have the same taste in movies as everyone else, you need to be able to tell people if they will enjoy the movie, even if you didn't. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Structure is very important; try categorizing the different parts of the film and commenting on each of those individually. Deciding how good each thing is will help you come to a more accurate conclusion. For example, things like acting, special effects, cinematography, think about how good each of those are. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about writing, check out our in-depth interview with Marissa Levis .

• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_about_film/terminology_and_starting_prompts.html
• ↑ https://www.spiritofbaraka.com/how-write-a-movie-review
• ↑ https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/9-tips-for-writing-a-film-review/
• ↑ https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/writing-help/top-tips-for-writing-a-review
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/summary-using-it-wisely/
• ↑ https://twp.duke.edu/sites/twp.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/film-review-1.original.pdf
• ↑ https://www.dailywritingtips.com/7-tips-for-writing-a-film-review/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_about_film/film_writing_sample_analysis.html
• ↑ https://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/onnyx.bei/dual-credit/movie-review-writing-guide
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-a-movie-review/
• ↑ https://gustavus.edu/writingcenter/handoutdocs/editing_proofreading.php
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ https://edusson.com/blog/how-to-write-movie-review

About This Article

To write a movie review, start with a compelling fact or opinion to hook your readers, like "Despite a great performance by Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump never overcomes its weak plot." Then, elaborate on your opinion of the movie right off the bat so readers know where you stand. Once your opinion is clear, provide examples from the movie that prove your point, like specific scenes, dialogue, songs, or camera shots. To learn how to study a film closely before you write a review, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write a Movie Review

Writing a Film Review

Movies have become a cultural mainstay of our society. Not only are they art and entertainment, but they have also become a way for people to bond and make connections. Finding someone who has a similar taste in movies can create new friendships and start interesting conversations. That's why understanding how to analyze a movie and write movie reviews is such a useful skill. 

Do you need to know how to write a movie review for college? Or how to write a movie critique? Or maybe just how to do a movie review? In this article, you will learn how to write a movie review step by step, as well as get an in-depth guide into each section of a movie review.

What is a Movie Review?

A film review essay is more than just a plot summary followed by a recommendation. A movie review analyzes different elements of a movie and mixes personal opinion with objective analysis. The goal of the movie review is to tell the reader about the details of a movie while giving them enough information to decide for themselves whether it's worth watching or not. Of course, a good movie review also has to be interesting and engaging! 

How to Write a Good Movie Review

More than most other pieces of writing, there are a lot of steps to take before actually getting into writing a movie review. But don't worry though, most of these steps are pretty fun and if you follow them, you will know how to review movies. 

Watch the film! 

It goes without saying that you need to watch a movie before you write a review for it, so, before you do anything else, watch the movie at least once. Don't worry about trying to pick up specific details on your first watch, just enjoy the movie and get a general impression of whether you liked it or not and what you liked or disliked. Ideally, you should watch the movie at least two times. On your second and third viewings, pay attention to movie review criteria like cinematography, acting, dialogue, character development, deeper meanings, etc. Read some film review examples to get a sense of the things they talk about.

Pause the movie on your second and third viewings and take notes on things that stand out to you. Don't be afraid to take as many notes as you want, after all these notes are just for you.  You might not use all the notes you have taken, but they will help you compose the main part of your body paragraphs.

Express your opinions

Once you have watched the movie a few times and taken notes, make a list of the strongest opinions you have about the movie. If you think that the quality of acting was one of the best parts of the movie, use your notes to come up with specific examples. You should have between 3 and 5 key opinions that you will elaborate on when writing a film review along with examples to back up your claims.

Think about your audience

The language you use is going to change based on who you are writing the movie review for. If it is an assignment for school or university, then you may have to use more technical language.  If you're writing an article for a website or personal blog, then think about who the audience is and use language appropriate for them. Keep in mind that your audience also depends on the genre of the movie you are critiquing. A movie review for a serious period drama will have a different audience than a buddy cop comedy and therefore different language. Look at a movie review sample from different genres to get an idea of the type of language to use. 

Research the actors

Having big movie stars associated with a film is often one of the main selling points of a movie.  If an actor is critically acclaimed, it’s especially important to mention the awards they have won as this is often a sign of the overall quality of the movie. It's also possible that you didn't like the movie overall, but one of your favorite actors was in it so you enjoyed the movie and another fan might enjoy it too. 

Do background research

An easy way to make a movie review interesting is to search for interesting details about the making of the movie. It may be worth mentioning if it was shot in a particularly beautiful place or a unique location, or if the special effects were practical rather than CGI. Include interesting casting decisions or other actors that were considered for a particular role. Think about what information could be interesting to someone who might want to watch the movie and include those details. Go over some movie critique examples to get inspiration. 

Research the professionals

People can be fans not just of the actors, but of directors, writers, cinematographers, costume designers, and many other elements of filmmaking. Many directors are auteurs, which means they have a very particular visual style or storytelling method. How much time you spend on this section is dependent on your audience. If you're writing for social media or a blog for general people, then this might not be interesting to most. But if you're writing for film school or for a specific audience interested in filmmaking, then this section will need to be more elaborate. Look at a film review example written for different audiences to understand the differences. 

Draft an outline

Now that you've done all the required research, it's time to come up with a review outline. An outline is always useful when doing any piece of writing because it gives you a  chance to visualize the structure and plan how you want to incorporate information. This is the general film review format.

Introduction

• Brief summary of the film
• Discuss plot, tone, characters
• Discuss creative and technical elements
• Your opinions

Conclusion 

Come up with a catchy title.

Almost more than any other piece of writing, a movie review’s title needs to be engaging. A title like ”film review of (name of the movie) might be to the point, but isn't going to stand out. A good title should grab the reader's attention and make them want to read more. A few ways you can do this is by talking about a specific actor or director, or by using one of the main plot points of the movie. For example, “A Romantic Comedy for the Unromantic”,  or “Chris Pratt Plays Against Type in the Best Possible Way”. Look at the titles of some movie review examples for inspiration!

Write your review

It's finally time to get to the actual writing! The next part of this article talks in-depth about each section of a film review. 

People aren't going to take a review seriously if you have spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. If it's an assignment for school, then you’re going to lose marks because of mistakes like that. Make sure you reread your paper a few times and check for typos and other silly mistakes.  Read the paper out loud once or twice to get an idea of if it has a good flow. Don't be afraid to move sections around if you think it helps you build a stronger case.

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How to Write a Film Review

Do you want a ‘how to write a movie review’ template? Let's go over the specific parts of a film review and what to include in each one.

Your first sentence needs to capture the reader's attention. You can do this by stating an interesting fact about the movie, starting off by expressing your opinion of whether it's good or bad, mentioning some of the important actors, comparing it to other movies in the genre or to real-world events, whatever it is, make sure it's catchy!

Next, give background information about the movie. This includes things like the title, release date, studio, important cast members, director, budget, etc. Make sure to highlight any achievements of the movie, for example, if it was nominated for any awards. The same goes for the director as well as important members of the cast. This shouldn't just be a dry stating of facts, rather this should be a collection of interesting information about the background of the movie. 

Finally, end your introduction paragraph with your thesis. In the case of a film review, your thesis is essentially what you thought about the film. Without giving away too much, express your overall impression of the movie noting particular things that you thought stood out or were weak.

Summary of the story

The trick to writing the summary of the story is giving readers an idea of what to expect without giving away any important plot points or spoilers. The goal of this section isn't to explain the plot of the movie, It's to make sure that people have a basic understanding of the story so that the rest of the review can make sense. Describe the setting of the movie, which includes the main locations and time period. Introduce the main characters (including the name of the actor in parentheses after the name of their character). And go over the general storyline. 

Plot elements

This is when you start explaining what you thought about the movie. Start with an analysis of the plot itself. Did it have a rising action that builds suspense? Was the climax a good payoff? What were your overall impressions of the movie? How did it make you feel? What do you think the purpose of the movie was and did the director succeed in their goal? 

This is also the section where you get to talk about the different characters in the movie. Why did you enjoy certain characters? Were some characters better developed than others? Could some characters have benefited from more development? Was the villain particularly interesting? 

Think about the overall mood of the movie, did it change over time? How did the tones and symbols of the movie emphasize elements of the plot? Remember that any point you make in this section has to be backed up by examples. So if you say that there are several plot holes that make the movie complicated to understand, mention the specific scenes.

Creative elements

There are a lot of technical and creative elements in a movie that can stand out even if the overall plot and story weren’t the best. On the other hand, even a great story can be spoiled by bad dialogue or set design. These are some of the creative elements you should pay attention to especially when rewatching the movie and taking notes.

Dialogue : This can refer to the overall writing of the movie as well. If you can get your hands on a script then read it! When thinking about dialogue ask yourself, did the conversation between characters seem natural and flow easily? Or did it seem choppy and unnatural? 

Cinematography : Cinematography refers to the camera effects and the choices of how to film a certain scene. The lighting, the choice of camera angles, essentially the unique perspective of the story as told through the camera. 

Editing : Editing refers to the transition between different scenes as well as how well the movie flows together. This could include things like clever montages, longshots, different perspectives, etc.  

Costumes : Some movies, especially historical movies, fantasy films, and science fiction films, depend heavily on costume design. Costumes are an integral part of making a character stand out or making the world seem more real.

Set Design : Set design refers to the backgrounds of scenes. Some sets might be more elaborate whereas others can be minimalistic. Each choice has its pros and cons and effective set design creates proper ambiance, setting the tone and mood for a scene or the movie.

Music and Sound : Sometimes the movie has a great soundtrack or just incredible sound effects that help make it stand out.

Stunts : More important for action movies, but in general stunts and action sequences can be a major selling point for a film.

Special Effects : Most movies rely on some amount of special effects, and whether it be CGI, or practical, or a combination of the two, the quality is important.

Once you have analyzed multiple different elements of the story from its plot, characterization, and other technical and creative elements, you can state your opinions and provide evidence for them. Make sure you refer to specific scenes or specific situations when looking for substantiating evidence. Remember that the goal of a movie review is not to just state whether you liked or disliked a movie, it is to analyze it in an objective way, and give information so that somebody else can decide whether they want to watch the movie or not.

In the conclusion you express your main opinion of the movie along with the most important pieces of evidence. You can talk about the purpose of the movie and whether the director was successful in showing that purpose. End with a recommendation of whether the movie should be watched or not, along with suggestions of movies that are similar to it.

Did you like our Film Review Guide?

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Mistakes to avoid

You now know how to write a review on a movie but let's take a look at some mistakes that you should be careful to avoid.

Not focusing on the film

It's easy to start writing about things like the historical events the movie you loved is based on or the importance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe overall rather than focus on the movie itself.  While those elements can be interesting to include as background information, the point of a film review is to go over a particular movie so that is what you should spend the most time on.

Not providing evidence 

A common mistake people make when they write movie reviews is to state their opinions without any objective analysis. An easy way to overcome this mistake is to make sure that you provide evidence for any claims that you make.

Spoilers are an easy way to make sure that people will be upset with your movie review. It is common to accidentally give away too much, especially when writing the plot summary. Find the line between giving enough information so that people understand the general story and revealing important plot twists and turning points. Read some sample movie reviews for examples of how to avoid spoilers.

Using personal pronouns

Statements like “I did not like the special effects” or “I did not like the pacing of the movie” are clearly expressions of opinion. It is better to make statements like “the special effects in certain action scenes were cartoonish and took away from the realism of the film”. 

A movie review essay can be incredibly fun to write, especially if you have a strong opinion about the movie. But keep in mind that a movie review isn't just about your opinion, it has to include an objective analysis with claims backed up by evidence from specific scenes. It's difficult to have a movie review definition, but a great movie review is a blend between personal opinion and objective analysis. It informs the reader about the strengths and weaknesses of the movie while letting them make the decision whether they want to watch it or not. 

If you found your way to this article because you were looking for help on how to write a movie review for college, then you're in the perfect place. If you need any help, don't hesitate to reach out to the experts at Studyfy. At Studyfy, we offer a wide range of custom writing services, coursework writing services, and essay writer service . Our team of experienced writers is well-equipped to handle any writing task you may have, no matter the complexity or urgency. Just say, " write a paper for me ," and we will ensure that you receive a high-quality custom essay that meets all your requirements. Trust us to provide you with the best coursework writing services and custom essay writing that will help you achieve your academic goals.

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Quick Guide on How to Write a Movie Review Essay

What Is a Movie Review

The internet has revolutionized the realm of film criticism. No matter a movie's level of quality, it is always worth analyzing. Despite the growing number of individuals attempting to write about movies, few are successful. Most people do not provide insightful analysis, instead simply state how much they liked or disliked the film.

A movie criticism, usually composed by a professional in film studies, takes a comprehensive look at the film from a historical, social, political, or theoretical standpoint. This is unlike the opinion or suggestion given in a movie review, which is shorter and more concise.

A remarkable aspect of a good film review is that it doesn't just rate the movie but provides explicit views that form the critique's basis. This form of writing, like crafting essays, research papers, and term papers, should be insightful and draw the reader in quickly. It's important to discuss the reputation of the lead actors and directors and to write about what you expected and if they were met. The reviewer must explain a story's development without recalling major plot points and endings. The review must be concise, engaging, and should involve metaphors, specific words, analogies, etc.

Movie Review Purpose

Most film reviews are intended to guide readers in deciding whether to view, rent, or purchase the film. They should provide the necessary information to aid readers in deciding without divulging any fundamental details, such as the storyline or any surprises. This paper is common in schools because the lecturer wants to evaluate the student's ability to think critically and report the event easily for others to understand.

Movie reviews typically present a brief summary of the film's storyline. They provide readers with an overview of the characters, relationships, and scenarios but do not convey the complete narrative. Perusing the review should be different from seeing the movie. Nonetheless, feel free to highlight the essential moments or pivotal points that make the film worthwhile viewing.

Our college essay writing service has put together some advice on composing a movie review essay like a real critic, so let's explore the article further!

How to Write a Movie Review: Movie Review Outline

The structure is key when it comes to the quality of your paper. Don't neglect the power of a good outline, no matter what paper you're writing. Outlines help you stay on track and make sure your paper flows well.

Taking the time to arrange your ideas before starting to write is an effective way to save time further down the line. With a well-structured plan already in place, you won't have to worry about other elements. This will also make the writing process less stressful. Here is a guide on how to organize your movie review outline:

How Do You Start a Movie Review Essay: Introduction

The introductory paragraph is the first obvious step in crafting a movie review essay outline. Here, you want to quickly captivate the reader. Deliver your viewpoint instantly and make it unambiguous. Don't leave the audience wondering whether you enjoyed the film. Tell them right off the bat so you have time to justify your assessment throughout the remainder of the process.

In the introduction movie review should also describe your thesis. Develop the main concept for your essay that you can support using your perceptions of the movie's various aspects. The reader should be able to tell from this statement if you thought the film was fantastic, awful, or simply alright. By including a thesis statement, you may move your analysis beyond the plot synopsis phase into the movie critique category, which is considered a separate creative process.

Crafting Your Essay Movie Review Analysis

According to our research paper service , film analysis is similar to building a case. You're attempting to influence the reader to follow your recommendation to watch or disregard the film. So, you must ensure your essay movie review will be convincing. Giving instances that demonstrate the validity of your personal opinion is the only method to do this. If you find any dialogue in the movie that you think best exemplifies whether the work is strong or not, utilize quotes. This also applies to all of the movie's artistic decisions. But, just because a movie's narrative isn't strong or engaging doesn't indicate the rest of the film is worthless. Carefully highlight how some factors might undermine the movie in your explanation.

The movie's plot is only one component and shouldn't dominate the overall piece. The following are the important aspects to include in your movie review structure:

Cinematography - Cinematography covers much more than simply camera angles. It includes how the picture is lit, how it moves, appears, and what lenses are used. Here you can try the following analysis: 'Warm, gentle colors are used throughout the film, combined with soothing whites and grays, to simultaneously create and gradually tear away the characters' romantic sentiments for one another. There is a painting-like quality to each image.'

Editing - The editing is arguably the absolute star of what creates a good movie review example. It affects both the duration and the flow of a movie. Without effective editing, there would be uncomfortable gaps between pictures and many errors.

Costuming - The clothing the characters wear is called a costume, but there are a number of things to consider while evaluating movie costumes. You should be able to decide if the outfits suit the characters and the movie's atmosphere.

Casting and Acting - Finding the ideal performers to bring characters to life is the goal of casting. This sometimes entails seeing performers portray both familiar personas and figures who are entirely at odds with who they are. Casting, therefore, involves more than just finding talented performers. You can assess the acting in the following way: 'Even though he excels while on the go, his stoic behaviorism causes him to fall short of his co-star during calm scenes where he keeps a blank look on his face.'

Once you have finished analyzing the acting, directing, cinematography, setting, etc., wrap up with concise, stimulating wording to sustain readers' attention. Don't forget to provide a few examples to support your statements about the film.

Concluding Your Essay Movie Review

Finalize your review by coming full circle. Close the review by returning to your introductory fact or thesis. Give your readers a refresher on the movie's most intriguing aspects. It's important to remember that before choosing a movie, viewers check reviews. Finish with a statement indicating whether it is worthwhile for them to view. Be specific about who this movie will be more fascinating to and why in your suggestions. Remember that your ending is your last shot at influencing your audience, so use it wisely.

No matter the kind of movie review you have to complete, our professional specialists are willing to help you. Directly forward your needs to our research paper service and get it done quickly.

Need Help With MOVIE REVIEW WRITING?

No matter what type of movie review you want, our qualified specialists are ready to assist you.

Short Movie Review Form

If you are currently working on a new or old movie review, reading our suggestions should be sufficient to help you earn an A. So what if you'll be writing many reviews in the future? In this situation, we advise you to develop a uniform movie review template, which will enable you to save time and complete your upcoming projects successfully.

So, how to write a movie review template, you may ask? Well, our essay helper prepared a simple yet great movie review template you may use as a foundation for your own writing if you need some help getting started:

Example Papers

Once you know how to review a movie and learn the most valuable tips to handle this assignment, it is time to look at some movie review examples to get you on the right track.

Check out the following pieces to see which of these movie review essay examples you might want to keep at hand when working on your own assignment:

Helpful Tips on Writing Movie Reviews

Here are some extra helpful tips to keep in mind when unsure how to write a movie review essay:

• Add Your Own Personal Feel to Your Movie Critique - You might not have much spare time for your pastime of reviewing. You won't be able to write a movie review, though, if you just wing it without reading what others have said. Make a note of the things that intrigued you, alarmed you, made you uncomfortable, or caused you to pause and consider something, and then use that list as the basis for your research.
• Develop a Distinctive Writing Style - Have an idol—it's good for you. You must be careful not to just paraphrase and duplicate what they say without adding your own original viewpoint. Instead, in order to stand out from the throng, you must discover your own voice. When writing movie reviews, you should also have a distinct writing style.
• Include Extensive Information -Mention the film's photographer, special effects designer, and director. Your review might be significantly impacted by this. Then you may list all the memorable movie moments that also stuck with you.
• Voice Your Views and Back Up Your Criticism - Give your own assessment of the film. Make sure you have evidence to support your criticisms. Use the movie's details that most shocked or humiliated you. Review genuine information rather than merely expressing your opinions without supporting details.

Final Thoughts

Composing a good movie review essay sample is easy if you follow this article's main steps and techniques. Furthermore, we strongly believe that this guide will assist you in achieving remarkable outcomes and ease your writing process. The staff at EssayPro is always available to provide a helping hand if you need a little additional push with movie review examples or even if it's simply coming up with a catchy essay title .

Order an essay and await excellent results! Contact our expert writers and ask them to ' write my essay for me ' – and they will ensure your academic success!

Do You Require a Skilled Professional Writer?

Our writers take extra measures to make sure that your essay is created precisely in accordance with your specifications.

FAQs on Writing an Essay Movie Review

Here are the most frequently asked questions on how to write a movie review. We provided extra details on movie analysis to simplify writing film reviews.

What are the 6 Important Things to Include in a Film Review?

How long should a movie review be, what are the 5 c's in film.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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Achievement Exams: Everything You Need to Know

The worst state for education in the us, teaching in public and private schools: everything you need to know, the science of geography should be taught in schools, benefits of a boarding school education: everything you need to know, transitioning from undergraduate to grad learner: everything you need to know, college textbooks costs: everything you need to know, what is an ahk file, keeping yourself safe in college: everything you need to know, myths about online high schools: everything you need to know, how to write a movie review (with sample reviews).

Introduction

Writing a movie review can be a fun and rewarding experience, allowing you to express your thoughts on the latest film in an engaging way. Whether you’re reviewing for your personal blog, social media, or a magazine publication, understanding the basics of writing a movie review is essential. This article will guide you through the process, providing you with tips and sample reviews to help you craft an effective and entertaining review.

Step 1: Watch the Movie

As obvious as it sounds, the first step in writing a review is to watch the movie. Make sure to watch it attentively and take notes during the screening process. Focus on details such as plotlines, characters, dialogues, and visuals to support your review later on.

Step 2: Research

Researching the production and background of the movie can provide useful context and additional information. This includes learning about the director’s past work, genre conventions, or any behind-the-scenes tidbits that could enhance your review.

Sample Review:

“In ‘Inception,’ director Christopher Nolan – best known for his work on ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy – constructs a mind-bending universe that explores the possibilities of dreams within dreams.”

Step 3: Analyze

Break down different aspects of the movie, such as its plot, characters, acting, music score, cinematography, and visual effects. Analyzing each element will provide a comprehensive perspective on the film’s strengths and weaknesses.

“While ‘La La Land’ boasts stunning visuals and memorable musical numbers by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, its predictable storyline loses some momentum in the latter half.”

Step 4: Consider Your Audience

Your writing style may vary depending on who you’re writing for. Make sure to adjust your tone and focus based on what your readership might find interesting or entertaining.

“If you’re a die-hard Marvel fan, ‘Avengers: Endgame’ delivers a satisfying conclusion to the decade-long story arc. However, newcomers may struggle to keep up with the film’s numerous plotlines and characters.”

Step 5: Express Your Opinion

A good movie review should provide a balance of analysis and personal opinion. Be honest about your feelings towards the film and use your analysis to support your point of view.

“‘Get Out,’ directed by Jordan Peele, is an instant horror classic that combines social commentary with chillingly suspenseful storytelling. I highly recommend it for fans of thought-provoking thrillers.”

Step 6: Structure Your Review

Organize your review into clear sections, such as introduction, background research, plot summary (avoid spoilers), character analysis, technical aspects, and conclusion. This will make it easier for your readers to follow and digest your thoughts on the movie.

Step 7: Edit and Revise

Proofread your review for grammatical errors and inconsistencies in the flow of thought. Don’t be afraid to make changes to improve your review’s clarity and coherence.

Writing a movie review can be an enjoyable process, offering an opportunity to share your insights on a film while honing your critical thinking skills. Follow these steps and use the sample reviews provided as inspiration on how to craft an engaging and insightful movie review that both informs and entertains your audience.

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Movie Title Ideas: 3 Ways to Come Up With Cooler Titles.

The complete guide on how to make your screenplay title page stand out from the pack..

Movie title ideas: 3 ways to come up with the coolest titles ever. 

Movie title ideas matter. A lot.

While you’ve probably heard a lot about how the first page of your story is the most important when it comes to first impressions—it’s not. It’s actually the title.

When your script lands on the desk of someone important—like a manager, producer or exec— the very first impression they form of your script is from the title.

Click to tweet this post. 

Here are a few examples of bad screenplay titles.

• Too close to an existing movie title . Kill Phil, Naughty Santa, While You Were Napping

• Too complicated/strange . Puranas and Itihasas, Portmanteau Antlers, The Attenuation Dispersion Code

• Too simple . Hope, Mist, Conflict

Movie titles like these give the reader an immediate signal that you’re not sure what you’re doing—before they’ve even had a chance to read the first page of your script.

Great writers choose great movie titles. And needless to say, your script’s title needs to be pretty great. Not just good. Not just okay. But great .

How do you come up with great movie title ideas?

In this post we’re going to break down how to write a movie title for a screenplay into six main areas:

1. Coming up with a great movie title ideas by nailing the story’s essence

2.  Generating movie title ideas method #1: Characters

3.  Generating movie title ideas method #2: Locations

4.  Generating movie title ideas method #3: Situations or feelings

5.  How to find out if your screenplay title idea is any good

6.  Screenplay title page format best practices

So let’s dive on in.

Coming up with great movie title ideas by nailing the story’s essence. 

A good way into coming up with a great movie title is to consider what the core essence of your story is. What’s it really about? What’s the core conflict? What’s the overall emotion you want to convey in your script’s title?

For example, here are some famous movie titles that perfectly fit  the material:

•  Blade Runner

•  Citizen Kane

•  Eyes Wide Shut

•  The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

•  It’s a Wonderful Life

•  Pulp Fiction

•  Rear Window

•  Some Like It Hot

•  The Truman Show

In each of these cases, we get a sense of genre and of the movie’s sensibility because the movie title speaks to the core essence of what it’s about. The title signals what’s at the heart of the movie and what makes it stand out from the pack.

3 screenplay title templates. 

When trying to come up with a name for your screenplay, you want to make sure it similarly conveys the core essence of the story.

A good way to do this is to consider a potential screenplay title from three different angles:

• Character(s)

• Situations or feelings

Yes, some movies have great titles that don’t fall within these parameters— Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind  for example—but we’ll discuss these later in the post.

For now, sticking to one of the three screenplay title templates above is a good starting point.

Let’s take a look at each one in more detail. (We’ll be focusing mainly on recent movies in order to give you an up-to-date idea of what makes a great movie title.)

Generating movie title ideas method #1: characters.

The first option is to simply name your script after the protagonist, antagonist or stakes character or some variation on who they are or what they’re about.

Here’s a list of some of the best movie titles using this formula.

1. Atomic Blonde . Lorraine is the protagonist—the subject of the title—but it also encapsulates her style, personality and forcefulness. Probably a better title than the actual movie.

2.  Baby Driver . This movie title encapsulates Baby’s name and occupation in a nice play on words.

3.  Black Panther . Hard to imagine this movie having any other previous working titles. This just sums it up to a tee.

4. Creed . Short and punchy—pun intended.

5. The Disaster Artist . Here’s an example of naming the movie after the antagonist rather than the protagonist. Tommy Wiseau is the heart and soul of this film, not Greg.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy . This movie title focuses on a team rather than just a single character and screams sci-fi, action and adventure. Just what the movie delivers.

7. The Hateful Eight . Another title about a group of characters and another great use of rhyme. This is extremely effective and is used in a lot of the best movie titles.

8. Neon Demon . Two words that perfectly encapsulate the cool, detached persona of the protagonist and the horror of the movie.

9. The Revenant . The easy option would have been to call this movie The Frontiersman , but who is Hugh Glass really? Here’s the dictionary definition of revenant: “One that returns after death or a long absence.” That’s how to elevate an ordinary movie title to a great one.

10. Ted . John’s the protagonist, sure, but the heart of this film lies in its antagonist—a talking teddy bear. That’s the hook and this title says it upfront.

Generating movie title ideas method #2: location.

An equally effective option is to name your screenplay after a prominent location in the story. These can be either general or specific as well as the real names of places or made-up titles given to places.

Here are some popular examples from recent movies.

1. 10 Cloverfield Lane . The title of the original spec script one which this film was based was The Cellar —again, focusing on the location, but without the allusion to the Cloverfield franchise.

2.  21 Jump Street . If you’re adapting a script from existing material, as in this case, the process of coming up with a cool movie title is often taken out of your hands. Nevertheless, this is a great example of an eye-catching use of story setting to give a sense of genre.

3.  Bridge of Spies . Rather than simply extract the name of the script’s main location, another good option is to zero in on a place where something significant happens—and give it a name.

4. Brooklyn . This title gets even more specific than Woody Allen’s Manhattan . It’s simple and does the job of evoking this part of the city as an extra character in the movie.

5. Dunkirk . Three perspectives of the Dunkirk evacuation told from the land, sea and air, all in one simple title.

6. Hacksaw Ridge . Another war movie title, this time one that zeroes in on the location of the core conflict in the movie: the 77th Infantry Division’s goal of securing Hacksaw Ridge.

7. La La Land . A more melodic, memorable and catchy way of describing the city that provides the setting for Mia and Sebastian’s romance and musical dreams.

8. Manchester by the Sea . A beautifully simple yet lyrical title that hints at the sadness of the movie’s main characters.

9.  The Place Beyond the Pines . This title is derived from the English meaning of the Native American word “Schenectady”—which roughly translates as “place beyond the pine plains.”

10. Room . A deliberately simple, one-word title that incorporates not only the location of the movie but its core conflict. Unusually, the title survived the adaptation from the book of the same name on its way to the big screen.

Generating movie title ideas method #3: situations or feelings. 

Finally, you may want to get to the core of your movie’s essence through the characters’ feelings or the situation they find themselves in. These type of movie titles offer much more scope in which to intrigue the reader.

Here are some examples. 

1. The Beguiled . Is “the beguiled” Corporal McBurney? Or Miss Martha and her daughters? Or all of them? The original movie was also called The Beguiled , but the novel on which it was based was named, A Painted Devil.

2. Darkest Hour . Not much room for intrigue here as the story is based on the true-life events surrounding Churchill’s refusal to make peace with Hitler before the start of World War 2. A fantastic summation of conflict, feeling and situation, nonetheless.

3. Don’t Breathe . Three teenagers break into a blind Gulf War veteran’s home intent on robbing him and inadvertently become his prey. What’s the perfect phrase that encapsulates their situation as they creep around the house trying not to make a sound? “Don’t breathe.”

4.   I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore . The general advice when it comes to creating a great screenplay title is to keep it short. But here’s an example of how to break the rules to give a great sense of this quirky protagonist’s state of mind.

5. The Edge of Seventeen . This title expertly hints at the anxiety felt by the teenage protagonist, Nadine. She’s suicidal, and the use of the phrase “the edge” conjures up images of the edge of a cliff, or the edge of madness—while juxtaposing them with her age.

6.  Game Night . A classic trope for comedy movie titles is employed here: describing a single event or situation in two short words. These kinds of screenplay titles often write themselves as they’re based on high concepts: Date Night, Due Date, Knocked Up, and so on.

7.  Get Out . Much like Don’t Breathe , this title acts as a warning to the protagonist and is an intriguing call to read the script and find out just who wants to get out of what situation.

8.  It Comes at Night . The horror genre is unmistakably conjured up with this mysterious title—one that also lets the reader know the protagonist is going to be placed in a terrifying situation.

9. Trainwreck . A wonderful metaphor here for Amy’s life in general as she shuns commitment in favor of drinking too much and sleeping around well past her college days.

10. Wild . A short and clever movie title with a clear double-meaning which nods at both Cheryl’s past and her present as she treks through the wilderness on her way to redemption.

Great movie titles that break the mold. 

Of course, not every movie title neatly fits into one of these three boxes. You’re welcome to come up with whatever title you like and break the mold.

Here are some unusual and famous movie titles that manage to pull this off. 

•  Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia

•  Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

•  Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

•  Good Will Hunting

•  The Men Who Stare at Goats

•  One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

•  Requiem for a Dream

•  The Shape of Water

•  The Silence of the Lambs

• They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

If you want to create a solid screenplay title, though, you can’t go far wrong by sticking with one of the three screenplay title templates outlined earlier—a location , the main characters(s)  or their  situation or feelings .

How to find out if your movie title ideas are any good. 

Bear in mind that if your screenplay gets bought and produced, the title may be changed down the road before it hits the big screen. However, this doesn’t mean you should just make do with any old script title that comes along.

Movie title ideas should be rigorously tested before deciding on a final one, and here’s an outline of how to do it.

Brainstorm screenplay title ideas. 

Come up with as many movie title ideas as possible. Try to write a list of at least ten for your screenplay

Edit the list down to your top three screenplay titles. Make sure you have a character-based, a location-based and a situation/feelings-based idea in there if possible.

Get Feedback on Your Movie Title Ideas

• Get feedback from people you know . Show the three titles to your writer friends, acquaintances, family members, etc. and get them to rank them in order of preference. Give them the logline too, so they know what it’s about

• Get feedback from people you don’t know . Repeat the exercise with strangers in order to get an impartial opinion on their favorite titles. Post the titles to websites like Stage32 and other screenwriting forums

• Ask professional readers . If you get script coverage on the completed screenplay, make a point of asking if the reader can give you a note on the title. We’d be happy to do this if you purchase one of our script coverage services .

This exercise will give you a solid idea of which movie script ideas are working and which aren’t. And from here it’s just a question of refining your titles and finally picking the very best one for your script.

A note on “working titles.”

Don’t send out your script to anywhere important like a manager, exec or producer with the caveat “working title.”

You need to own the screenplay title you pick, but adding “Working Title” in brackets gives the impression it’s a work in progress —like you haven’t yet formed a solid idea of what the story’s actually about.

Instead, take your time and make sure you come up with a rocking movie title first, and then send it out.

Screenplay title page format: best practices. 

Some people insist the script title should always be written in caps, or always underscored and so on. In actual fact, no one cares . It doesn’t matter whether you write the title in uppercase or lowercase, or whether you underscore it or not, or wrap it in quotation marks or not.

All that matters is that it’s centered 4.0 inches from the top of the page and, like the rest of the screenplay, is written in Courier 12-point .

Movie title punctuation. 

The whole meaning of a screenplay title can change with the stroke of a punctuation mark, so make sure it’s grammatically correct.

For example, take the imaginary screenplay title, Come Back Clarity . And let’s say in the script the antagonist is named Clarity, and the protagonist wants her back. This means the title needs a direct address comma in place to make it: Come Back, Clarity .

Without the comma, the phrase could also mean the protagonist is only seeking clarity. Or even a comeback and needs some clarity in order to achieve it.

Always make sure your movie title punctuation is correct . And always use direct address commas.

Formatting the name(s) on a script title page. 

Your name should be spaced four lines below the screenplay title. Again, don’t get too hung up on the finer details. You can write: “written by” or just “by” but this should be in lowercase.

If you co-wrote the script, simply add an ampersand (&) in-between your names. (Putting “and” instead indicates one of the writers was brought in to do a rewrite on the other’s work.)

If the script is based on someone else’s original material, simply write “based on the novel by” or “based on the stage play by,” four lines underneath your own name and in the same style.

Formatting contact details. 

Keep things simple by adding just your email address in the bottom left or right-hand corner of the title page. Some screenwriting software programs automatically populate the contact details in the bottom lefthand corner, while other professional writers and software add it to the bottom right. It really doesn’t matter too much.

You can also add your address and phone number if you wish. (Be aware that if you live in, say, Maryland, Montreal or Munich, but are pitching the script to companies based in Los Angeles, you’re immediately giving away your location, which could potentially prejudice them in some way.)

If you have an attorney, agent or manager, add their details here instead of your own.

Screenplay title page template. 

Your finished title page should look something like the one below:

Including copyright information on a spec script title page just looks paranoid . And dates and draft numbers could well elicit the response: “She’s been working on this thing since 2010?”

Stick to this script title page template and avoid adding artwork, photos, social media information, fancy fonts or any design at all in order to give your screenplay the best first impression possible.

3 Ways to come up with a cool screenplay title: conclusion. 

Take care when picking a screenplay title. As a screenwriter, you’re a connoisseur of words and so whatever title you pick should reflect this. It should give a taste of the conflict, genre and essence of the story the reader will find in the script.

It should also ideally display a sense of your way with words . Screenplay titles are generally bold, sharp, witty and (usually) short summations of the entire movie: The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, Good Time , etc. These are the kind of movie titles you should aspire to create.

Also be sure to create a clean and perfectly formatted script title page . Don’t put readers off by including anything that doesn’t need to be on there. We hope this post has helped you in coming up with a screenplay title that serves the interests of the story and gives a great first impression.

In your opinion, what are some of the best movie titles out there? What makes them great? How do you come up with a rocking screenplay title? Let us know in the comments section below!

Liked this post? Read more on how to write a screenplay…

Create a Professional Screenplay Title Page in 3 Steps

How to Write a Script Outline That Will Save You Months of Rewrites

How to Write a Screenplay That’s Unlike Any Other in 6 Steps

[© Photo credits: / Pexels ]

Like it? Share it!

66 comments.

There’s a lot of practical guidance here. Many thanks!

Glad you liked it, thanks Liz!

Thanks for the information you shared about the best movies. I appreciate your efforts and taking the time and sharing this content.

From.michael nowotarski San fernando I country movies sample title country lovers rated R

From Michael nowotarski I want to get payed on movie titles I was in movies for real hit list with jan Michael Vincent big man on campus Cindy Williams double revenge. I do.know titles. I also know stars where personal.friends bob hope telly salvalas client eastwood Cindy Williams

I want an school movie

I’m writing a movie, and I am a beginner, can you help me to achieve my goals. What’s app Number please!

I still know what you did last summer is a good movie title it sets up the sequel excellent to the first movie what sequels are ment to do

Excellent point – thanks, Ross!

I have a title for a movie Its called “Losersfirst”

I have a movie title idea Its called “Ricky weak” It’s about a boy who struggles in life

Really helpful

Thanks, Kenny!

I think movie titles are incredibly important and I agree there’s a sense of laziness — like how dedicated is this writer, truly? — if you have a really mundane title. I think you kind of know it when you see it, because you’ll find yourself before that going, “Yeah… that’s pretty good. That could work.” NOPE. If that’s your thought, that isn’t the one. It needs to be a light bulb moment, more like, “Wow! I got it!” Not “that could work.”

I also think it’s important to reframe your title as far as what has meaning to someone who knows virtually nothing or nothing about your story. Sure, that isn’t always possible, like with Hacksaw Ridge we’re going to find out why that ridge is important. But I think it can hurt a film even just browsing the completed movies on a streaming service if the title is “Brown’s Book,” now I need the poster art to tell me what this thing might be about, what’s the genre, etc. If it was “Brown’s Book of Demons” I know it’s 99% a horror film, or “Brown’s Little Book of Love,” probably a romantic comedy. I was working on the title to a screenplay about an obscure but mysterious book, for instance, and if I put that in the title, it won’t have any value for the marketing department if it ever was made into a film, it wouldn’t mean anything to the reader, and it doesn’t communicate anything to 99% of people. In the story, though, this mysterious book holds the key to finding the Holy Grail, which everyone does know. So it became “Cipher to the Grail.”

unbalanced lost in game viper what do think of these

Thanks alot I must say i found this helpful

This is really going to help me come up with better movie titles — thanks!!

Thanks, Elliot, that’s great to hear!

How many titles does Tarantino come up with before deciding on the right one?

Do you have a service that critics movie title ideas?

We don’t, Ericka, but the script title does receive a grade in our Ratings Grid at the end of our coverage.

First Order Knight Order of the First Knight The First Knight

Tell me what you think of these.

Thanks for this script titles have always been a weak spot

Glad it helped, Brian!

Great, thanks.

Where can I find ur phone no? I need to speak to one of your readers about my TV spec.

You can book a consultancy call here . Cheers!

I tried your method and it works quite well for me. Thank You.

Glad to hear it, Elizabeth!

Thanks for the terrific post, this will help me coming up with better movie title ideas for sure.

Glad it helped, Antony!

I like your website however you have to check the facts on quite a few of your posts. For example I always leave coming up with movie title ideas until after I’ve finished a draft of the script. Its only then can I know what the title might be.

We’re not saying this is the one and only set way of doing things – pretty much like on all of our posts. There are no real “rules” when it comes to screenwriting.

Do you offer a service to writers to come up with movie titles? Awesome site! Keep it up!

Thanks, Sherry! No, we don’t offer that service, sorry.

This is a great web site for writers.

Thanks so much, Dina!

Just discovered script reader pro and loving this content. Greetings from Portland, Oregon!

Welcome aboard, Marcella!

I love learning about making movies. The title is really important for any work of creativity, so this advice is great. It makes sense that you want something original and not too close to something else.

Thanks, Ridley, glad you found it helpful.

Is there a data base of movie titles where I can look up if mine has been used or not?

IMDb is the best resource.

I get what you mean about movie titles. They’re more important than I’d really thought. Appreciate it for posting.

Thanks, Belinda!

Great info! It’s nice to know how writers and producers in Hollywood come up with their movie title ideas.

Good titles: Lethal Weapon Diehard Forgiven

Best article I’ve seen on writing movie titles in a while. Short and sweet.

Not a great movie title: ‘I Still Know What You Did Last Summer’

Amazing post on creating script titles! There’s a plethora of information on screenwriting but I find your posts to be consistently on the money.

Thanks to the article I changed points of focus. I realized that my script is more place focused than I thought initially and that should be reflected in the movie title. Cheers!

I use short song lyrics as titles for my scripts

Stay away from dates in movie titles that are too close to the current year. For example, if the year 2020 is in your script’s title and it’s year 2021, it kind of lost its momentum.

Great movie title ideas! Just bookmarked and shared

Eyes Wide Shut is the best movie title ever!

I found out how difficult it is to sell a screenplay but I always wanted to write one so I adapted my novel, Atlantic City Nazi, to a script, wrote a treatment and published it using character names in title: RC and RUBY Screenplay for folks that like to read screenplays. Now when I watch TV I time other scenes for the fun of it. Charles

Good move, Charles!

Much helpful. Thanks.

Glad to hear it, thanks, Rashid.

I write romantic comedies, and my unwritten rule for titles is to always make them two words long.

Good stuff, Vincent!

Titles I’ve given finished scripts include “Stand Tall!” (a sweet-natured rom-com spin on “giant woman” movies) and “Fugitive Sweetheart” (30 years later, high school classmates run afoul of the witness protection program). I’m close to completing “Screen Time” (think “Back to the Future” meets “Singin’ in the Rain”).

Just as I was stuck trying to comeup with a title for my comedy. Thanks for this.

Thanks, Eric.

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How to Write a Movie Review and Where to Get Help

The first thing you do after watching a movie is to go online and write a comment about it. Comments about movies are usually posted on social media profiles or public pages, review sites, blogs, among other platforms. You can make the process easier with tools available online.

Writing a movie review is a common assignment that students have to do in high school and college. Even though it may seem simple, movie reviews require time and proper organization. It’s not just about writing what happens on the screen, the review goes deeper than that.

Movie Review Purpose

The main purpose of a movie review is to inform the reader about the film and its ideas. Seems simple, right? Reporting all events that happen and stating one’s opinion about them is a common mistake that many students make. While movie review allows writers to express their opinions about some film or documentary, there is also the need for the unbiased and objective approach. An ideal review combines both.

The review determines whether someone will want to see the movie. Even if the professor (or teacher) assigned a specific title and film to review, one should act like this is the perfect opportunity to introduce the cinematography work to their lecturer. Always assume they haven’t seen it before. As a result, it becomes easier to analyze events that happened on the screen.

Film review should be detailed enough to provide assistance in making an honest decision i.e. whether the reader wants to see it or if they’d like it. Why is this type of paper a common school assignment? Lecturers want to get more insight into a student’s critical thinking skills and the ability to report event (one or more of them) in a manner that others understand easily.

In addition, they want to assess the way you analyze plot and characters. After all, movie reviews also involve the analysis of events that happened in a documentary or “regular” film. Reviews test writing and vocabulary skills, adapting to different genres and events they portray, and your capacity to sum up some major work and report it in a cohesive, logical, and interesting manner.

While reviews entail more responsibility than initially thought, students find them fun and with this guide, you will too.

How to Write a Good Movie Review

You have to write a movie review for school and now what? Where to start, how to make it look more “academic”? Today, we have the opportunity to use numerous tools to make every part of our lives easier, and movie review writing isn’t the exception. Throughout this tutorial, you’ll learn how to compose a report about some film and what tools to use to simplify the process.

Step-by-Step Guide to How to Write a Movie Review

Beginnings are always the hardest. This is the point where you set the pace and determine how to approach this assignment in the most efficient manner. Here are some useful tips to kick-start the movie review writing process:

• Watch the movie or documentary twice and take notes of both major and minor events and characters. It’s a mistake to rely on the power of your memory only, there’s always something we overlook or forget
• Carry out a thorough research . Watching the movie isn’t enough, research is equally important. Look for details such as the name of filmmaker and his/her motivation to make that film or documentary work, locations, plot, characterization, historic events that served as an inspiration for the movie (if applicable). Basically, your research should serve to collect information that provides more depth to the review
• Analyze the movie after you watching it . Don’t start working on the review if you aren’t sure you understand the film. Evaluate the movie from beginning to an end. Re-watch it, if necessary, if you find some parts confusing. Only when you understand events that happened on the screen will you find it easier to create the review
• Draft an outline that you will follow to write the review in a concise and cohesive fashion
• Include examples for claims you make about the movie. If the plot has holes, then mention an example of a situation or scene when that was evident. Also, if the character(s) is poorly developed or bad casting affected the movie quality, name examples too. Provide examples when commenting dialogues, locations, plot, everything. If you want the reader to agree with you, it’s essential to back up your claims with evidence. You don’t want to make it seem like you’re praising or criticizing the movie without any reason whatsoever
• Consider and comment a movie’s originality and quality of scenes . Explain how the movie stands out or whether it just uses the same approach that worked for previous works in the industry

How to Organize Your Movie Review

Quality of your paper depends on the level of organization you implement. Never underestimate the importance of well-structured outline, regardless of the type of paper you have to write. Outlines help you focus on the subject and contribute to a logical flow.

In addition, getting things organized before you start writing is a great way to save time later on. Instead of trying to figure out what to include, you’ll have a well-structured plan to follow. It’s needless to mention you won’t be too stressed out. Here’s how to organize your movie review:

• Introduction (with title, release date, background information)
• Summary of the story
• Analysis of the plot elements (rising action, climax)
• Creative elements (dialogues, characters, use of colors, camera techniques, mood, tone, symbols, costumes or anything that contributes or takes away from the overall plot)
• Opinion (supported with examples and facts from the story)
• Conclusion (announcing whether the filmmaker was successful in his/her purpose, re-state your evidence, explain how the motion picture was helpful for providing a deeper understand of course topic)

Movie Review Elements

• The title of the film/documentary – just because your headline features the name of the movie or documentary it doesn’t mean should skip mentioning it in the text. Always name the feature you’ve watched in the introductory paragraph. This may seem like a stupid thing to point out, but it’s one of the most common mistakes that students make
• Summary – the whole point of the review is to summarize the documentary or movie for people who haven’t watched it yet. To make this as effective as possible, always assume that your professor hasn’t seen it either (as mentioned above). Why is this important? You won’t leave out some important details thinking he/she watched it already so they won’t bother. As a reviewer, your job is to explain what happened in the film and express whether the filmmaker failed or succeeded. Again, saying you liked or disliked it isn’t a viable comment. Your opinion has to be supported by specific reasons and examples from the feature itself
• Filmmaker – do a little research on the person who directed the piece. Is that person a controversial figure? Is he/she known for a political stance? Does the filmmaker have a significant background? Devote a paragraph or two to the person behind the movie and their other works in order to establish the significance of the film you are reviewing for the director’s career
• Significance to your class – How does the content of the documentary or film fit into your course topic? Is it important for historical accuracy? If you are watching the motion picture for history class, make note of over-dramatization. If the motion picture is based on the book you’ve analyzed in English class, you can mention similarities, differences, or some elements that film contains, but book doesn’t and so on
• Creative elements – filmmakers work hard to include creative elements into their motion pictures. How are these elements important to the plot and movie in general? For example, costumes can either enhance the movie or betray its intent. Colors can be vivid and lift the atmosphere or mood in the movie or they can be dull and make it seem depressing. Good sound effects enrich the viewing experience while bad ones only destroy everything. Moreover, camera movements and angles also add elements to the story. Take notes of symbols in the story, if any.
• Actors – let’s not forget the casting! Were the actors realistic? Did they portray the role of a specific character successfully? Did they have good acting skills? Do you believe that some particular actor was the right fit for the role?

Checklist / Outline for a Good Movie Review

• Introduction (title, topic, release date, background information)
• Accuracy of depiction
• Use of sources in the documentary
• Creative elements that enhance or tarnish the overall story (quality of script, visual design, performance, lighting, hair, and makeup, costume, set design, symbolism)
• Your opinion

Mistakes to Avoid

• Not focusing on the film – while connecting the plot to some specific historical event is a good idea (when applicable), strive to avoid writing about unnecessary details or introducing irrelevant information such as the history of cinematography or that particular genre, snacks, among other things
• Inserting yourself – you’re the one who’s writing the review. The paper reflects your understanding and opinion of the motion picture you’ve seen and there is no need to write in first person all the time: I noticed this, I saw that I liked this, I disliked that
• Failing to check facts about movie background and release date, director, casting etc.
• Giving out your opinion without mentioning any reason why you think that way
• Talking about irrelevancies
• Writing a review without a structure
• Writing generalities such as great acting, cool effects, a good movie, it was bad etc.
• Writing a review without substance or analysis of the feature

Finished papers

Customer reviews

Movie Review Examples

• The Hunger Games and the idea of dystopia
• Mean Girls review: does it exploit stereotypes about high schools or it helps to undermine them?
• The Martian review and its connection to Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe
• The Last Jedi review: all the reasons it’s far from the original saga
• Manchester by the sea and ideas of forgiveness and grief
• Forrest Gump review
• I am Sam review
• Runaway Bride review and its role in modern understanding of marriage

Movie Review Help

Like other types of writing, movie reviews require patience and time. Being a student isn’t the easiest task in the world and you don’t have enough time to dedicate to one assignment only while neglecting others. There’s no need to despair; you can use the internet to get much-needed assistance with this assignment. Here’s how:

By Markers Expectations / Rubrics

Clear Organization – as stated above, the clear organization is vital for a well-structured movie review. You can use the Edusson website as a guide through this process via numerous posts about writing, self-help resources, and Essay Examples that serves as an excellent platform to sharpen writing skills and compose your paper.

RobotDon Essay Checker  platform proves to be handy when you complete the writing process and want to make sure it’s unique, without fluff and wateriness, repetitive words and expressions.

Let’s not fort that you can hire an essay writer  who will write a perfect review for you.

Use of Sources – just because it’s movie review, it doesn’t mean you should avoid using sources to support your claims. Sources are particularly important for reviews of documentaries or when you’re trying to connect the review with some problem in society. Research requires more time than any other part of the process and you can easily hire a professional i.e. a helper who will do that for you

Opinion – a movie review is about the equilibrium of unbiased report and personal opinion. While it’s okay to say what you think about the movie, you also have to approach certain aspects in an objective manner to help the reader get a better understanding of the motion picture. Finding the balance between subjective and objective writing can be frustrating, which is why professional service comes handy. All you have to do is to provide title, information, your opinion and a pro writer takes it from there

Essay Writing Service – there is no need to be stressed out because you have a ton of work to do when professional writer service can write movie review easily. Services like Edusson are used by students who can’t keep up with constant demands in school or college, but they don’t want to jeopardize their grades. With over 1000 writers, Edusson is a perfect assignment writing service . You have the full control of the project through set deadlines, choosing the writer for this task etc.

Essay Editing Service – sometimes students don’t need help with the writing process, but they need someone to edit it. Don’t ask your friends and family members to do it for you, hire professionals. Improve your paper. Raise your grades! Editors and proofreaders from Edusson correct grammar, spelling, syntax, punctuation mistakes, check the style, formatting, organization and other aspects of your work to boost its quality. You can also use RobotDon to edit an essay on your own.

Movie Review FAQ

Do I have to write a movie review in a certain formatting style? Everything depends on the instructions your teacher gives you. It often happens that a movie review can be free of academic formatting. But don’t exclude the possibility that you will have to complete this paper in MLA or get task writing a paper in APA .

Can I copy an existing movie review? Well, of course, it is important to look at examples of other movie reviews to get to know the structure and ways of ideas expressing better. But if you copy a film review directly from the other source, your curator will detect plagiarism in it.

My major is not moviemaking. Why am I assigned to write a film report? Students are assigned movie report writing, first of all, to broaden their mind and evaluate the way they can analyze material and express their opinion. Don’t feel confused if on the Psychology class your professor asks you to review a movie. It is a common practice for students who are completing their degree in various fields of study.

Will you just give me someone else’s review?

No, not at all! Edusson stands out as the writing service with full transparency. All essays and other papers are written from scratch by professional writers with strong work ethic and desire to help their clients get better grades. The movie review you receive is 100% original, which you can check with RobotDon’s plagiarism checker.

Will you send my review to someone else?

The answer is – no. Not only are the clients in control of the process, but author’s rights are transferred to them the moment the review is done. Once the writing process is over, the review is yours and can never be sent to someone else.

What if I need more edits?

If you need edits or want some specific info to be added, our writers will be happy to make necessary revisions.

I need more help with movie review service, how can I contact you?

Our customer service is always available through 24/7 live chat feature.

Do you like movies? Who doesn’t? Movie and documentary reviews give you a unique opportunity to improve your writing skills by combining school assignment with someone you really like. Although it’s not that difficult to compose a review of a motion picture or some educational/informative feature, feel free to use all the available resources to get the most out of your assignment. Use the advantage of the internet to work on your review for major benefits such as:

Improve Your Paper

Practice makes everything better and the internet allows you to make it happen. For instance, Edusson acts as a perfect tutorial + professional writing service platform as it allows you to improve writing skills while getting assistance from professional writers and editors when necessary . The do-it-yourselfers benefit greatly from RobotDon, a cute little helper that analyzes the review and identifies mistakes you need to correct. The result of using these resources is a well-written movie review that meets or exceeds your lecturer’s expectations.

Raise Your GPA (Grade)

Using multiple resources and platforms to your advantage can only be a good thing for your GPA. When you’re a student, everything you do counts and contributes to GPA. It all comes down to learning how to make student life easier for you and one way to do that is to incorporate online tools into your assignments. Your professor will appreciate the effort and thanks to the improved writing skills, good grades are unavoidable.

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• Writing a Personal Statement Essay for Volunteer Job
• How To Write A Philosophy Paper On Education: Full Guide
• Explaining Appeal to Ignorance Fallacy with Demonstrative Examples

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Film&Movie Review Examples and Samples

Reviewing films can seem fun, but it actually takes discipline to explain all the elements of a film and to express your opinion succinctly. Check out our film review samples to gain a better understanding of how to write one yourself.

How to Write a Movie Review: A Comprehensive Guide

Writing a movie review is an engaging process that combines film criticism, analysis, and personal opinion to create an informative and thought-provoking piece. A well-crafted review not only serves as a helpful guide for potential viewers but also deepens our understanding of the cinematic experience. In this article, we will explore the essentials of review writing, focusing on crucial elements such as plot summary, thesis, opinion, characters, cinematography, and more.

Start with a Plot Summary

Begin your movie review with a brief synopsis, offering an overview of the film’s storyline. This recap should be concise and engaging, giving readers a general idea of the movie’s premise without revealing too much. For a more structured approach, consider using an AI literature review generator to help you summarize key points efficiently. Remember that your summary sets the stage for the critique and analysis that follow.

Develop a Thesis

Your thesis is the central idea or argument that you will explore in your movie review. This main point should be clear and focused, serving as the backbone of your critique. Consider what themes or aspects of the film stood out to you, and build your thesis around these observations.

Express Your Opinion

A significant aspect of writing a movie review is sharing your personal viewpoint or perspective. Offer your judgment on the film’s strengths and weaknesses, providing specific examples from the movie to support your appraisal. Be honest and thoughtful in your assessment, considering both your own preferences and the film’s intended audience.

Analyze the Characters

Discuss the film’s characters, examining their roles, personas, and the actors’ performances. Consider how the cast contributes to the overall narrative and whether their portrayals are convincing and memorable. Analyze the characters’ development throughout the movie, as well as the relationships between them.

Examine the Cinematography

Cinematography plays a crucial role in a film’s visual style and storytelling. Delve into the camera work, lighting, photography, and framing, evaluating how these elements enhance or detract from the movie’s overall impact. Consider how the cinematography supports the film’s themes and emotions.

Conduct a Thorough Analysis

A comprehensive movie review requires a detailed examination of various aspects of the film. Study the director’s choices, the music and sound design, and the technical elements such as craftsmanship and artistry. This thorough scrutiny will help you provide a well-rounded critique that captures the essence of the movie.

Discuss the Director’s Role

The director is the creative force behind a film, responsible for shaping its vision and execution. Analyze the director’s choices, considering their impact on the film’s storytelling, pacing, and overall atmosphere. Reflect on the director’s previous work, if applicable, and how this film fits into their oeuvre.

Evaluate Music and Sound

Music and sound play an essential role in creating a film’s mood and atmosphere. Examine the soundtrack, score, and audio design, considering how these elements contribute to the movie’s overall experience. Discuss the effectiveness of the composition, melody, and soundscapes in enhancing the narrative.

Assess Technical Aspects 

Review the technical aspects of the film, such as the expertise and proficiency of the crew, the quality of the special effects, and the overall production value. Analyze how these elements contribute to the film’s success or shortcomings, and whether they support the movie’s themes and narrative.

Evaluate the Acting 

Analyze the actors’ performances, considering their delivery, expression, and interpretation of their roles. Discuss whether the acting feels authentic and engaging, and how it contributes to the film’s overall impact. Pay attention to standout performances or any instances where the acting may have detracted from the movie’s overall quality.

In summary, writing a movie review involves a careful balance of plot summary, thesis development, opinion sharing, and thorough analysis of various aspects of the film, including characters, cinematography, directorial choices, music and sound, and technical elements. By considering all these factors and incorporating the appropriate keyword density and LSI keywords organically throughout your review, you can create an engaging, informative, and well-rounded critique that will appeal to readers and enhance their appreciation for the film. Remember to be honest and thoughtful in your assessment, and most importantly, enjoy the process of delving into the world of cinema.

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Movie reviews, TV commentary & entertainment news

Movie Reviews: By Title

If you’re looking for reviews listed by release year , you’ll find them here.

You can also find reviews by genre, listed under the Movie Reviews menu tab.

Titles that are not yet linked mean the review is coming soon !

2 Guns The Five-Year Engagement A Million Ways to Die in the West

A Good Day to Die Hard All Good Things The Amateurs The Amazing Spider-Man 2 A Million Ways to Die in the West An Education

Bad Words Butter

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Review Part II Chef Closed Circuit The Conjuring The Conspirator Conviction

Dark Shadows Despicable Me 2 Django Unchained Drive

An Education

Fast and Furious 6 The Five-Year Engagement For a Good Time, Call… Fruitvale Station

A Good Day to Die Hard The Grand Budapest Hotel The Great Gatsby

The Hangover 3 Haywire Heartbreaker (L’arnacoeur) Hit and Run

I Love You, Phillip Morris Insidious: Chapter 2 Iron Man 3 Irresistible

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

L’arnacoeur (Heartbreaker) Last Night The Last Word The Lone Ranger

Man on a Ledge A Million Ways to Die in the West Much Ado About Nothing

Neighbors Noah Now You See Me The Nut Job

Olympus Has Fallen Oz, the Great and Powerful

Pacific Rim Pitch Perfect

The Rebound Red 2 Rise of the Planet of the Apes Rock of Ages

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Save the Date Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Serious Moonlight Star Trek Into Darkness

2 Guns Take Me Home Tonight The Amateurs The Amazing Spider-Man 2 The Conjuring The Conspirator The Five-Year Engagement The Grand Budapest Hotel The Great Gatsby The Hangover 3 The Last Word The Lone Ranger The Nut Job The Rebound The Wolf of Wall Street Turbo

Veronica Mars

Wanderlust The Wolf of Wall Street

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Movies — Movie Review

Essays on Movie Review

Once in a while, you’ll be asked to do a movie review essay. This task is a great training tool for enhancing critical thinking skills. Essays on movie review aim at presenting a film from the most important scenes, special effects, to exciting moments and may be accompanied by criticism. From an advertising perspective, such a paper is aimed at convincing readers to watch the movie in question. Your writing should let a reader draw a conclusion, i.e, whether the film is worth their time or if they should try something else. Most importantly, your opinion must be independent and accurate. But how can you create a perfect introduction if you don’t have the experience in this type of writing? Relax. A good online writer can do it for you. If you have an idea but need some guidance, simply ask for a professional outline or use evaluation essay examples for students for more insights.

Hook Examples for Movie Review Essays

"a cinematic masterpiece" hook.

"Prepare to be captivated by the sheer brilliance of this cinematic masterpiece. Explore how every frame, performance, and detail contributes to a visual and emotional spectacle."

"Beyond the Screen: Themes and Messages" Hook

"This film transcends entertainment, offering profound themes and powerful messages. Dive into the underlying ideas and social commentary that make it a thought-provoking experience."

"The Journey of Character Development" Hook

"Follow the compelling journey of characters who evolve throughout the film. Analyze their growth, conflicts, and relationships, making this movie a character-driven narrative."

"Visual Delights: Cinematography and Special Effects" Hook

"Be prepared to be visually stunned by the breathtaking cinematography and cutting-edge special effects. Explore how these elements enhance the storytelling and immerse the audience."

"Unforgettable Performances" Hook

"The cast delivers unforgettable performances that breathe life into the characters. Discuss standout acting moments, character dynamics, and the emotional impact of their roles."

"The Soundtrack: Music That Moves" Hook

"The film's soundtrack is more than just music; it's an integral part of the storytelling. Explore how the score enhances emotions, sets the tone, and complements the visuals."

"Cinematic Analysis: Directing and Editing" Hook

"Delve into the meticulous craftsmanship of the director and editor. Analyze their choices in pacing, sequencing, and storytelling techniques that make this film a cinematic triumph."

The Pursuit of Happiness: Review

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7 Best Film Journal Ideas for Beautiful Movie Reviews

Keeping a film journal is a fun, relaxing, and personalized way to organize the overwhelming amount of movies we can access in this digital age of multiple streaming platforms.

However, coming up with film journal ideas is not always so easy.

Starting a film journal can seem a bit intimidating since there can be so many components of movies to potentially keep track of.

Not to mention, if you’re not a natural artist, you may fear ruining pages or attempting another failed arts and crafts project.

But don’t worry, I’m no artist but I’ve learned how to keep a simple yet aesthetic movie journal that produces movie review entries like this:

And sometimes, even a little like this:

And if I can do it then, hey, it’s anybody’s game.

This article is going to dissect what goes into a good film journal and provide some film journal ideas to help you create your very own stunning collection of movie reviews.

What Is a Film Journal?

A film journal is a series of pages used to document the movies you watch and recount your viewing experience.

There are several ways to keep track of the movies you watch but a film journal is one of the most unique and personalized methods.

Rather than leave your movie memories at the mercy of the often faulty internet, a movie journal provides tangible evidence of your movie-watching experience.

There is something satisfying about being able to hold your memories in your hands. This is why Polaroid cameras are making a comeback .

The vintage feel and distinctive style of your own film journal are things that can’t simply be replicated with an app.

How To Write a Film Journal

How you write a film journal is by starting with the identifying characteristics of the film like the title, the director, the genre, the actors, and so on.

Then you can include some identifying characteristics of your particular experience with the film like the date you watched the film, your opinions of the film, and your overall rating.

How much or how little you want to include in your movie journal is unique to you.

But there are some aspects of film journaling that are helpful to include and can help you organize your thoughts if you’re going for a more orderly aesthetic.

What Should Be Included in a Film Journal?

A film journal should AT LEAST include the following:

• The film’s name
• The date the film was watched
• What you liked and didn’t like about the film
• An overall rating of the film

Additional elements to add to elevate your movie journal include:

• The director(s)
• The movie’s genre(s)
• The movie’s release date
• A short synopsis of the movie
• Notable quotes within the movie
• Your movie ticket stub
• A picture of the movie poster
• Images of movie stills
• Notable songs from the movie’s playlist
• Who you watched the movie with
• Awards that the movie has won
• A table of contents
• The movie’s country of origin
• Ect. Ect. Ect.

Anything that sticks out to you from the movie can be incorporated into your journal.

What Do You Need for a Film Journal?

What you need for a film journal is a film journal notebook and a pen at least.

To elevate your journaling game these are some of my favorite crafty tools to get your movie reviews at their peak level of aestheticism.

Tombow Dual Brush Color Markers : These double-sided markers create clean calligraphy art and regular lettering as well without bleeding through the page (as long as you don’t use too much pressure). They also come in nearly every color imaginable.

Tombow Brush Pens : For more fine-tipped writing that also doesn’t bleed through the page.

Colorful Washi Tape : A pop of washi tape to stick around your movie images does wonders for a plain white page.

Mini Pocket Printer : Probably my favorite discovery for a movie journal, this affordable and easy-to-use mini printer is perfect for printing movie posters and movie stills. The only caveat is that it only prints in black & white unless you pay more for the mini color printers.

You can view my film journal Amazon store here , updated with all of the latest tools that I use to create movie review journal entries.

7 Best Film Journal Ideas

1. writing-based film journal.

Your film journal does not need to be extravagant. Especially if you have no affinity for illustrations.

A simple one-page journal entry expressing your verbal sentiments toward the film is perfect for the movie enthusiast who doesn’t need the bells and whistles.

Let your handwriting take center stage.

This movie journal entry simply names the film’s title, the release date, the director, and the cinematographer before going into a brief free structured critique of the film ending on the film’s “best bit.”

2. Film Bullet Journal

On the other end of the spectrum, film bullet journals take on a less predictable form.

The following journal entry creates its own structure using a dotted bullet journal base:

With all of the information on one film squeezed onto a singular page we get a colorful medley of fonts, images, patterned washi tape, and unique hand-drawn designs conveying the film’s essence.

This movie journal entry includes the film’s title, release date, genre, director, main actors, location, the awards that it’s won, notable quotes, an overall star rating of the film, the movie poster, movie stills, original illustrations, and patterned designs.

For more movie journal ideas that look like this one check out this gorgeous Instagram page .

This is another example of a bullet journal film entry. It’s most likely digitally enhanced but still maintains a rustic, handwritten aesthetic:

You can see the washi tape-like design enveloping the title, movie still images, and different colored backgrounds for each section to create a beautiful, dynamic movie review entry.

The biggest challenge with creating a film journal entry on a bullet journal is fitting all of the film’s information on one page without it looking messy or overcrowded.

The two images above are great examples of how to execute that.

3. Moleskine Film Journal

A lot of film journal ideas that you see on Pinterest will have a similar background template. It’s the movie review template of the Moleskine film journal .

The setup of this journal includes space for the film’s title, the country and year of the film’s release, the genre, awards won, when where, and who you watch the movie with, notable quotes, a blank space for notes, for your opinions, and for your rating out of 5 stars.

You can see that the placement of images is variable and up to you. There are also lettered tabs on the side of the journal pages to help you organize your movie reviews in alphabetical order.

There are so many ways to dress up this design if you’d like or to follow it exactly and keep it simple.

The Moleskine film journal, although pricey, is very popular with avid movie buffs.

4. The Film Spread

Instead of confining the film’s information to one page, the film spread uses both pages in dedication to the movie-watching experience.

The spread allows more space for in-depth analysis of the film without having to skimp on the visuals giving the journal entry a more captivating appearance.

For a film spread, you can have one of the pages primarily for your visual elements and the other primarily for your written elements. Or you can just extend your movie journal entry across both pages.

The example above ignores the crease in the center of the page and extends the film’s title and journal entry information across both pages.

It gives the whole page a grand appearance so that each page flip is an immersion into the world of a singular movie.

5. The Guided Film Spread

I really like the look of the film spread so I created a guided spiral-bound version for myself on Lulu.

When people were curious about the journal, I made it more easily available on Amazon, only it’s a standard bound book.

This journal combines several different approaches to a film journal making it highly adaptable to whoever is using it.

The left side of the page, much like the Moleskine journal, encourages a written review of the movie.

It guides you through identifying the movie’s characteristics and then forming a clear opinion on the film based on your compliments and critiques.

The right side of the journal is more free-form, similar to a bullet journal.

Unlike other film journals, this one includes an adjective word cloud with several adjectives that can be highlighted to best match your sentiments towards the movie.

The top section of the right page is blank, leaving room for additional words, movie quotes, movie posters, and anything visual or verbal that stood out to you.

So whatever isn’t included in the journal already, you can add to that empty spot.

You can read more about all of the journal’s features here !

6. Movie Tracker Approach

If you really want to conserve space in your movie review journal then you can simply include more than one review on a singular page.

Rather than each page representing one movie, it can represent several.

This is great for general, but aesthetic record keeping. A good way to aesthetically see what movies have been watched and your quick, general rating on them.

There are a lot of creative ways to design your movie tracker film journal.

Some people use movie reel strips and include the watched movie in each square.

As you can see above, some put one movie on each clapboard.

The one above that includes mini movie posters.

And some put one movie on each individual popcorn as it falls into a popcorn bucket.

This approach to your film journal is effective if you don’t have a lot of space to dedicate to movies and just want to keep a quick, light, and cute record of your recent viewings.

Shop the Film Journal Essentials!

7. Movie List Approach

Similar to the movie tracker, the movie list further simplifies your film journal allowing you to include even more movies onto one page.

This is good for creating a watchlist of movies you want to view.

You can also include a little bit of information on the film and your viewing experience on the side like the date you watched it and your rating.

But with the list, there is limited space for including a lot of additional information or decor to really elevate the aesthetic related to the movie.

By the way, in the artwork above, that galaxy is stunning. Check out their Instagram for more!

This is another clean movie list as well:

The artist includes adorable general movie-watching illustrations along the border of their movie list.

As you can see this list includes the movie’s name, release date, rating, and a checklist indicating whether they’d seen the movie yet or not.

Check out their Instagram page for even more journal decor ideas!

In Conclusion…

With so many film journal ideas to be inspired by, creating your own film journal can be less scary and more exciting!

From guided journals like the Moleskine Journal and the IMO Flicks Journal , you can make beautiful journal entries without feeling pressure to start from scratch.

For more freedom and less guidance, bullet journals are the perfect choice for a film journal.

And for cute and quick watch lists, there are several fun and creative designs to use that will make tracking movies a breeze.

For an Amazon wishlist of tools with which to decorate your journal, you can check out what I’ve found useful in my Amazon Storefront .

I hope this helps.

Happy movie-watching (and journaling)!

What are some of your favorite film journal ideas? Let me know in the comments below!

And be sure to subscribe for the latest blog updates (form in sidebar).

Peace, love, and lots of popcorn,

When I'm not over-analyzing movies, I'm eating chocolate, belting my favorite songs, and binge-watching reality dating shows. Feel free to share your opinions with me and follow me through my social links!

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613 Movie Blog Name Ideas to Direct Your Success Story

If you’ve ever thought of launching your very own movie blog, you might have gotten stuck on the most basic yet crucial step: naming it. 🎥✍️

Just like choosing the title of a blockbuster movie, your blog’s name can set the tone for your entire platform.

This article will guide you through the maze of choosing the perfect movie blog name.

Whether you’re looking to start a movie review blog, a movie news blog, or a film-based website, these movie blog name ideas are the perfect inspiration for your blog.

Just go through this list and pick the name you feel is suitable for your movie blog.

Catchy Movie Blog Names

Here’s the deal: Your blog name is like the headline of a magazine. It’s the first thing people see, and a catchy name can make them want to dive deeper.

Why Catchy Names Matter:

👉 Immediate Recognition: A catchy name sticks. People remember it, helping you build a brand.

👉 Engagement: If it piques interest, they’re more likely to click on your site from search results or social shares.

👉 Establishing Tone: A snazzy name gives off vibes of fun and entertainment, perfect for a movie blog.

Now, remember the magic formula for catchiness: simplicity + creativity = catchiness . Too complex, and you risk losing potential readers. Too bland, and well, it’s just another name in the crowd.

So, ready to roll the film on these catchy names?

Here goes the premiere of our catchy blog names:

• Movie Mingle
• Screen Scoop
• Film Frontrunners
• Cine Circle
• Film Fraternity
• Movie Metropolis
• Filmroll Chronicles
• The Film Forecast
• Cinematic Canvas
• Reel Rundown
• Movie Matrix
• Film Fanatics
• Reel Reflections
• Film Fluent
• Screen Dreams
• Movie Momentum
• Silver Screen Speak
• Movie Mosaic
• Screen Sage
• Cine Critic Central
• Silver Screen Sightings
• Cine Stream
• Film Facade
• Movie Manifesto
• Reel Report
• Film Fiesta
• Cine Cellar
• Film Forecast
• Screen Savvy
• Movie Meadow
• Film Frontier
• Movie Magnet
• Silver Screen Seeker
• Cine Savant
• Film Fountain
• Movie Marathon
• Reel Reviews
• Cine Century
• Film Frequency
• Screen Scope
• Movie Mirror
• Movie Majesty
• Cine Cluster
• Screen Seer
• Movie Morsels
• Reel Resonance
• Cine Chronicle
• Screen Synopsis
• Movie Meridian
• Reel Ripple
• Film Feature
• Movie Metric
• Cine Canvas
• Screen Spotlight
• Reel Reviewers
• Film Flicker
• Screen Stories
• Movie Mentor
• Cine Centric
• Film Facets
• Screen Series
• Cine Corner
• Film Fusion
• Screen Segment
• Movie Mystique
• Reel Roundup
• Cine Connect
• Screen Sift
• Movie Mural
• Reel Roster
• Screen Slate
• Reel Thoughts
• Screen Seen
• Moviewpoints
• Reel Life Stories
• Clips Chips
• Flicks N Sticks
• Screen Beans
• Cine Scene Seen
• Plot Twist Tips
• Reelationships
• Flicker Picker
• Frame By Fame
• Reel Lovers Lane
• Scene Cuisine
• Cine Binge Bin
• Reel Recipe
• Movie Motive
• Frame Fame Game
• Celluloid Savvy
• Flick Flicker
• Cine Sine Wave
• Frame Tales
• Reel Rewards
• Plot Hotspot
• Screen Queen
• Movie Maven
• Cinema Scope
• Screen Siren
• Indie Inklings
• Blockbuster Buzz
• Cinema Sizzle
• Plot Twists
• Celluloid Charm
• Popcorn Premiere
• Flick Fusion
• Silver Screen Sage
• Flick Fables
• Screen Spectacle
• Indie Imprints
• Talkie Tales
• Cinema Cascade
• Director’s Cut
• Box Office Bonanza
• Picture Perfect
• Reel Ripples
• Film Fables
• Flick Frills
• Cinema Carnival
• Filmy Fairytales
• Scene Stealers
• Screen Symphony
• Flick Feast
• Cinematic Capers
• Feature Follies
• Cinema Capers
• Flick Fixation
• Celluloid Symphony
• Silver Screen Sparkle
• Film Flurry
• Talkie Trends
• Blockbuster Blast
• Script Scintillations
• Picture Palooza
• Movie Magic
• Cinematic Chorus
• Film Festival Fervor
• Star Struck Screen
• Cinema Centric
• Flick Fervor
• Celluloid Circuit
• Frame Frenzy
• Movie Maelstrom
• Silver Screen Scoop
• Film Fest Feast
• Cine Circuit
• Film Frolics
• Celluloid Cavalcade
• Cinema Chronicles
• Magic Movie Moments
• Silver Screen Saga
• Cine Spectacles
• Final Cut Frenzy
• Screen Side Stories
• Movie Midway
• Cinema Circuit
• Fab Film Features
• Scene Seers
• Indie Impressions
• Action Angle
• Screen Sagas
• Film Fondue
• Movie Montage
• Cinema Courier
• Silver Screen Symphonies
• Reel Ruminations
• Cine Scroll
• Silver Screen Serenade
• Film Fable Fusion
• Picture Perfect Pundits
• Cinematic Charm
• CineSavvy Lens
• Flicks Digest
• Cinematic Sequences
• The Reel Reviewer
• The Reel Rundown
• Classic Cinema Chronicles
• Cinephile’s Spotlight
• Flashback Features
• Movie Maestro Musings
• Protagonist Pundit
• The Flick Whisperer
• The Cinematic Cineaste
• The Reel Authority
• Projector Projections
• Auteur’s Avenue
• Cinematic Quill
• The Auteur Advocate
• Filmosphere Chronicles
• The Flick Fanatic
• Film Noir Nook
• Screenplay Savvy
• Cinematic Showtime
• Popcorn Perspectives
• The Filmic Foresight
• Cinephile’s Society
• Retro Reel Reviews
• The Filmlore Foreseer
• Lights, Camera, Reaction!
• Indie Impressions Insider
• The Marquee Master
• Cinematic Catharsis
• The Movie Buff’s Guide
• Scripted Shadows
• The Film Philosopher
• Screenlife Chronicles
• Hollywood Highlights
• Marquee Mavens
• CinemaScope Lens
• On-Set Observations
• The Film Cognoscente
• The Movie Montage
• Cinequill Chronicles
• Fade In Film Insight
• Cinema Serenade
• The Reel Rat
• Film Reel Radar
• Final Cut Forefront
• Flicker Fusion
• The Cinema Cicerone
• Movieland Musings
• Filmic Frontier
• Talkies Tribune
• FilmVerse Chronicles
• Silver Screen Scholar
• Cinemania Conversations
• Tale of Talkies
• Frame-In-Focus
• The Framed Fiction
• Cinema Curation Chronicles
• Silver Screen Synapses
• Flicker Feels
• TakeTwo Chronicles
• Frame Perfect Pundit
• The Cinematic Chronicles
• Frame by Frame Flicks
• Frame Freeze Fables
• Panoramic Picturehouse
• Stardust Screenplay
• Rolling Reels Insider
• Scene by Scene Scrutiny
• MovieLovers Manifesto
• Celluloid Secrets
• Cinematic Cadence
• The Panoramic Projectionist
• Silver Screen Analysis
• The WideScreen Wisdom
• Cineaste’s Central
• Little Big Screen
• The Scripted Saga
• Celluloid Scribe
• Scene Stealer Insights
• Film Fanatics Forum
• The Epic Film Echo
• Classic Chronicle Cinematics
• Frame Narrative Navigator
• The Spotlight Scribe
• Epicenter of Film Enthusiasm
• The Luminary Lens
• The Premier Prognosticator
• Director’s Cut Corner
• Sequel Seeker
• The Projectionist’s Prophecy
• Scene to Screen
• Silver Linings Scriptbook
• The Feature Framer
• Feature Presentation Forecast
• Filmstrip Forecaster

Creative Movie Blog Names

Diving into the realm of creativity can set your movie blog miles apart. Why? Because creative names hint at a deeper understanding and appreciation of films.

The Power of Creative Names:

👉 Uniqueness: Stand out in a sea of generic blog names.

👉 Brand Potential: Easier to design logos, themes, and content strategies around.

👉 Conversations: Creative names spark curiosity. “Oh, what’s that blog about?”

And our little secret to creativity? Merge two seemingly unrelated ideas or words. You’d be surprised at the results!

Without further ado, let’s unveil the masterpieces.

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the creative movie blog names spotlight:

• Cinematic Cerebration
• Filmophile’s Frenzy
• Film Frames
• Silver Screen Sapiens
• Lights Camera Action
• Hollywood Herald
• Film Flamboyance
• Film Flashbacks
• Red Carpet Review
• Films and Feelings
• Director’s Dissection
• Screen Scene
• Theater Thesaurus
• The Dialogue Digest
• Cinematic Celebrations
• The Movie Mingle
• The Film Fable
• Director’s Diary
• The Premiere Post
• Movie Mavens
• The Movie Matrix
• Pictorial Projections
• The Movie Mill
• Fantasy Film Files
• Movie Marquee
• Best Seat Reel Reviews
• Star-studded Screens
• The Drama Digest
• Cinema Seekers
• Behind The Scenes
• Action Packed Adventures
• Silver Screen Studies
• Film Fascination
• Flick Finesse
• Cinephilia Central
• The Movie Mosaic
• Feature Flick Forum
• Screenplay Scoop
• Film Buff Forum
• On-Screen Ovation
• Picture Perfect Reviews
• The Movie Mastermind
• The Movie Muse
• Reel Review Rendezvous
• Screen Savor
• Film Fervor
• Premiere Perspectives
• Projector’s Pick
• Motion Picture Musings
• Cinephile Chronicles
• Blockbuster Breakdown
• The Popping Popcorn
• Cinema Cognizance
• Celluloid Cognoscenti
• Screening Stories
• The Oscar Oracle
• Cinematic Chronicles
• Film Fantasy
• Screenplay Symphony
• Filmic Feast
• Epic Ensemble
• Roll Credits
• Classic Cinephiles
• Cinematic Symphony
• Flick Forecaster
• Cinema Connoisseur
• Movie Maestros
• Flick Finds
• Box Office Banter
• Silver Screen Secrets
• The Flick Files
• The Movie Maestro
• Picture Palace Perspectives
• The Projectionist’s Picks
• Silver Screen Smorgasbord
• The Film Flaneur
• Movie Mantra
• Motion Picture Muse
• Feature Film Files
• Scene By Scene
• Cinematic Critic
• Projector Prose
• Premiere Pundit
• Script Scribbler
• Epic Epilogues
• Protagonist Picks
• Box Office Buzz
• Shutterbug Scoop
• Film Fanfare
• Red Carpet Reviews
• Silver Lining Screenings
• Star Studded Stories
• Cinematic Celestial
• Talkie Takes
• Filmstrip Feed
• Iconic Imagery
• Celluloid Ciphers
• Blockbuster Blog
• Premiere Pulse
• Screenplay Speak
• Reelin Reviews
• Technicolor Talks
• Panavision Perspectives
• Scene Screen
• Filmic Feeds
• Cinemascope Chats
• Flicker Feeds
• Rolling Reel Reviews
• Take Two Talks
• Cinematic Cues
• Screen Story
• Matinee Musings
• Frames Focus
• Showtime Shifts
• Altered Angles
• Lens Lookout
• Celluloid Circle
• Filmroll Fables
• Picture Perfect Pages
• Stills Story
• Cinemascope Scribes
• Vibgyor Views
• Filmstrip Fables
• Studio Scoop
• Cinephile Circle
• Screenplay Scribes
• Movie Mumble
• Flicker Flare
• Scene Scribes
• Filmic Fusion
• Silver Screen Stories
• Analog Angles
• Feature Flick Facts
• Narrative Niche
• Scripted Screens
• Premiere Pages
• Directorial Digest
• All About Angles
• Cineaste Circle
• Flicker Frames
• Iconic Imprints
• Big Screen Buzz
• Feature Lenses
• Cinematic Contours
• Filmic Footnotes
• Rolling Reel Rants
• Screen Savants
• Showbiz Scoop
• The Moving Picture Blog
• Silver Screen Scroll
• Flicker Folks
• Take Two Tales
• Picture Perfect Projections
• Reel Reality
• Cine Sculpt
• Reel Radiance

Movie Blog Name Generator

Ah! If you’re someone who’s thinking, “I love movies, not the naming game!” then this section’s for you. A movie blog name generator can be a handy tool to churn out ideas when your creative well seems dry.

Why Use a Movie Blog Name Generator?

👉 Volume: Instantly receive a list of names, giving you plenty of choices.

👉 Inspiration: Even if you don’t choose one of the generated names, they might spark a unique idea.

👉 Time-Saving: Instead of spending hours brainstorming, get a list in seconds.

👉 Customization: Some generators allow you to tweak settings like name length, keywords, or themes.

But remember, while generators are great, they’re not foolproof. Some names may seem robotic or lack the personal touch. Our advice? Use them as a starting point or for inspiration, not the end-all solution.

Using a Name Generator:

👉 Specify Keywords: Most generators ask for a keyword. This could be “film”, “cinema”, or even your favorite movie.

👉 Tweak Settings: Some allow you to set the tone – playful, serious, quirky, etc.

👉 Generate & List: Hit the generate button and list down names that catch your eye.

👉 Personalize: Feel free to mix and match or add your personal touch.

Curious about what a blog name generator can dish out?

Behold, the cinematic ensemble generated by our movie blog name generator:

• Popcorn Flix
• Cine Chatter
• Movie Mania
• Cine Flicks
• Movie Pulse
• Picture Party
• Screen Jive
• Flick Frenzy
• Film Frolic
• Flick Tales
• Popcorn Chronicle
• Showtime Shenanigans
• Silver Cine Sightings
• The Movie Magnet
• Plot Point Pulse
• Reel Chatter
• Flick Fever
• Movie Banter
• Flix Galaxy
• Cinema Craze
• Film Giggle
• Playful Flix
• Flicks N Chats
• Screen Sirens
• Movie Munch
• Movie Maniax
• Screen Sizzle
• Popcorn Pulse
• Reel Reverie
• Picture Playhouse
• Reel Vortex
• Popcorn Fever
• Screen Chirp
• Movie Frolic
• Flick Vibes
• Film Dazzle
• Flix Junkie
• Flick Pulse
• Flick Flair
• Reel Playful
• Movie Fiesta
• Movie Whimsy
• Cinema Whimsy
• Flix Playground
• Flicker Frolic
• Cine Dazzle
• Screen Cheer
• Showbiz Joy
• Reel Ruckus
• Picture Playful
• Flix Giggles
• Cine Whimsy
• Flix Chatter
• Flick Frolic
• Cine Giggle
• Cine Whisper
• Flix Tastic
• Cinema Chuckles
• Movie Whirl
• Film Frenzy
• Flicks Fizz
• Flix Whimsy
• Picture Playground
• Flick Squad
• Popcorn Fiesta
• Flickosphere
• Screen Serenade
• Cine Frolic
• Movie Playpen
• Flicks Nook
• Picture Playtime

How To Name Your Movie Blog?

So, you’ve seen the names, but perhaps you’re thinking, “How can I craft one myself?”.

Let’s get into the director’s chair and understand the art of naming.

Steps to Name Your Movie Blog:

• Define Your Niche: Are you reviewing indie films, blockbusters, or diving deep into film theories?
• Know Your Audience: A quirky, young audience? Or a mature group looking for in-depth analysis?
• Make it Memorable: Alliteration, rhymes, or puns can be your best friend here.
• Check Domain Availability: Before getting too attached, ensure the domain name is available!
• Seek Feedback: Share the name with friends, family, or even your social media followers. Their feedback is invaluable.

Just remember, naming is a combination of art and science. It’s about resonance. When it feels right, you’ll know.

Roll credits! 🎥🍿

Conclusion: Movie Blog Names

Choosing the perfect name for your movie blog isn’t just about finding a cool title. It’s about encapsulating your passion for cinema, your blog’s unique perspective, and connecting with your intended audience. Think of it as choosing the perfect title for your own movie. 🍿

A piece of advice? Don’t fret over it too much. Just like in filmmaking, sometimes the first take might be the magic one. But even if it’s not, revisions lead to perfection.

So, next time you watch a movie, and the title captures your heart, let it inspire you. Because if it can leave a lasting impression on you, imagine what the perfect blog name can do for your readers.

Happy naming, future film critics! 🎬

If you enjoyed our article, please remember to share it on social media because sharing is caring 🙂

657 Entertainment Blog Name Ideas For a Scene-Stealing Presence

543 Cool Blog Name Ideas That Will Get Your Blog’s Reel Rolling

Soocial Team

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Blog – Posted on Friday, Mar 29

17 book review examples to help you write the perfect review.

It’s an exciting time to be a book reviewer. Once confined to print newspapers and journals, reviews now dot many corridors of the Internet — forever helping others discover their next great read. That said, every book reviewer will face a familiar panic: how can you do justice to a great book in just a thousand words?

As you know, the best way to learn how to do something is by immersing yourself in it. Luckily, the Internet (i.e. Goodreads and other review sites , in particular) has made book reviews more accessible than ever — which means that there are a lot of book reviews examples out there for you to view!

In this post, we compiled 17 prototypical book review examples in multiple genres to help you figure out how to write the perfect review . If you want to jump straight to the examples, you can skip the next section. Otherwise, let’s first check out what makes up a good review.

Are you interested in becoming a book reviewer? We recommend you check out Reedsy Discovery , where you can earn money for writing reviews — and are guaranteed people will read your reviews! To register as a book reviewer, sign up here.

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

Find out the answer. Takes 30 seconds!

What must a book review contain?

Like all works of art, no two book reviews will be identical. But fear not: there are a few guidelines for any aspiring book reviewer to follow. Most book reviews, for instance, are less than 1,500 words long, with the sweet spot hitting somewhere around the 1,000-word mark. (However, this may vary depending on the platform on which you’re writing, as we’ll see later.)

In addition, all reviews share some universal elements, as shown in our book review templates . These include:

• A review will offer a concise plot summary of the book. 
• A book review will offer an evaluation of the work. 
• A book review will offer a recommendation for the audience. 

If these are the basic ingredients that make up a book review, it’s the tone and style with which the book reviewer writes that brings the extra panache. This will differ from platform to platform, of course. A book review on Goodreads, for instance, will be much more informal and personal than a book review on Kirkus Reviews, as it is catering to a different audience. However, at the end of the day, the goal of all book reviews is to give the audience the tools to determine whether or not they’d like to read the book themselves.

Keeping that in mind, let’s proceed to some book review examples to put all of this in action.

How much of a book nerd are you, really?

Find out here, once and for all. Takes 30 seconds!

Book review examples for fiction books

Since story is king in the world of fiction, it probably won’t come as any surprise to learn that a book review for a novel will concentrate on how well the story was told .

That said, book reviews in all genres follow the same basic formula that we discussed earlier. In these examples, you’ll be able to see how book reviewers on different platforms expertly intertwine the plot summary and their personal opinions of the book to produce a clear, informative, and concise review.

Note: Some of the book review examples run very long. If a book review is truncated in this post, we’ve indicated by including a […] at the end, but you can always read the entire review if you click on the link provided.

Examples of literary fiction book reviews

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man :

An extremely powerful story of a young Southern Negro, from his late high school days through three years of college to his life in Harlem.

His early training prepared him for a life of humility before white men, but through injustices- large and small, he came to realize that he was an "invisible man". People saw in him only a reflection of their preconceived ideas of what he was, denied his individuality, and ultimately did not see him at all. This theme, which has implications far beyond the obvious racial parallel, is skillfully handled. The incidents of the story are wholly absorbing. The boy's dismissal from college because of an innocent mistake, his shocked reaction to the anonymity of the North and to Harlem, his nightmare experiences on a one-day job in a paint factory and in the hospital, his lightning success as the Harlem leader of a communistic organization known as the Brotherhood, his involvement in black versus white and black versus black clashes and his disillusion and understanding of his invisibility- all climax naturally in scenes of violence and riot, followed by a retreat which is both literal and figurative. Parts of this experience may have been told before, but never with such freshness, intensity and power.

This is Ellison's first novel, but he has complete control of his story and his style. Watch it.

Lyndsey reviews George Orwell’s 1984 on Goodreads:

YOU. ARE. THE. DEAD. Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Or in Newspeak "Double Plus Good." Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried.

This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and economics, not to mention a fully developed language called Newspeak, or rather more of the anti-language, whose purpose is to limit speech and understanding instead of to enhance and expand it. The world-building is so fully fleshed out and spine-tinglingly terrifying that it's almost as if George travelled to such a place, escaped from it, and then just wrote it all down.

I read Fahrenheit 451 over ten years ago in my early teens. At the time, I remember really wanting to read 1984, although I never managed to get my hands on it. I'm almost glad I didn't. Though I would not have admitted it at the time, it would have gone over my head. Or at the very least, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it fully. […]

The New York Times reviews Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry :

Three-quarters of the way through Lisa Halliday’s debut novel, “Asymmetry,” a British foreign correspondent named Alistair is spending Christmas on a compound outside of Baghdad. His fellow revelers include cameramen, defense contractors, United Nations employees and aid workers. Someone’s mother has FedExed a HoneyBaked ham from Maine; people are smoking by the swimming pool. It is 2003, just days after Saddam Hussein’s capture, and though the mood is optimistic, Alistair is worrying aloud about the ethics of his chosen profession, wondering if reporting on violence doesn’t indirectly abet violence and questioning why he’d rather be in a combat zone than reading a picture book to his son. But every time he returns to London, he begins to “spin out.” He can’t go home. “You observe what people do with their freedom — what they don’t do — and it’s impossible not to judge them for it,” he says.

The line, embedded unceremoniously in the middle of a page-long paragraph, doubles, like so many others in “Asymmetry,” as literary criticism. Halliday’s novel is so strange and startlingly smart that its mere existence seems like commentary on the state of fiction. One finishes “Asymmetry” for the first or second (or like this reader, third) time and is left wondering what other writers are not doing with their freedom — and, like Alistair, judging them for it.

Despite its title, “Asymmetry” comprises two seemingly unrelated sections of equal length, appended by a slim and quietly shocking coda. Halliday’s prose is clean and lean, almost reportorial in the style of W. G. Sebald, and like the murmurings of a shy person at a cocktail party, often comic only in single clauses. It’s a first novel that reads like the work of an author who has published many books over many years. […]

Emily W. Thompson reviews Michael Doane's The Crossing on Reedsy Discovery :

In Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.

An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl.

Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.

The Narrator initially sticks to the highways, trying to make it to the West Coast as quickly as possible. But a hitchhiker named Duke convinces him to get off the beaten path and enjoy the ride. “There’s not a place that’s like any other,” [39] Dukes contends, and The Narrator realizes he’s right. Suddenly, the trip is about the journey, not just the destination. The Narrator ditches his truck and traverses the deserts and mountains on his bike. He destroys his phone, cutting off ties with his past and living only in the moment.

As he crosses the country, The Narrator connects with several unique personalities whose experiences and views deeply impact his own. Duke, the complicated cowboy and drifter, who opens The Narrator’s eyes to a larger world. Zooey, the waitress in Colorado who opens his heart and reminds him that love can be found in this big world. And Rosie, The Narrator’s sweet landlady in Portland, who helps piece him back together both physically and emotionally.

This supporting cast of characters is excellent. Duke, in particular, is wonderfully nuanced and complicated. He’s a throwback to another time, a man without a cell phone who reads Sartre and sleeps under the stars. Yet he’s also a grifter with a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” attitude that harms those around him. It’s fascinating to watch The Narrator wrestle with Duke’s behavior, trying to determine which to model and which to discard.

Doane creates a relatable protagonist in The Narrator, whose personal growth doesn’t erase his faults. His willingness to hit the road with few resources is admirable, and he’s prescient enough to recognize the jealousy of those who cannot or will not take the leap. His encounters with new foods, places, and people broaden his horizons. Yet his immaturity and selfishness persist. He tells Rosie she’s been a good mother to him but chooses to ignore the continuing concern from his own parents as he effectively disappears from his old life.

Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.

The Book Smugglers review Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls :

I am still dipping my toes into the literally fiction pool, finding what works for me and what doesn’t. Books like The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray are definitely my cup of tea.

Althea and Proctor Cochran had been pillars of their economically disadvantaged community for years – with their local restaurant/small market and their charity drives. Until they are found guilty of fraud for stealing and keeping most of the money they raised and sent to jail. Now disgraced, their entire family is suffering the consequences, specially their twin teenage daughters Baby Vi and Kim.  To complicate matters even more: Kim was actually the one to call the police on her parents after yet another fight with her mother. […]

Examples of children’s and YA fiction book reviews

The Book Hookup reviews Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give :

♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 stars! I can’t imagine how challenging it would be to tackle the voice of a movement like Black Lives Matter, but I do know that Thomas did it with a finesse only a talented author like herself possibly could. With an unapologetically realistic delivery packed with emotion, The Hate U Give is a crucially important portrayal of the difficulties minorities face in our country every single day. I have no doubt that this book will be met with resistance by some (possibly many) and slapped with a “controversial” label, but if you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk in a POC’s shoes, then I feel like this is an unflinchingly honest place to start.

In Angie Thomas’s debut novel, Starr Carter bursts on to the YA scene with both heart-wrecking and heartwarming sincerity. This author is definitely one to watch.

♥ Review: The hype around this book has been unquestionable and, admittedly, that made me both eager to get my hands on it and terrified to read it. I mean, what if I was to be the one person that didn’t love it as much as others? (That seems silly now because of how truly mesmerizing THUG was in the most heartbreakingly realistic way.) However, with the relevancy of its summary in regards to the unjust predicaments POC currently face in the US, I knew this one was a must-read, so I was ready to set my fears aside and dive in. That said, I had an altogether more personal, ulterior motive for wanting to read this book. […]

The New York Times reviews Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood :

Alice Crewe (a last name she’s chosen for herself) is a fairy tale legacy: the granddaughter of Althea Proserpine, author of a collection of dark-as-night fairy tales called “Tales From the Hinterland.” The book has a cult following, and though Alice has never met her grandmother, she’s learned a little about her through internet research. She hasn’t read the stories, because her mother, Ella Proserpine, forbids it.

Alice and Ella have moved from place to place in an attempt to avoid the “bad luck” that seems to follow them. Weird things have happened. As a child, Alice was kidnapped by a man who took her on a road trip to find her grandmother; he was stopped by the police before they did so. When at 17 she sees that man again, unchanged despite the years, Alice panics. Then Ella goes missing, and Alice turns to Ellery Finch, a schoolmate who’s an Althea Proserpine superfan, for help in tracking down her mother. Not only has Finch read every fairy tale in the collection, but handily, he remembers them, sharing them with Alice as they journey to the mysterious Hazel Wood, the estate of her now-dead grandmother, where they hope to find Ella.

“The Hazel Wood” starts out strange and gets stranger, in the best way possible. (The fairy stories Finch relays, which Albert includes as their own chapters, are as creepy and evocative as you’d hope.) Albert seamlessly combines contemporary realism with fantasy, blurring the edges in a way that highlights that place where stories and real life convene, where magic contains truth and the world as it appears is false, where just about anything can happen, particularly in the pages of a very good book. It’s a captivating debut. […]

James reviews Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight, Moon on Goodreads:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is one of the books that followers of my blog voted as a must-read for our Children's Book August 2018 Readathon. Come check it out and join the next few weeks!

This picture book was such a delight. I hadn't remembered reading it when I was a child, but it might have been read to me... either way, it was like a whole new experience! It's always so difficult to convince a child to fall asleep at night. I don't have kids, but I do have a 5-month-old puppy who whines for 5 minutes every night when he goes in his cage/crate (hopefully he'll be fully housebroken soon so he can roam around when he wants). I can only imagine! I babysat a lot as a teenager and I have tons of younger cousins, nieces, and nephews, so I've been through it before, too. This was a believable experience, and it really helps show kids how to relax and just let go when it's time to sleep.

The bunny's are adorable. The rhymes are exquisite. I found it pretty fun, but possibly a little dated given many of those things aren't normal routines anymore. But the lessons to take from it are still powerful. Loved it! I want to sample some more books by this fine author and her illustrators.

Publishers Weekly reviews Elizabeth Lilly’s Geraldine :

This funny, thoroughly accomplished debut opens with two words: “I’m moving.” They’re spoken by the title character while she swoons across her family’s ottoman, and because Geraldine is a giraffe, her full-on melancholy mode is quite a spectacle. But while Geraldine may be a drama queen (even her mother says so), it won’t take readers long to warm up to her. The move takes Geraldine from Giraffe City, where everyone is like her, to a new school, where everyone else is human. Suddenly, the former extrovert becomes “That Giraffe Girl,” and all she wants to do is hide, which is pretty much impossible. “Even my voice tries to hide,” she says, in the book’s most poignant moment. “It’s gotten quiet and whispery.” Then she meets Cassie, who, though human, is also an outlier (“I’m that girl who wears glasses and likes MATH and always organizes her food”), and things begin to look up.

Lilly’s watercolor-and-ink drawings are as vividly comic and emotionally astute as her writing; just when readers think there are no more ways for Geraldine to contort her long neck, this highly promising talent comes up with something new.

Examples of genre fiction book reviews

Karlyn P reviews Nora Roberts’ Dark Witch , a paranormal romance novel , on Goodreads:

4 stars. Great world-building, weak romance, but still worth the read.

I hesitate to describe this book as a 'romance' novel simply because the book spent little time actually exploring the romance between Iona and Boyle. Sure, there IS a romance in this novel. Sprinkled throughout the book are a few scenes where Iona and Boyle meet, chat, wink at each, flirt some more, sleep together, have a misunderstanding, make up, and then profess their undying love. Very formulaic stuff, and all woven around the more important parts of this book.

The meat of this book is far more focused on the story of the Dark witch and her magically-gifted descendants living in Ireland. Despite being weak on the romance, I really enjoyed it. I think the book is probably better for it, because the romance itself was pretty lackluster stuff.

I absolutely plan to stick with this series as I enjoyed the world building, loved the Ireland setting, and was intrigued by all of the secondary characters. However, If you read Nora Roberts strictly for the romance scenes, this one might disappoint. But if you enjoy a solid background story with some dark magic and prophesies, you might enjoy it as much as I did.

I listened to this one on audio, and felt the narration was excellent.

Emily May reviews R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy Wars , an epic fantasy novel , on Goodreads:

“But I warn you, little warrior. The price of power is pain.”

Holy hell, what did I just read??

➽ A fantasy military school

➽ A rich world based on modern Chinese history

➽ Shamans and gods

➽ Detailed characterization leading to unforgettable characters

➽ Adorable, opium-smoking mentors

That's a basic list, but this book is all of that and SO MUCH MORE. I know 100% that The Poppy War will be one of my best reads of 2018.

Isn't it just so great when you find one of those books that completely drags you in, makes you fall in love with the characters, and demands that you sit on the edge of your seat for every horrific, nail-biting moment of it? This is one of those books for me. And I must issue a serious content warning: this book explores some very dark themes. Proceed with caution (or not at all) if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of war, drug use and addiction, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, self-harm, torture, and rape (off-page but extremely horrific).

Because, despite the fairly innocuous first 200 pages, the title speaks the truth: this is a book about war. All of its horrors and atrocities. It is not sugar-coated, and it is often graphic. The "poppy" aspect refers to opium, which is a big part of this book. It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking.

Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry’s Freefall , a crime novel:

In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it’s a more subtle process, and that’s OK too. So where does Freefall fit into the sliding scale?

In truth, it’s not clear. This is a novel with a thrilling concept at its core. A woman survives plane crash, then runs for her life. However, it is the subtleties at play that will draw you in like a spider beckoning to an unwitting fly.

Like the heroine in Sharon Bolton’s Dead Woman Walking, Allison is lucky to be alive. She was the only passenger in a private plane, belonging to her fiancé, Ben, who was piloting the expensive aircraft, when it came down in woodlands in the Colorado Rockies. Ally is also the only survivor, but rather than sitting back and waiting for rescue, she is soon pulling together items that may help her survive a little longer – first aid kit, energy bars, warm clothes, trainers – before fleeing the scene. If you’re hearing the faint sound of alarm bells ringing, get used to it. There’s much, much more to learn about Ally before this tale is over.

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One , a science-fiction novel :

Video-game players embrace the quest of a lifetime in a virtual world; screenwriter Cline’s first novel is old wine in new bottles.

The real world, in 2045, is the usual dystopian horror story. So who can blame Wade, our narrator, if he spends most of his time in a virtual world? The 18-year-old, orphaned at 11, has no friends in his vertical trailer park in Oklahoma City, while the OASIS has captivating bells and whistles, and it’s free. Its creator, the legendary billionaire James Halliday, left a curious will. He had devised an elaborate online game, a hunt for a hidden Easter egg. The finder would inherit his estate. Old-fashioned riddles lead to three keys and three gates. Wade, or rather his avatar Parzival, is the first gunter (egg-hunter) to win the Copper Key, first of three.

Halliday was obsessed with the pop culture of the 1980s, primarily the arcade games, so the novel is as much retro as futurist. Parzival’s great strength is that he has absorbed all Halliday’s obsessions; he knows by heart three essential movies, crossing the line from geek to freak. His most formidable competitors are the Sixers, contract gunters working for the evil conglomerate IOI, whose goal is to acquire the OASIS. Cline’s narrative is straightforward but loaded with exposition. It takes a while to reach a scene that crackles with excitement: the meeting between Parzival (now world famous as the lead contender) and Sorrento, the head of IOI. The latter tries to recruit Parzival; when he fails, he issues and executes a death threat. Wade’s trailer is demolished, his relatives killed; luckily Wade was not at home. Too bad this is the dramatic high point. Parzival threads his way between more ’80s games and movies to gain the other keys; it’s clever but not exciting. Even a romance with another avatar and the ultimate “epic throwdown” fail to stir the blood.

Too much puzzle-solving, not enough suspense.

Book review examples for non-fiction books

Nonfiction books are generally written to inform readers about a certain topic. As such, the focus of a nonfiction book review will be on the clarity and effectiveness of this communication . In carrying this out, a book review may analyze the author’s source materials and assess the thesis in order to determine whether or not the book meets expectations.

Again, we’ve included abbreviated versions of long reviews here, so feel free to click on the link to read the entire piece!

The Washington Post reviews David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon :

The arc of David Grann’s career reminds one of a software whiz-kid or a latest-thing talk-show host — certainly not an investigative reporter, even if he is one of the best in the business. The newly released movie of his first book, “The Lost City of Z,” is generating all kinds of Oscar talk, and now comes the release of his second book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” the film rights to which have already been sold for $5 million in what one industry journal called the “biggest and wildest book rights auction in memory.”

Grann deserves the attention. He’s canny about the stories he chases, he’s willing to go anywhere to chase them, and he’s a maestro in his ability to parcel out information at just the right clip: a hint here, a shading of meaning there, a smartly paced buildup of multiple possibilities followed by an inevitable reversal of readerly expectations or, in some cases, by a thrilling and dislocating pull of the entire narrative rug.

All of these strengths are on display in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Around the turn of the 20th century, oil was discovered underneath Osage lands in the Oklahoma Territory, lands that were soon to become part of the state of Oklahoma. Through foresight and legal maneuvering, the Osage found a way to permanently attach that oil to themselves and shield it from the prying hands of white interlopers; this mechanism was known as “headrights,” which forbade the outright sale of oil rights and granted each full member of the tribe — and, supposedly, no one else — a share in the proceeds from any lease arrangement. For a while, the fail-safes did their job, and the Osage got rich — diamond-ring and chauffeured-car and imported-French-fashion rich — following which quite a large group of white men started to work like devils to separate the Osage from their money. And soon enough, and predictably enough, this work involved murder. Here in Jazz Age America’s most isolated of locales, dozens or even hundreds of Osage in possession of great fortunes — and of the potential for even greater fortunes in the future — were dispatched by poison, by gunshot and by dynamite. […]

Stacked Books reviews Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers :

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Malcolm Gladwell’s writing. Friends and co-workers tell me that his subjects are interesting and his writing style is easy to follow without talking down to the reader. I wasn’t disappointed with Outliers. In it, Gladwell tackles the subject of success – how people obtain it and what contributes to extraordinary success as opposed to everyday success.

The thesis – that our success depends much more on circumstances out of our control than any effort we put forth – isn’t exactly revolutionary. Most of us know it to be true. However, I don’t think I’m lying when I say that most of us also believe that we if we just try that much harder and develop our talent that much further, it will be enough to become wildly successful, despite bad or just mediocre beginnings. Not so, says Gladwell.

Most of the evidence Gladwell gives us is anecdotal, which is my favorite kind to read. I can’t really speak to how scientifically valid it is, but it sure makes for engrossing listening. For example, did you know that successful hockey players are almost all born in January, February, or March? Kids born during these months are older than the others kids when they start playing in the youth leagues, which means they’re already better at the game (because they’re bigger). Thus, they get more play time, which means their skill increases at a faster rate, and it compounds as time goes by. Within a few years, they’re much, much better than the kids born just a few months later in the year. Basically, these kids’ birthdates are a huge factor in their success as adults – and it’s nothing they can do anything about. If anyone could make hockey interesting to a Texan who only grudgingly admits the sport even exists, it’s Gladwell. […]

Quill and Quire reviews Rick Prashaw’s Soar, Adam, Soar :

Ten years ago, I read a book called Almost Perfect. The young-adult novel by Brian Katcher won some awards and was held up as a powerful, nuanced portrayal of a young trans person. But the reality did not live up to the book’s billing. Instead, it turned out to be a one-dimensional and highly fetishized portrait of a trans person’s life, one that was nevertheless repeatedly dubbed “realistic” and “affecting” by non-transgender readers possessing only a vague, mass-market understanding of trans experiences.

In the intervening decade, trans narratives have emerged further into the literary spotlight, but those authored by trans people ourselves – and by trans men in particular – have seemed to fall under the shadow of cisgender sensationalized imaginings. Two current Canadian releases – Soar, Adam, Soar and This One Looks Like a Boy – provide a pointed object lesson into why trans-authored work about transgender experiences remains critical.

To be fair, Soar, Adam, Soar isn’t just a story about a trans man. It’s also a story about epilepsy, the medical establishment, and coming of age as seen through a grieving father’s eyes. Adam, Prashaw’s trans son, died unexpectedly at age 22. Woven through the elder Prashaw’s narrative are excerpts from Adam’s social media posts, giving us glimpses into the young man’s interior life as he traverses his late teens and early 20s. […]

Book Geeks reviews Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love :

WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5

SUBJECT: 4/5

CANDIDNESS: 4.5/5

RELEVANCE: 3.5/5

ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5

“Eat Pray Love” is so popular that it is almost impossible to not read it. Having felt ashamed many times on my not having read this book, I quietly ordered the book (before I saw the movie) from amazon.in and sat down to read it. I don’t remember what I expected it to be – maybe more like a chick lit thing but it turned out quite different. The book is a real story and is a short journal from the time when its writer went travelling to three different countries in pursuit of three different things – Italy (Pleasure), India (Spirituality), Bali (Balance) and this is what corresponds to the book’s name – EAT (in Italy), PRAY (in India) and LOVE (in Bali, Indonesia). These are also the three Is – ITALY, INDIA, INDONESIA.

Though she had everything a middle-aged American woman can aspire for – MONEY, CAREER, FRIENDS, HUSBAND; Elizabeth was not happy in her life, she wasn’t happy in her marriage. Having suffered a terrible divorce and terrible breakup soon after, Elizabeth was shattered. She didn’t know where to go and what to do – all she knew was that she wanted to run away. So she set out on a weird adventure – she will go to three countries in a year and see if she can find out what she was looking for in life. This book is about that life changing journey that she takes for one whole year. […]

Emily May reviews Michelle Obama’s Becoming on Goodreads:

Look, I'm not a happy crier. I might cry at songs about leaving and missing someone; I might cry at books where things don't work out; I might cry at movies where someone dies. I've just never really understood why people get all choked up over happy, inspirational things. But Michelle Obama's kindness and empathy changed that. This book had me in tears for all the right reasons.

This is not really a book about politics, though political experiences obviously do come into it. It's a shame that some will dismiss this book because of a difference in political opinion, when it is really about a woman's life. About growing up poor and black on the South Side of Chicago; about getting married and struggling to maintain that marriage; about motherhood; about being thrown into an amazing and terrifying position.

I hate words like "inspirational" because they've become so overdone and cheesy, but I just have to say it-- Michelle Obama is an inspiration. I had the privilege of seeing her speak at The Forum in Inglewood, and she is one of the warmest, funniest, smartest, down-to-earth people I have ever seen in this world.

And yes, I know we present what we want the world to see, but I truly do think it's genuine. I think she is someone who really cares about people - especially kids - and wants to give them better lives and opportunities.

She's obviously intelligent, but she also doesn't gussy up her words. She talks straight, with an openness and honesty rarely seen. She's been one of the most powerful women in the world, she's been a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, she's had her own successful career, and yet she has remained throughout that same girl - Michelle Robinson - from a working class family in Chicago.

I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.

Hopefully, this post has given you a better idea of how to write a book review. You might be wondering how to put all of this knowledge into action now! Many book reviewers start out by setting up a book blog. If you don’t have time to research the intricacies of HTML, check out Reedsy Discovery — where you can read indie books for free and review them without going through the hassle of creating a blog. To register as a book reviewer , go here .

And if you’d like to see even more book review examples, simply go to this directory of book review blogs and click on any one of them to see a wealth of good book reviews. Beyond that, it's up to you to pick up a book and pen — and start reviewing!

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‘Megalopolis' Review: Francis Ford Coppola's Bold, Ungainly Epic Crams in Half a Dozen Stars and Decades' Worth of Ideas

In the long-gestating, career-encompassing allegory that is "Megalopolis," director Francis Ford Coppola puts his name above the title and, in the film's lone act of modesty, the words "A Fable" beneath it. To call this garish, idea-bloated monstrosity a mere "fable" is to grossly undersell the project's expansive insights into art, life and legacy. Here, backed by an estimated $120 million of the "Godfather" director's own money, is the sort of big swing audiences and critics have come to adore him for: a recklessly ambitious, ginormous epic in which humanity's eternal themes - greed, corruption, loyalty and power - threaten to suffocate a more intimate personal crisis. In this case, a conservative politician and a forward-thinking urban designer clash over the future of a city's future.

It's Coppola's fortune, and he can spend it as he likes, but grandiose title aside, it's not at all clear why "Megalopolis" needed to be made at such a large scale. For the press screening before its Cannes Film Festival premiere, he insisted that it be seen on the town's only Imax screen. And yet, so much of the film is shot in close-up, it would play just fine on iPhone screens (apart from the bizarre moment a man walks out, faces the screen and reads a few lines into a microphone). The cast is first-rate, pairing hot young stars like Adam Driver and Aubrey Plaza with Coppola veterans Laurence Fishburne and Giancarlo Esposito, though their performances are oddly cartoonish.

Though it's been three decades since Coppola's last triumph, Cannes audiences were hoping he might deliver another "Apocalypse Now." Turns out, world-building - that invaluable tool of 21st-century Hollywood franchises - may not be in his wheelhouse. Strangely enough, animation (rather than vfx-heavy live action) might have been a better way to tell such a story, helping to balance a tone that's Shakespearean at times (including a recitation of Hamlet's most famous monologue) and downright campy at others, as when a browless Shia LaBeouf quips, "Revenge tastes best while wearing a dress." Animation would've also given Coppola more control over a setting meant to synthesize modern New York, ancient Rome and the forests of Pandora. But as one character repeats in the film: "When we leap into the unknown, we prove that we are free."

In some corners of the real world (such as China and Saudi Arabia), leaders have sought to create forward-thinking "smart cities" from scratch. But that's not how thriving metropolises typically come to exist. Instead, they're built up and burned down, then they're rebuilt and improved in fits and starts, dragged into modernity - not without outrage and criticism - by visionary urban developers like Robert Moses (New York) and Georges-Eugène Haussmann (Paris). Men like Cesar Catilina, the fictional city planner single-handedly trying to drag New Rome into the future, whom Driver plays with the wild-eyed, monomaniacal intensity of Howard Roark (the speechifying architect in Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead").

Like such slow-to-evolve population centers, "Megalopolis" is positively awe-inspiring in some places and an absolute eyesore in others, until you pull back and try to take it all in. Only then can you see the unwieldy way old and new concepts crowd next to another, like an art deco skyscraper squeezed between a cathedral and a Starbucks. The film opens with Catilina stepping off an upper ledge of the Chrysler Building, at which point he commands time to stop. And it does. There, hovering 70-odd stories above the streets of New Rome, he takes a page not from Plutarch (who documented the Catilinarian conspiracy that loosely inspired Coppola), but from the Wachowskis. This time-freezing "Matrix" move - which immediately follows a Laurence Fishburne-narrated scene-setter - suggests something far more fantastical than what follows.

"Megalopolis" is not so much a sci-fi movie, as some have reported, as it is a sexless "Caligula," transposed to New Rome. The city looks like modern-day Manhattan, except that men sport bowl cuts and women wear see-through robes, made either of gauze or an innovative, all-purpose building material called Megalon, discovered by Catilina and central to his scheme to revamp the city. In this, he is opposed by "slumlord"-turned-mayor Franklyn Cicero (Esposito). The two first have it out at a high-concept press conference, where most of the film's key figures - including Jon Voight as obscenely rich oligarch Hamilton Crassus III and Plaza as manipulative TV personality Wow Platinum - navigate catwalks dangling amid a scale model of the city. Franklyn plans to erect a casino, whereas Catilina wants to create "a perfect school-city for its people, able to grow along with it."

To make these competing visions more interesting, Coppola introduces Franklyn's adult daughter, Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), an overexposed party girl who gets serious after witnessing Catilina "pause" a building demolition. (Coppola hatched the idea for the film decades ago, but abandoned an earlier plan to make it after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.) Much of the film's iconography and worldview seem frozen in time, just before and after the 2001 tragedy. What might have felt "too soon" for that moment now feels exasperatingly out of step with today's concerns, despite a handful of references to Donald Trump and the Jan. 6 riots (including an angry mob seen waving a Confederate flag).

Cicero isn't happy that his daughter has taken Catilina's side in the redevelopment scheme. And he's even more annoyed when Julia falls in love with his adversary, whom ex-DA Cicero once prosecuted over the death of his wife, still unsolved. That subplot introduces an element of ambiguity to Catilina's otherwise heroic-seeming character. As the film goes on, it feels that Coppola has projected himself onto both Cicero (whose first name, Franklyn, stems from "Francis") and Catilina (the artist-architect whose ambitions recall the director's costly Zoetrope Studios folly "One From the Heart"). Family matters to the former, as it clearly does to Coppola, while atoning for infidelity and his "bad boy" ways is part of Catilina's journey. Their power struggle pales compared to HBO's brilliant "Succession," though the film digs into what makes such time-stoppers tick. "When we ask these questions, when we have a dialogue about them, that basically is utopia," says Catilina.

At times, Coppola injects bawdy and outrageous moments into his "fable," which keeps the often-sentimental tale from becoming too self-important. Plaza and LaBeouf bring a satirical edge to their scenes, which recalls a previous Cannes debacle, "Southland Tales," in which Richard Kelly cast comic actors and outside-the-box celebrities (like Dwayne Johnson and Justin Timberlake) to heighten the absurdity. By contrast, most of Coppola's ensemble is composed of "serious" actors, which lends everything a stilted, almost theatrical quality, while angst-meister Driver taps into those deep wells of internal torment he brought to the "Star Wars" movies. When Catilina steps out onto a giant clock face floating high above New Rome, fuming about the obstacles in his way, he looks not unlike the sulky Kylo Ren.

And yet, apart from Megalon (which sounds suspiciously like James Cameron's laughable "Unobtanium"), the sci-fi elements here aren't so far from reality. At one point, characters refer to a Soviet satellite dumping radioactive debris on the city, and though Coppola depicts such a shower, no further mention is made of the disaster. Perhaps the budget didn't allow for it, which may also explain why no screentime is dedicated to the construction of Catilina's elaborate urban development project - though it certainly seems like Coppola spared no expense. Consider the wedding scene, so different from the one that opens "The Godfather." This one transforms Madison Square Garden into a decadent Roman arena, swinging between "Ben-Hur"-style chariot races and a Taylor Swift-sounding original song from Grace VanderWaal, "My Pledge."

So many big-city movies are told from ground level. That was Sidney Lumet's specialty, whereas Coppola takes us to the tippy top of the city's tallest building, or else looks out from floating I-beams on the glowing horizon, where it's magic hour all the time. The man made four masterpieces - "The Godfather," "The Conversation," "The Godfather Part II" and "Apocalypse Now" - and then he made a fortune off his vineyards. He's seen the world from the upper echelons, rubbed his share of elbows, made his share of mistakes. Instead of retiring comfortably with his wealth, Coppola's opted to bring us this message, which is part mission statement, part mea culpa. "Megalopolis" is anything but lazy, and while so many of the ideas don't pan out as planned, this is the kind of late-career statement devotees wanted from the maverick, who never lost his faith in cinema. But now that he's built it, will they come?

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31 Movie Remakes That People Believe Outshine The Original Films

"The original is classic, but the remake is masterful."

BuzzFeed Contributor

Recently, I asked the BuzzFeed Community to share a movie remake they like more than the original. The results were interesting, to say the least.

*NOTE* Not every remake is a line-for-line, shot-for-shot remake. It can be argued that some of these are re-imaginings and reboots. Don't stress over it too much. I am counting it if it is a movie with the same premise and title.

1. "The first movie I think of is the remake of The Parent Trap (1998) ."

2. " Denis Villeneuve ’s Dune (2021) is much better than the original Dune . I love both of them, but the original is more nostalgic as opposed to a captivating film. The acting in the new one is better, as is the CGI. I feel a stronger connection with the characters. Overall, just a better adaptation."

— freshdragon41

3. " The Lion King (2019) . I am a huge fan of grounded realism, and the voice talent was solid. The mood is there, there is more substance filled into this film, and it closes a handful of plot holes. It really feels like you're out there experiencing the world. I was immersed from start to finish, big and small. Sure, the humor is different, but the expansion of certain elements such as 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' being an ensemble, were some of my favorite highlights that made the film thrive."

—Anonymous, 20

4. " Mean Girls (2024). I love Reneé Rapp and she did so well."

— folklore_girly

5. "I have to say The Invisible Man (2020) with Elisabeth Moss . It was a damn good movie! It was a very interesting way to use the concept of the original Invisible Man (1933) as a basis for a more modern, sophisticated horror film!"

— fillionfan4002

6. " Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is better than Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory . Johnny Depp is just creepy enough, the oompa loopas were definitely better, and I love the backstory."

—Anonymous, 46

7. " The Karate Kid ( 2010) because Jackie Chan is a true martial artist and they expand the depth of the teacher."

—Anonymous, 26

8. " Ghostbusters (2016) with the gals. The original cast was great, but you know what, so were Kristin Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, and Kate McKinnon. Chris Hemsworth was hysterical as their assistant, too. I don’t understand the hate for this movie at all and never will."

—Anonymous, 54

9. "I'm gonna get roasted for this, but I genuinely liked the Beauty and the Beast (2017) more than the original. Emma Watson's acting in it is meh but everyone else was so wonderful. I loved the songs, the beast was great, the scenery was beautiful. It's become kind of a comfort film."

— taylora4e62a0521

10. " Pride & Prejudice (2005) . They did a good job of condensing the story to some of the more crucial parts while still communicating the classic love story. The cinematography is beautiful and the actors gave superb performances."

—Anonymous, 23

11. " Scarface (1983) is probably the greatest remake of all time since most people don't even know that there is an original movie."

—Anonymous, 40

12. " The Woman In Black (1989) might stick closer to the book's plot, but I vastly prefer the 2012 version. The Woman had pretty much stopped bothering to kill children in the original, so bringing back that threat made the whole thing much scarier."

— sushigal007

13. " True Grit (2010) is much better than the John Wayne version from 1969. I usually badmouth remakes, but this one is an exception."

— ablebaer16001

14. " A Star is Born (2018). I prefer the music in this one with songs like 'Shallow,' 'Black Eyes,' 'Always Remember Us This Way,' and many more. I like the acting better as well."

—Anonymous, 19

15. " Cinderella (2015). It had more backstory and depth than just 'man sees pretty woman and fancies himself in love.' We got to see Ella's life prior to the arrival of her step-mother, and more of the Prince's life, too, which I think added to the story. And let's be honest, the ballroom scene is just breathtaking!"

—Anonymous, 36

16. " The Producers (2005) remake is so much better than the 1968 film."

— mollyredsull

17. " Point Break (2015) is so much better than the original. Admittedly, the acting in the new one is atrocious (you can’t beat Patrick Swayze in that role), but man…those stunts and the cinematography are breathtaking."

—Anonymous, 32

18. "Possibly controversial, but I'm going to go with the Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) being better than the original. Whilst the original is more intense and has put me off playing the board game version for as long as I live, the remake is just more appealing to me."

— hobbitgirl96

19. "The new It (2017) is so much better."

— rlmarlatt32

20. "The remake of Carrie (2013) with Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore. The original is classic but the remake is masterful."

— smashley2017

21. "I'm gonna go with David Cronenberg's The Fly ...Cronenberg takes the premise and adds gory, gross realism to it and adds a level of tragedy not found in the original that just makes it more compelling."

— theskinnydude

22. " Little Women (2019) is a superior remake that far exceeds the original. It was never boring or slow and had me honestly completely convinced it would end differently. Also, every time Meryl Streep came on screen I was immediately addicted. She really is one of the greatest actresses of all time."

— rachelkdegnan

23. "Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria . I love the original Dario Argento version, but more as a campy horror flick. But Guadagnino's was just a crazier and more gut-wrenching experience. It took the basic plot of the original and expanded on it so much, and while the gore of the original is substantial, this one had some scenes that were just...wow."

24. " dredd. it seemed more real and kark urban did a great job. i also liked the original.".

—Anonymous, 71

25. "Rob Zombie's remake of Halloween— so dark and psychological; so intense compared to Carpenter's original."

—Anonymous, 52

26. " The Man Who Knew Too Much . Maybe it’s because the original is in black and white and the remake is in color, but I get the feeling Hitchcock felt better about doing it with James Stewart…and it shows."

—Anonymous, 56

27. " Sabrina (1995) . Harrison Ford threaded the line between aloof & warm better than Humphrey Bogart."

—Anonymous, 44 

28. " Don (2006) is better than the original Don (1978). The new one has better visuals, better fight sequences, and most of all, a better ending twist."

—Anonymous, 30

29. " Friday the 13th (2009) is a greatest hits album of the first four."

—Anonymous, 17

30. "The original Dawn of the Dead (1978) by George R. Romero was a classic. It was a great weekend midnight movie. However, Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead (2004) turned it into an action movie with amazing zombie gags, great acting, and an incredible music score. I can watch it over and over."

— charmingdragon98

31. And lastly, "John Carpenter's The Thing (1982). One of Kurt Russell's iconic performances in one of Carpenter's best-directed films. No CGI, fantastic practical effects by Rob Bottin."

I bet there is a remake you like more than the original. Let me know in the comment section below (And be nice to one another!).

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