How to write a Movie Review? The Complete Guide

A movie review is a process of watching, analyzing, and ultimately forming an unbiased idea or opinion about a film and its different aspects. According to research from the University of Hampshire, consumers prefer movie reviews written by other consumers. So, there is no need to become a professional critic to write a film review.

Furthermore, statistics show that 20% of individuals always read a review before watching a movie, while 33% will do it sometimes. Hence we can say that writing a movie review is crucial in determining a consumer’s judgment. It can help promote a movie or give insights into the future financial status of a film.

So, what does it take to write a good movie review? To get the answer, we will guide you through the five crucial steps that make up a good film review. In the end, you will be able to write an excellent review each time you watch a film.

What are the 10 Things you should never do while writing a movie review? Get the answers at the end of this article!

Most Common Movie Review Format

Before going to the steps, let’s take a look at the things that make up a good movie review. The movie review format usually comprises of;

1. Movie introduction
2. Story summary
3. Plot element analysis
4. Supported opinion with story and examples
5. A conclusion that stamps the final verdict

Following these things can help in adding more meaning to your review. So try to keep these things in mind while writing a review. Below we’ll provide detailed instructions, but don’t hesitate to ask do my paper service for writing help if you struggle with it.

The 5 Steps for Writing a Good Movie Review

1.     Watching the Movie

You are trying to curate a genuine review about a movie. The first thing to do is watch the entire film. It will stream new ideas into your mind and help in understanding the storyline.

Further, to save your time and remember vital information, note the details while watching the movie. You cannot revive or track every detail with just your memory. Hence, you should always cache every detail in a notebook.

2. Research and Analyze

Relying upon the details acquired through watching the movie is not enough. You will need to dive further by conducting additional research. Moreover, research can give extra information about things, such as filmmaker name, history, locations, and actors, thus adding more depth to your review.

Research is crucial and should be done before writing a review. You need to know things like film title, lead actors, and genre before writing the review. If you don’t know them, then the likelihoods are that you will faint during the writing process.

3. Outline and Introduction

Once you are done with the research and analysis, you need to draft an outline. It will help in making decisions about the structure you will follow while writing a review. You can also decide what content of your data should come at the start or the end.

In this way, you will be able to set your text structure and prioritize it according to the value of the information. Next, complete your outline and move on to writing the introduction. You must also remember that introduction is the most crucial part of your review. If it is confusing or unattractive, your reader won’t stay for long.

You can make your introduction more compelling by adding more valuable information. For instance, adding a fact in the first paragraph can be a good idea.

4. Give a Summary

After writing your outline and paragraph, what you need to do next is write a general summary. Giving the reader an overview of the story is good practice since it helps them in knowing the worth of a movie. Therefore, always include a summary which mentions brief detail about the plot.

Interestingly, the prospect of writing a movie review is to summarize the movie to a reader. So as a reviewer, you must mention details and tell whether the filmmaker failed or flourished. Keep your review concise, and don’t add surplus information.

5. Wrap Up Smartly

Finally, before ending, cohesively explain your central idea. It should contain advice on whether the movie is worth watching or not. Since this is the last stage of your evaluation process, it is also the place where you will have to put your verdict.

You can recall back to your thesis and mention the main concepts in the form of a summary. Tell the reader to watch the movie or leave it. You can also give grades or scores to rate the film, giving new instincts to the reader.

6 Tips for Writing an Effective Movie Review

1. Always take notes while watching a movie for an accurate review.
2. Remember that you are writing for someone who has not watched the movie yet. So by including spoilers, you end their interest.
3. After expressing your opinion, you need to give genuine reasons for your criticism.
4. Try to synchronize your movie review with your audience.
5. Although you are ambitious about writing a unique opinion, there is no sin in taking ideas from people who have already reviewed a film.
6. After evaluating edit, and nullify any error present in your text. You should try your best to avoid conventional grammar mistakes.
7. Once you are done with the review, it’s best to adopt digital marketing techniques like SEO marketing, specifically through firms like SEO Melbourne, Social Media Marketing, and paid campaigns to promote your movie review. You can even avail the services of an internet marketing agency for this purpose.

Writing a Good Movie Review: 10 Things to Avoid While Writing a Movie Review

You can write a good movie review by avoiding these mistakes. Here are five things you should try to avoid while writing a film review!

1. Discussing irrelevant things
2. Writing a review without outline or planning.
3. Giving your personal opinion without considering the facts.
4. Intentionally giving a biased opinion.
5. Including false or ambiguous details regarding a movie.
6. Overusing sentences in the text.
7. Getting too personal.
8. Mentioning another movie in your review.
9. You are not supposed to retell the whole story. Focus on the general points.
10. Giving reviews regarding a movie without watching it.

What was the best movie review you came across? Share your answer below!

Author Bio:
Shoaib provides ghostwriting and copywriting services. His educational background in the technical field and business studies helps him in tackling topics ranging from career and business productivity to web development and digital marketing. He occasionally writes articles for Dynamologic Solutions.