Are you here because your teacher has asked you to write an essay about a movie review? Then you’re at the right place. While many consider the task easy, it’s one of the most demanding assignments you’ll ever accomplish as a student. However, with a little effort, adequate research, and proper preparation, you can achieve it in a few hours.
However, unlike a movie review essay for class submission, professional ones may take weeks to put together, requiring well-crafted lesson plans. That aside, there are a few critical steps you must make to craft a winning piece. We’ve put them together in this article to help you create engaging and thought-provoking movie reviews for college. Read on to find your bearing in the world of blockbuster entertainment.
Why Is Writing a Movie Review Important?
Writing a movie review isn’t just about fun. It serves a few critical purposes, making it an even more important endeavor for students. For instance, it allows you to express and share your opinions with others, which can help them make informed decisions. It would be unjust not to say that sometimes reviewers get it all wrong. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Predator 1987, received negative critic ratings but was widely popular among film enthusiasts. Despite the few misses, it’s important to add your voice to the discussions.
Additionally, writing a movie review helps you develop and sharpen your critical thinking. You become a smarter thinker by engaging in mental exercises. The demands of the task, including the analysis of a film’s plot, characters, acting, cinematography, and soundtrack, can improve your mental capabilities significantly.
Thirdly, it can allow you to develop your creativity. Writing essays about our interests can spark a new level of ingenuity in us. This is especially true when you try new ideas and concepts in Sci-Fi movies. Moreover, since the rules of writing movie review essays are more flexible than those of research papers, you can experiment with different styles and techniques, developing your skills even further.
Let’s not forget that writing can be one of the most fulfilling hobbies around. So, if you enjoy putting words to paper, why not do it for the fun and thrill? The fulfillment from doing what you love is immeasurable. You can go a step further and do it for a pay! That way, you’ll be providing invaluable feedback for filmmakers and the film industry, while earning a living in the process.
Lights, Camera, Action: 10 Steps to Write a Review Essay on a Movie
Now that we know how important writing a movie review is, it’s time for the steps. Lights, camera, action!
Step 1: Watch the movie attentively
You can’t write a movie review essay about a film you’ve not watched. It’s impossible. But we’re not talking about just watching it, we mean – attentively. You must view the movie to understand it. See and hear what others can’t because a solid review is often about the fine margins. If possible, replay the film several times.
Step 2: Take notes
Ensure that you take notes while watching the movie. Some films are incredibly long, making it impossible to remember everything. Taking notes will keep you updated and prevent missing any important stuff. You can sort your texts by themes, plots, or characters.
Step 3: Analyze the plot and storyline
This is one of the most critical steps in the assignment. Begin by summarizing the main events in the film and their sequences. For example, in Last Blood, the CIA betrays Arnold Schwarzenegger, he moves away to a quiet life, he’s drawn out when mercenaries attack his wife and finds himself back into the government’s missions. While the order is important, the flow is crucial. So, assess how the movie’s characters develop and their changing roles.
Step 4: Acting performances
The performances of an actor can make or break a movie. If you’ve been privileged to watch Viola Davis, then you understand what we mean. Good acting breathes life into a film, making it relatable and moving. So, examine if any actor is out of character or simply unimpressive. For instance, while Dwayne Johnson is a great actor, his impression of Danny DeVito was plain stupid and bad acting.
Step 5: Cinematography
Cinematography isn’t just about aesthetics, it plays a significant role in enhancing viewing experiences, especially in this age of MCU. Deeply examine how the film plays around with visual effects such as framing, camera angles, lighting, color palette, and shot composition. These elements are critical for making a movie watchable – they can uplift the mood and improve visual appeal.
Step 6: Critique the directing and editing
The Game of Thrones, one of the most celebrated TV shows of all time, treated us to several bloopers. For a show set in ancient times, one of its cities had modern water pipes, Stannis Baratheon had a laptop charger in the battlefield, and, perhaps, the most talked about was the Starbucks coffee cup blunder in season eight, episode four. Look out for such editing mistakes and explain how they affect the film.
Step 7: Sound and music
You should examine the use of music and sound. Directors carefully choose the right media for their movies. Determine if their inclusion is justified. If they’re unoriginal, dig into their background and establish their relevance to the film.
Step 8: Themes
Discuss the main themes that emerge in the film, clearly articulating the lessons intended for the audience. Every movie has at least one message. If you can’t find it, then rewatch it. However, most works have multiple themes to explore. But if you can’t figure them out, reach out to professionals like CustomWritings essay writing service. It’s a reputable writing company with experts in movie reviews and other academic papers. They can provide a sample or help you draft one from scratch.
Step 9: Recommendations
Your opinion is important in this task. As such, you should provide it without any fear or hesitation. Let your readers know what your overall take is. If possible, score the movie.
Step 10: Revise and edit
No writing task is complete without revision. Invest a few minutes into the text for proofreading and editing. This will allow you to remove any mistakes. Remember, a simple grammatical error can ruin a well-researched paper. Don’t take any chances.
Small Means Much in Movie Reviews!
Reviewing movies can be a tasking job. It takes hours of screen time and an eye for details to make it. Yet, many successful reviews started off worse than you are. So, you have every reason to go for it. However, remember that the difference between a celebrated reviewer and an ordinary one is the ability to see small things that the rest ignore or fail to see. If you can hack that, you’ll be on your way to stardom!
