MOVIE REVIEW
I. Writing the Introduction
1. Start with a compelling fact, quote, or opinion on the movie.
You want to get the reader hooked immediately. This sentence needs to give them a feel for
your review and the movie – is it good, great, terrible, or just okay? – and keep them
reading.
2. Give a clear, well-established opinion early on.
Don't leave the reader guessing whether you like the movie or not. Let them know early on,
so that you can spend the rest of the time "proving" your rating.
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.
3. Support your opinions with evidence from specific scenes.
This is where taking notes during the movie really pays off. It’s hard to sway other people
with your opinion if you can't give facts that support your argument.
4. Create an original thesis based on your analysis.
Come up with a thesis, a central idea to discuss and back up with your observations on the
various elements of the film.
Ask yourself the following questions to come up with a compelling thesis for your review:
Does the film reflect on a current event or contemporary issue?
Does the film seem to have a message, or does it attempt to elicit a specific
response or emotion from the audience?
Does the film connect with you on a personal level?
II. Composing your Review
1. Follow your thesis paragraph with a short plot summary.
Give a brief summary of the plot in which you identify the main characters, describe the
setting, and give a sense of the central conflict or point of the movie. Never break the
number one rule of movie reviews: don't give too much away. Don't ruin the movie for your
readers!
2. Start to talk about the film’s technical and artistic choices.
Plot is just one piece of a movie, and shouldn't dictate your entire review. Some movies
don't have great or compelling plots, but that doesn't mean the movie itself is bad. Other
things to focus on include:
Cinematography, Tone, Music and Sound, and Acting.
3. Move into your analysis of the movie.
Write several paragraphs discussing interesting elements of the movie that support your
thesis. Discuss the acting, the direction, the cinematography, the setting, and so on, using
clear, entertaining prose that keeps your readers engaged.
4. Use plenty of examples to back- up your points.
Describe the way scenes look, the way a certain person acted, camera angles, and so on.
You can quote dialogue to help you make your points as well. In this way you are giving your
readers a feel for the movie and continuing to express your critique of the film at the same
time.
5. Give it some personality.
If your writing style is usually witty and funny, your review should be no exception. If you're
serious and dramatic, that works, too. Let your language and writing style reflect your
unique perspective and personality - it's much more entertaining for the reader.
6. Bring your review full-circle in the ending.
Remember, people read reviews to decide whether or not they should watch a movie. End
on a sentence that tells them whether it’s worth seeing. Try to make your conclusion
entertaining, too!
CRITIQUE
What is a CRITIQUE?
A critique is a form of academic writing that critically evaluates a work or text.
It uses formal academic language and has an introduction, body, and conclusion.
The purpose of a critique is to gauge the contribution of the work to its field.
It will help us develop further understanding of the work’s subject area.
The purpose of a critique is to gauge the contribution of the work to its field. It will help us
develop further understanding of the work’s subject area.
A critique paper does not have to be restricted to written works.
It can be used to analyze paintings, exhibits, music, and many more non-written works.
Writing an Effective Critique
Approaching a Work
Your goal should be to help improve a person’s writing or to guide others in choosing which
articles to read or avoid.
There are some things you must keep in mind as you begin to read the work.
First, be genuine in your critique.
Keep in mind your goal to help improve the person’s writing or to properly assess a work for the
benefit of others.
A balanced, unbiased critique is more helpful than an overly nice or harsh one.
In relation to harshness, you should also avoid being brutal in your critiques.
It is important that you can express hard truths without being rude or malicious about them.
Your criticism will be taken more seriously by readers and other authors if it is clear that the goal
of your critique is to help them and not to be mean.
Do not be too timid either.
It is often necessary to give your honest comments about another person’s work as this will help
him or her improve on his or her work.
Be sure not to hold out on your criticisms.
Readers should know what the strengths of work are so that they know what good they can
expect from it.
Authors also need encouragement when they are able to do something right.
It keeps them motivated to improve their craft.
It serves as a guide on what they should repeat in their next work, as they have already done it
successfully before.
Dos and Don’ts in Writing a Critique
Do:
Read the piece several times.
Try to understand the author's goals.
Be specific in your feedback and provide relevant examples.
Don’t:
Impose your own aesthetics, tastes, or worldview.
Rewrite the story the way you would have written it.
Discourage the author.
Offer criticisms that are too general to help the author make specific improvements.
Critiquing Works of Art
Critiquing pictures, paintings, and other works of art can be tricky.
It is not exactly the same as critiquing written works.
However, it can follow the same format and features as any other critique.
I. Description
First, you have to describe the work of art in question.
This is similar to summarizing a written work before critiquing it.
Here are some questions you can answer in order to describe a work of art:
What is the name of the artwork, when was it made, and who is its creator?
What medium did the artist use for the artwork?
What colors, shapes, textures, etc. did the artist use?
II. Analysis
The next step in writing a critique is to evaluate the elements of the painting mentioned in the
description and how they connect to one another.
Here are some sample questions you can answer in order to form your analysis:
Do the points complement one another?
Do they create harmony or distress?
How are the principles of art applied in the painting?
Balance: Is the artwork symmetrical, in that elements found on one side are also found on the other, or
is it asymmetrical, in which the work is balanced by contrasting elements on either side? Or does it make
use of radial symmetry, where elements are spaced equally around a central point?
Contrast: How does the artwork make use of positive and negative space? Are the colors used
complementary to each other?
Emphasis: Did the artist create any area that commands the viewers’ attention? How? Is it effective?
Movement: How does the artwork simulate movement? Is it effective?
Unity/Variety: Are the elements of the painting too unified, which creates monotony, or are they too
varied, which creates chaos? How does the painting strike a balance between the two, if it does?
III. Interpretation
Now, think about what the message or goal of the artwork is through its elements and use of the
principles of art.
Some questions you can answer are the following:
What comes to mind when you look at the artwork?
What emotions do you think the artist wants to evoke?
In your opinion, what does the creator want to say through the artwork?
IV. Judgment
Finally, express your overall opinions on the artwork.
Here are some questions you can use to formulate your opinion:
How does the artwork make you feel?
Is the work successful or not?
Does the artwork seem original or not?
Would you recommend this artwork for viewing to your target audience?
