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Many high school and college courses assign movie reviews as part of the curriculum, but few students know how to write a good one if they have never done it before. Instead of sitting staring at a blank document thinking, “I wish someone would just write my paper for me” keep reading. We have some advice for you that will make the process easier.
To begin, we want to preface all the advice in this article by urging you to first check with your syllabus and class notes to ensure that the format and the information in your paper meet the guidelines set forth by your professor. Do not deviate from the prescribed form or you might fail the assignment, even if you decide to get help. With that in mind, let’s look at the necessary steps involved in writing a good movie review.
#1 – Watch the Movie
Watch it at least twice. The first time through, watch. The second time through, take notes on the following details:
Character names and the actors who play them
The basic plot (without spoilers)
Your analysis
Interesting facts about the production
#2 – Organize an Outline
Start by mapping out a plot summary in simple sentences. Save the details for the finished paper. Don’t give away key plot points or spoil the ending. Think regarding who, what, where, when, etc. This segment is just the facts. You’ll have time to give your opinion later.
Next, outline all the major characters, their traits, and their roles in the story. Again, just the facts. Don’t give any opinions about the characters, report what they do or how they are presented.
Once you’ve laid out the facts, now it’s time to delve into your opinions. Your analysis can be either positive or negative. Even if you hated the movie, though, it is a good idea to find a few good things to say about it. If you disliked the story but felt the movie was still well-acted, say so. If you thought there were issues with the story, holes in the plot, or the character interactions you found unlikely or unbelievable, mention them, but also suggest what the movie did right.
Along the way, include anything about the production that might have influenced the overall quality of the movie or the experience of watching it. Did they replace the director halfway through like Disney did with Solo? Did they scrap an entire role and reshoot with another actor like in Back to the Future? How, in your opinion, did these changes affect the finished product?
#3 – Write Your Draft
Now it’s time to take your outline and expand on the points. If you watched the whole movie and made notes in real time, this should be easy. If you’re still struggling, you can get help from an essay writing service or other academic writing agency to assist you in polishing up your ideas. This option should be used as either a last resort or a learning tool. The bulk of the information and how it is presented should reflect your understanding and opinion of the movie.
#4 – Proofread and Finalize
You will almost always discover that you forgot a detail here and there, so it is essential to proofread. You might even learn a bit more about the movie during and after writing your first draft, so any new information should also be included. If possible, watch the movie once more before settling on a final draft for submission.
#5 – Have Fun With It
As a parting thought, this is likely to be one of the less painful assignments of your academic career. Take it seriously, but enjoy. Most academic papers don’t leave as much room for opinion or self-expression as this one will so take advantage of the more casual nature of the assignment. You will find that less labor-intensive writing assignments like this one will help you build and develop core writing skills that will serve you well on stricter assignments in the future.