Film Review: 6 Key Steps for a Perfect Review

A film review typically contains a short description of the film and what the reviewer feels about it. Therefore, it can be both formal and informal. The focus of this guide is the formal/scholarly film review as this is what students are most likely to encounter during their time in college.

It is noteworthy that in this type of review, students should make use of formal language. Below are the steps and tips that you can use to come up with a good film review that will be impressive to your instructor:

Steps to Follow When Writing a Film Review

  • The film to review: If you are a student in college, the chances are that you have been given film reviews by your instructor. However, if you are left to make a choice, then there may be certain criteria that the film has to meet as set by the instructor. Take note of such minor instructions as they may go a long way in determining the type of film you review.
  • After choosing, ensure that you watch the film, twice preferably. While this may seem unnecessary, the second round of watching is important because, at this point, you can take notes of characters that stand out any critical scenes that you believe affect the plot. Also, you can analyze the characters in detail. Watching the film once is barely sufficient.
  • Read about the movie, the producer and note interesting facts such as whether it is based on fiction or real-life, the process of production, interesting facts about the crew and cast, location and budget.
  • Start with writing the introduction: This part of the film review should be laden with information about the film so that the reader can easily identify which it is. This is where you include the important details you noted down during the second round of watching. Note the name of the film, who directed it and who the members of the cast are. Additionally, make notes about the characters, the year of production and premiere.
  • After the introduction, you begin to write the body. This includes an analysis of the plot, how the actors performed and the vision the director had. Include an explanation of what you would have approached differently in the film and include instances from the movie.
  • After writing the body of the review, it is only logical to include a conclusion. At this point, you should state your perception of the film and what the audience thought as well. Your perception should include a portion about whether you can recommend the film and to what audience. This recommendation should come alongside a rationale as you cannot just state an opinion without evidence.

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All Homework Solutions gives a student the opportunity to learn to express their opinion in the film review in a way that will impress the instructor and earn them marks. Apart from film review tasks, our writers also provide custom-writing services for other assignments.

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Selecting A Film for The Review

When choosing a film, it is important to consider a film which you have certain sentiments about. Thus, you do not have to necessarily like or dislike the film, but it should evoke emotions in you. This makes it easier for you as the student to give an honest review.

Points to Consider When Writing Film Reviews

  • Watch the film because reading on the internet or reading another writer’s film review will leave you prejudiced and predisposed to other opinions that may not be yours. At some point, however, it is important that you get acquainted with the ideas and perceptions of the wider audience for purposes of basic information about the film.
  • Reflect sufficiently on the film and watch it a second time before writing the review.
  • To get a better idea of the production process, watch interviews with the actors and the behind the scenes footage.
  • You can also write the film review by choosing a distinct scene that you liked and analyzing it in details. Avoid being a spoiler, however, especially if the scene is close to the end by describing too much about the scene. Instead, focus on other elements such as setting, characters, use of dialogue, the performance of the cast and music.
  • Always keep the target audience in mind as you watch the movie and prepare to write the film review. Consider your position and whether you relate to the audience or not.

While this guide aims at making the process of writing a film review easy, some students may still face challenges such as lack of sufficient time when writing. If this happens, please contact us and we can help restore the faith that you will complete your film review assignment successfully.

It may also interest you to discover our other types of review writing assignments:

How to write interesting movie reviews.

What is an article review?

Best tips for writing excellent book reviews.

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