How to Critique a Movie: Tips + Film Critique Example

How to write a film critique essay? To answer this question, you should clearly understand what a movie critique is. It can be easily confused with a movie review. Both paper types can become your school or college assignments. However, they are different. A movie review reveals a personal impression of the viewer. A movie critique, in its turn, aims to discuss the means of film production and give advice on what could be changed to make the film better.

Sounds challenging?

No worries, we are here to help!

This article by Custom-Writing.org experts contains useful tips on how to critique a movie and a great film critique example. Read on to learn more!

A film critique is an essay presenting your extended opinion about a movie. It analyzes the film’s impact, message, and cultural relevance. You can assess a movie’s artistic, narrative, and technical elements. Finally, your critique should show an overall contribution to cinematic artistry.

🎬 How to Critique a Movie: the Basics

Writing a movie critique means offering your insight and opinion on what was good and not that good with the movie and what made it intriguing to watch. There’s always something you like about the film and something you don’t. You may consider that the plot was good, but the special effects were horrible. Think of all the possible film production stages and try to look at them critically.

How to Critique a Movie: General Guidelines

• Choose a movie
• Specify the issues you are going to discuss and analyze in your paper
• Watch the movie several times: first to get a general idea of the film; second – to pay attention to the points that come into your sphere of interest
• Take notes while watching
• During your second watch, note the details you weren’t able to notice the first time
• Be specific
• Be objective

Criticizing does not mean expressing negative emotions. Too much pessimism will kill the reader’s desire to get closely acquainted with your writing. Even though the movie could be a real failure, try to present a sophisticated evaluation.

⚙️ Movie Critique: Key Elements of Any Film

Any film features several elements that you need to mention when you write your movie critique paper. Below in this section, you’ll find these elements’ descriptions and useful tips on analyzing them in your paper.

How to Critique a Film’s Plot

The plot is the flow of events and actions that consequently develop in a story. To discuss the film’s plot in your movie critique, you need to do the following:

• Decide whether the plot is predictable.
• Define whether some actions were unpredictable.
• If they were, express your views considering an unexpected turn of events that shocked you.
• See if the story corresponds to the characters’ motivations.

How to Critique a Film’s Structure

The movie’s structure is how the parts relate to each other or how the plot is built. Remember that the structure encompasses the following parts:

• Exposition (introducing the key characters and their circumstances)
• Rising action (mounting tension that leads to the story’s climax)
• Climax
• Falling action
• Denouement (a resolution that brings the story to an end)

How to Critique the Movie’s Characters

Characterization is the description of the characters’ personalities, beliefs, motivations, etc. To discuss the film’s characterization in your movie critique, you need to do the following:

• Concentrate on specific movie characters.
• Set your priorities: some movie characters do not need any serious analysis.
• See if the characters’ dress, talk, act, or look corresponds with the impression they should create.
• Remember that the better the characters are developed, the more character-driven the story is.
• Consider that the right motivation of the characters makes the audience believe the story.

How to Criticize the Movie’s Dialogues

A dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters. To analyze the dialogues in your movie critique, do the following:

• Remember that good dialogues should not be protracted as they are to sound natural.
• See if there is a logical development of the conversation.
• Watch the body language of the actors and decide whether their gestures correspond to their words or not.

How to Criticize the Movie’s Scenes

A scene is a self-contained episode within a larger work. To discuss the scenes in your movie critique, you should do the following:

• Determine whether the scenes were well-played by the actors and well-shot by the operator.
• Mind that they are to develop smoothly as a part of a larger dramatic unit.
• Remember that scenes should build a chain that makes up the story.
• Examine if they contain some conflict and how the characters typically react to it.
• Try to follow through each scene to make sure that it properly transitioned into the next one.

🧱 Movie Critique Outline

The general structure of a movie critique resembles the structure of an essay.

• Start with an introduction. There you are to provide necessary information about the film, make a summary of the plot, state your thesis, and give readers a clue on what your critique will be about.
• Divide the main body into several paragraphs. Explain your thesis there and examine each point separately. Do not forget to provide examples.
• End writing your movie critique with a conclusion. It should summarize everything and give answers to the questions raised in the paper.

Go over your paper to eliminate factual and spelling/grammar/punctuation mistakes. A good structure is a basis and a necessary condition of a successful paper.

💡 Top Phrases to Use while Writing a Film Critique

Now that you know all the essential elements of a movie critique structure, it’s high time to consider how to present your information in the most digestible and impressive way. A list of common phrases and set expressions in your movie critique writing will make your content more engaging, diverse, and easy to read.

Give your opinion on the topic and analyze the movie rather than just summarizing the content. Make use of persuasive words that would be helpful and appropriate to your readers.

Movie Genre

• Thriller
• Drama
• Comedy
• Adventure
• Crime and Gangster
• Epics/Historical
• Horror
• Western
• Science
• Musical

Producer, Director

• Produced by…
• Directed by…
• The movie is expertly directed by…
• This movie is based on a book…

Actors, Characters

• Warm-hearted, appealing, fascinating
• The characters were very convincing because…
• Exceptional performance
• Fervently performed
• The performance of… in… is excellent

Film’s Plot

• Well-directed, amusing, exciting, boring, clichéd, confusing, entertaining, exciting, melodramatic, thrilling, unbelievable, surprising, full of tension
• The plot reaches a climax when…
• Develop a story
• Non-linear/fragmented narrative
• Full of unexpected plot twists
• One of the most unbelievable/entertaining moments in the film occurs when…

Assessment, Evaluation

• A must-see/worth seeing/not to be missed/a smash hit/an impressive debut
• An emotional movie/it brought tears to my eyes
• A truly great/skillful piece of filmmaking
• I would definitely recommend this film to anyone who likes…
• On a scale from zero to five, I’d give this film a four because…
• I strongly/highly recommend watching this film because…
• If you like…, you shouldn’t miss this movie.
• I certainly wouldn’t recommend the film, and here’s why…
• Unfortunately, this movie is a complete waste of time because…
• I was impressed/surprised by…

👀 Film Critique Examples

Below you’ll find a downloadable movie critique example. Other samples can be found here:

• Selma: Historical Drama Film by Ava DuVernay
• Christian Symbolism and Imagery in “The Matrix” Film
• “The Morning Guy” Film Analysis
• “Night of the Living Dead” a Film by George Romero
• “Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope” by George Lucas

Movie Critique Example: Hitchcock’s North by Northwest

Movie Critique Essay Topics

1. Review of the film The Corporation.
2. Philosophical questions in Through a Glass Darkly by Ingmar Bergman.
3. Discuss the symbolism in the film Hacksaw Ridge.
4. Analyze the impersonation of Elizabeth Bennet by Keira Knightley in Pride and Prejudice (2005).
5. Evaluate the meaning of the setting in the movie Mean Girls by Mark Walters.
6. Explore the similarities and differences of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter movies.
7. Describe the characters of Duke Bill’s Not Easily Broken.
8. Analyze the rhetoric of the film Salt by Phillip Noyce.
9. The importance of the teacher’s role in the movie Freedom Writers.
10. Analyze the characters of the film The Green Mile.
11. Social mobility and racial biases in Paul Haggis’s film Crash.
12. Compare the semantic message of the movies West Side Story (1961) and Romeo + Juliet (1996).
13. The role of sound and costume choice in the film Inception by Christopher Nolan.
14. Examine the depiction of disproportionate female objectification in the documentary Miss Representation.
15. Discuss the techniques Fellini uses to depict the paradoxes and contradictions of the real world in his film La Dolce Vita.
16. The problem of selfhood and identity in the movie The Boy in The Striped Pajamas by Mark Herman.
17. The core theme of Werner Fassbinder’s The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant.
18. Analyze the film Erin Brockovich.
19. The serious messages in the comedies Educating Rita and Small-Time Crooks.
20. Describe the characters of The Wizard of Oz (1939).
21. Discuss the similarities and differences of the events in the film The Crucible and the real history of Salem.
22. Analyze the depiction of ethical dilemmas and emotional conflicts in the movie Juno.
23. The peculiarities of Martin Scorsese’s film The Aviator.
24. Allegory in Robert Redford’s film Lions for Lambs.
25. Critique of the film Secret Window.
26. The sociological significance of the Lone Survivor by Peter Berg.
27. Describe the filmmaking techniques used in the documentary film The Interrupters.
28. Analyze the significance of the opening scene of the Citizen Kane.
29. Examine the main woman character of David Fincher’s film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
30. Discuss the setting of Sleepy Hollow by Tim Burton.
31. The main concepts of Christopher Nolan’s film Interstellar.
32. Analytical critique of the movie Signs.
33. Discuss the theme of the film Love, Simon by Greg Berlanti.
34. Explore the major theme and objectives of Blood Diamond by Edward Zwick.
35. The problem of choice in Gone Baby Gone by Ben Affleck.
36. Describe the filmmaking techniques used to portray a historical period in The Patriot.
37. Analyze the rhetorical strategies in Laurence Olivier’s film Henry V.
38. Discuss the philosophy of the film Les Intouchables.
39. The leading theme of Catch Me If You Can by Steven Spielberg.
40. Analyze the movie Rear Window.
41. Analyze the message of the film Home by Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
42. The role of visuals in the movie My Family/ Mi Familia.
43. Examine the rhetorical techniques used in Jordan Peele’s horror film Us.
44. Split: movie critique.
45. The importance of geography and landscapes in The Sound of Music by Robert Wise.

Now you can confidently claim that you know how to write a movie critique and even have a whole list of helpful vocabulary you can include.
We hope that these tips were helpful and that your next critical paper about a movie will be a success. Be sure to check out our blog for more useful articles!

🔗 References

1. Merriam-Webster “Critique” Definition
2. Structuring a Premise for Stronger Stories
3. Merriam-Webster “Original” Definition
4. Merriam-Webster “Motif” Definition
5. Duke Writing Studio’s Film Review Guide
6. Tips for Writing a Film Review
7. How to Analyze a Movie: A Step-by-Step Guide
8. Tips for Writing a Review
9. Summary: Using it Wisely