Calcutta International Cult Film Festival

10 things to keep in mind while writing a Film Review

The importance of a film review is absolutely crucial to the impact that the film will have on anyone who wants to understand the nitty gritties of the film. A proper film review helps the viewers to know whether it’s worth a watch or not. Apart from this, a good film review will help the viewers to learn about the characters, their roles on screen, the script, background and also the people who were involved in making the film. The success or failure of a film highly depends upon the kind of review that goes out to the public. Nowadays anyone and everyone can write a review on a film they have recently watched and hence, a review becomes very important in bridging the gap between the viewer and the moving picture.

There are certain guidelines that one should maintain to write a review on a film. This is specifically because a proper review has all the potential in either creating a positive impression about the film, or ruining it. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss about the things to keep in mind before writing a proper film review.

1. Go beyond the storyline: It is important to go beyond the premise and one’s general opinion regarding the film while writing an in-depth review of the film. One should keep in mind to talk about the themes, style, sound, narrative structure, acting, direction, etc.

2.Must watch the entire film: Before writing a review on any film, it is advisable to watch the entire film at least once, if not multiple times. This may give the writer ample scope to find out any detail that was necessary for the review, but was overlooked earlier. Taking notes can also help us channel our thoughts better.

3.Expressing own opinions: The person who’s writing a review should never shy away from expressing what he/she feels about a film whether it’s bad, good or indifferent. A lot of readers depend on these personal opinions before deciding to spend money on a movie and invest their time in watching it.

4.Knowing the audience: No matter what platform you’re writing for, it always helps to know who your readers are. Understanding the readers of a platform is beneficial in constructing the desired content.

5. Mention the directors, cinematographers and visual effects artists: Always make it a habit to mention the names of the people without whom the film wouldn’t have been a success. Even if you noticed certain missteps on their behalf, it is recommended those reflect on your review.

6. Do not giveaway spoilers: A reviewer should never spoil a movie for his readers. It is important to draw their attention to the main plot of the film, but one should keep in mind not to give away too many details about how the film ends as it’ll ruin the entire movie for them.

7. Re-check and Reread: Before submitting a review to any platform, it is advisable that the review is thoroughly checked for grammatical errors and mistakes. Readers will not take your opinion seriously if they find spelling mistakes or other errors.

8. Evaluate the film: One of the many things that a reviewer can do is to rate the actors, direction, cinematography, etc. Whether the process of making the film was flawed or the actors performed brilliantly, every minute detail will make your review impressive.

9. Check out professional reviews: This is another simple, yet very effective process that a new writer can adopt. Browsing other reviews will give you tips and provide you with necessary details that you can include in your review.

10. Draw a conclusion: Ending your review on a proper note is very crucial to what kind of response it’ll get. One can give a percentage score or a passing grade which will tie your analyses together and thus present your review in a constructive and cohesive manner.

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