Film Review

Video/Film Review Criteria

The quality of your paper depends on the level of organization you implement. Never underestimate the importance of well-structured outline, regardless of the type of paper you have to write. Outlines help you focus on the subject and contribute to a logical flow.

Here's how to organize your video/film review:

· Introduction (title, release date, background information)

· Summary of the video/film

· Opinion (supported with examples and facts from the video/film)

· Conclusion (announcing whether the filmmaker was successful in his/her purpose, re-state your evidence, explain how the video/film was helpful for providing a deeper understanding of a course topic) INCLUDE 3 THINGS YOU LEARNED OR “TOOK AWAY” FROM THE FILM(S)

Video/Film Review Elements

· The title of the film/documentary– just because your headline features the name of the video/film it doesn’t mean you should skip mentioning it in the text. Always name the feature you’ve watched in the introductory paragraph. This may seem like a stupid thing to point out, but it’s one of the most common mistakes that students make.

· Summary– the whole point of the review is to summarize the video/film for people who haven’t watched it yet. To make this as effective as possible, always assume that your professor hasn’t seen it either (as mentioned above). Why is this important? You won’t leave out some important details thinking he/she watched it already so they won’t bother. As a reviewer, your job is to explain what happened in the video/film and express whether the filmmaker failed or succeeded. Again, saying you liked or disliked it isn’t a viable comment. Your opinion has to be supported by specific reasons and examples from the feature itself

· Significance to the class– How does the content of the video/film fit into your course topic? Including 3 things you learned while viewing.

Checklist / Outline for a Good Video/Film Review

· Introduction (title, topic, release date, background information)

· Accuracy of depiction

· Use of sources in the film

· Your opinion

· Conclusion

· Did I include 3 things that I learned?

Mistakes to Avoid

· Not focusing on the video/film – strive to avoid writing about unnecessary details or introducing irrelevant information

· Inserting yourself – you’re the one who’s writing the review. The paper reflects your understanding and opinion of the video/film you’ve seen and there is no need to write in first person all the time: I noticed this…, I saw that…, I liked this…, I disliked that…,

· Giving out your opinion without mentioning any reason why you think that way

· Talking about irrelevancies

· Writing a review without a structure

· Writing generalities such as great acting, cool effects, a good video, it was bad,…  

· Writing a review without substance or analysis of the video/film*

* Assignment adapted from: https://edusson.com/blog/how-to-write-movie-review (Links to an external site.)