If you do not know how to write a movie review, this short informative tutorial will help you. Presenting your personal analytical perspective is the first thing you need to remember to start writing a film review. Furthermore, using quotes from movie scenes effectively, but without focusing on summarizing events is another point to consider.

1. Outline of a Film Review Paper

Part	Description
Introduction	Include film name and genre (action, drama, documentary, thriller, etc.), producer or director, a hook, short movie decription, and a thesis statement with the main message of the film
Short Summary (up to 2 paragraphs)	Description of what the film is about, its audience, short story line and timeline, and scenes that are important for imparting the message of the movie and supporting its purpose
Analysis and Review	Casting, actors, performance; issues or problems raised and into which actors get or find themselves; their relation to life experience, present-day topics, challenges, or the situation; the use of convincing ideas and evidence in movie scenes to disclose such issues; strengths and weaknesses
Conclusion	Recommendations to watch or not and personal emotional response based on summarizing the main points above

Based on the table above, take into account the following points. Importantly, in introduction, you can use some quote or scene from the film to draw reader’s attention to the movie’s message. Furthermore, in analysis, you an include in-text citations to others sources that can support film’s relevance to present-day issues.

While watching the movie to review, write a draft, using the outline above. Include short key phrases in the description parts for you to develop them further. Highlight important points while taking notes related to the key movie ideas.

2. How to Write a Movie Review vs. Movie Critique

On the one hand, to write a movie review, you need to provide your personal perspective and a fresh insight into film issues and ideas. On the other hand, to create movie critique, do not use the first-person perspective because such a type of paper focuses on film design, production, and quality. For example, it may relate to sound design and its effects on actors’ performances to attract cinema-goers.

3. Format of Quotes from the Movie

Use the following format of a film in the list of references (References, Works Cited, or Reference List depending on the style you use):

Style	Format
APA 7th edition	Hancock, J. L. (Director). (2016). The founder [Film]. FilmNation Entertainment. In this case, the latter is a production company. In-text citations for indirect and direct quotes with minutes and seconds respectively are as follows: (Hancock, 2016) and (Hancock, 2016, 15:13) .
APA 6th edition	Handfield, D. (Producer), & Hancock, J. L. (Director). The founder [Motion picture]. United States: The Weinstein Company. Here, the last is a distribution company or studio.
MLA	The Founder. Directed by John Lee Hancock, performances by Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, and John Carroll Lynch, The Weinstein Company, 2016. To emphasize the director use the following format: Hancock, John Lee, director. The Founder. The Weinstein Company, 2016. An in-text citation with the timeframe with hours, minutes, and seconds are as follows: (The Founder 00:15:13-00:17:10).
Harvard Referencing	Hancock, JL 2016, The founder, Video, The Weinstein Company, New York. Use the following in-text citation: (Hancock 2016).

4. Useful Phrases to Write a Film Review

The following phrases can be used for a smooth flow of thought in your movie review:

• Long story short;
• The story line or the movie depicts, shows, represents the world of… or conveys, captures, presents the setting/atmosphere;
• The film is filled with…;
• Symbolic scenes throughout the film are…;
• Plot twists and a realistic story or dialogues;
• It is well worth seeing, entertaining, action-packed, fascinating, powerful depiction.

Importantly, in your movie review, you can provide a fresh perspective on any film. Thus, your work can help the viewer choose the best movie to watch and to get some lessons from.