what is movie reviews

What is a Film Review — Definition, Examples & Top Critics

I n cinema, film reviews hold a significant place, serving as a bridge between the film industry and viewers. They provide an analytical perspective that helps audiences decide what to watch and understand the nuances of a film. In this article, we will delve into the definition of a film review, its critical components, and shed light on some iconic film review writers who have significantly shaped the field.

Watch: Christopher Nolan's Best Films Ranked

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What is Film Review in Cinema?

First, let’s define film review.

Film reviews hold a unique place in cinema acting as both promotional tools and critical analysis pieces. With the rise of platforms like Letterboxd and Rotten Tomatoes, they are becoming more relevant in the cinematic landscape.

FILM REVIEW DEFINITION

What is a film review.

A film review is a type of critique that provides an evaluation of a film, encompassing various aspects such as the plot, themes, direction, script, and performances. Originating in the early 20th century with the advent of cinema, film reviews have evolved from mere opinion pieces in newspapers to a significant form of journalistic writing. The primary purpose of a film review is to inform the reader about the film and offer an informed opinion about its various elements. It serves as a guide for viewers, helping them decide whether the film is worth their time and money.

Criteria for Movie Review:

Overview of the film, analysis of the plot and themes, evaluation of the script, direction, and acting, personal opinion and rating, movie review format, components of a good film review.

Film reviews are a blend of various vital components, each contributing to a comprehensive analysis. From evaluating performances and storytelling to dissecting technical aspects, a well-rounded review provides a holistic perspective. By examining these elements of a movie review format we can gain a deeper understanding of the film's impact and appreciate its artistic merit.

This includes a brief synopsis that sets the context without revealing any spoilers . The overview should pique the reader's interest and give them a sense of the film's storyline. Here is one of the greatest film critics, Roger Ebert, on what a film review should do. 

Roger Ebert What A Movie Review Should Do

This involves a deeper look into the narrative and the underlying themes of the film. It should explore the storyline's complexity, originality, and coherence.

This component assesses the technical aspects of the film, such as the screenplay , cinematography , direction, music, and performances. It also includes an assessment of how these elements contribute to the overall impact of the film. 

This is much more popular with the rise of film criticism on YouTube in which film critics can simultaneously play and dissect a scene for an audience. In this video by Nerdwriter1, Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood is dissected visually in a way that would be difficult or at least less effective without a video component.

One Way To Deconstruct There Will Be Blood

This is where the reviewer shares their personal view and overall impression of the film. It often includes a rating system, which can help readers quickly gauge the reviewer's opinion.

A good film review strikes a balance between objective analysis and personal perspective. It is also important that the review uses engaging language and style to hold the reader's attention.

What is Film Review Important For?

Influence of film reviews.

Film reviews have a significant impact on public opinion and can greatly influence the success of a film.  A positive review from a reputable critic can attract more viewers and increase the film's box office revenue. On the other hand, a negative review can dissuade audiences from watching the film.

Attracting Viewers

Positive reviews can generate buzz and attract a larger audience to the theaters. They serve as a powerful tool in building anticipation and interest among moviegoers. Take Rotten Tomatoes for example.

Many film goers opt to check the Rotten Tomatoes reviews of a film before they decide to watch or see it in cinema. 

While this can work well for some movies in attracting viewers, it can negatively impact other films. This is especially true with the way Rotten Tomatoes rating system works. For a great insight on to how the platform works and the possible problems with its ratings, check out the video below. 

The Problem With Rotten Tomatoes

Box office success.

Positive reviews often contribute to a film's box office success. When critics praise a movie, it can lead to increased ticket sales and financial profitability for the filmmakers.

Influence on Perception

Reviews shape how people perceive a film. Positive reviews create a positive perception, making viewers more likely to give the movie a chance. On the other hand, negative reviews can deter potential viewers and impact the film's overall reception.

Critical Acclaim

When a film receives critical acclaim from respected reviewers and publications, it can achieve iconic status. This recognition elevates the film's reputation and can lead to long-lasting popularity and cultural significance.

Parasite’s Historic Oscar Wins in 2020

Film reviews hold considerable sway in the film industry. They not only impact the number of viewers but also shape how a film is perceived and remembered.

Related Posts

• What is Cinematography? →
• Understanding Story Structure →
• How Does Rotten Tomatoes Work? →

Movie Review Example and Writers

Iconic film review writers.

The field of film criticism has been significantly influenced by several notable writers who have left a lasting impact on the industry. These writers, through their insightful analyses and thought-provoking perspectives, have shaped the way we perceive and appreciate films.

Their contributions have not only elevated the art of film criticism but have also enriched our understanding of cinema as a whole. 

Roger Ebert

Known for his acerbic wit and insightful commentaries, Ebert was one of the most influential film critics. His reviews, published in the Chicago Sun-Times for over four decades, were known for their accessible writing style and keen observations.

Pauline Kael

Writing for The New Yorker, Kael was known for her passionate and provocative reviews. She championed many underappreciated films and filmmakers, influencing public opinion and the course of American cinema.

Pauline Kael on Criticism

Andrew sarris.

A leading proponent of the auteur theory in America, Sarris's writings in The Village Voice and The New York Observer have had a profound impact on the way films are analyzed and appreciated.

Leonard Maltin

Renowned for his annual publication, "Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide," Maltin's reviews are known for their succinctness and precision. His work has guided generations of moviegoers.

Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide

These critics, with their unique perspectives and styles, have made enduring contributions to film criticism, influencing not just audiences but filmmakers as well.

Film reviews, like the movies themselves, are a form of art. They capture the essence of a film, dissect it, and present it to the audience in a refined form. With their insightful analysis, they help us, the viewers, to better understand and appreciate cinema. 

Remember, a review is not meant to replace or reflect your own judgment of a film but to complement and deepen your viewing pleasure. So, read, watch, and form your own judgment — because nothing compares to your own cinematic experience.

How Does Rotten Tomatoes Work?

As we delve deeper into the world of film reviews and their unique influence, let's turn our attention to a specific and influential platform. In the next article, we explore the intricacies of the Rotten Tomatoes ratings system.

Up Next: Rotten Tomatoes Explained →

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How to Write a Movie Review

Last Updated: August 11, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Marissa Levis . Marissa Levis is an English Teacher in the Morris County Vocational School District. She previously worked as an English director at a tutoring center that caters to students in elementary and middle school. She is an expert in creating a curriculum that helps students advance their skills in secondary-level English, focusing on MLA formatting, reading comprehension, writing skills, editing and proofreading, literary analysis, standardized test preparation, and journalism topics. Marissa received her Master of Arts in Teaching from Fairleigh Dickinson University. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 5,665,623 times.

Whether a movie is a rotten tomato or a brilliant work of art, if people are watching it, it's worth critiquing. A decent movie review should entertain, persuade and inform, providing an original opinion without giving away too much of the plot. A great movie review can be a work of art in its own right. Read on to learn how to analyze a movie like a professional film critic, come up with an interesting thesis, and write a review as entertaining as your source material.

Sample Movie Reviews

Writing an Intro for a Movie Review

• Comparison to Relevant Event or Movie: "Every day, our leaders, politicians, and pundits call for "revenge"– against terrorist groups, against international rivals, against other political parties. But few of them understand the cold, destructive, and ultimately hollow thrill of revenge as well as the characters of Blue Ruin. "
• Review in a nutshell: "Despite a compelling lead performance by Tom Hanks and a great soundtrack, Forrest Gump never gets out of the shadow of its weak plot and questionable premise."
• Context or Background Information: " Boyhood might be the first movie made where knowing how it was produced–slowly, over 12 years, with the same actors–is just as crucial as the movie itself."

• Using stars, a score out of 10 or 100, or the simple thumbs-up and thumbs-down is a quick way to give your thoughts. You then write about why you chose that rating.
• Great Movie: ABC is the rare movie that succeeds on almost every level, where each character, scene, costume, and joke firing on all cylinders to make a film worth repeated viewings."
• Bad Movie: "It doesn't matter how much you enjoy kung-fu and karate films: with 47 Ronin, you're better off saving your money, your popcorn, and time."
• Okay Movie: "I loved the wildly uneven Interstellar far more than I should have, but that doesn't mean it is perfect. Ultimately, the utter awe and spectacle of space swept me through the admittedly heavy-handed plotting and dialogue."

• Great: "Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer's chemistry would carry Fruitvale Station even if the script wasn't as good. The mid-movie prison scene in particular, where the camera never leaves their faces, shows how much they can convey with nothing but their eyelids, the flashing tension of neck muscles, and a barely cracking voice."
• Bad: " Jurassic World's biggest flaw, a complete lack of relatable female characters, is only further underscored by a laughably unrealistic shot of our heroine running away from a dinosaur – in heels."
• Okay: "At the end of the day, Snowpiercer can't decide what kind of movie it wants to be. The attention to detail in fight scenes, where every weapon, lightbulb, and slick patch of ground is accounted for, doesn't translate to an ending that seems powerful but ultimately says little of substance."

• Does the film reflect on a current event or contemporary issue? It could be the director's way of engaging in a bigger conversation. Look for ways to relate the content of the film to the "real" world.
• Does the film seem to have a message, or does it attempt to elicit a specific response or emotion from the audience? You could discuss whether or not it achieves its own goals.
• Does the film connect with you on a personal level? You could write a review stemming from your own feelings and weave in some personal stories to make it interesting for your readers.

Composing Your Review

• When you name characters in your plot summary, list the actors' names directly afterward in parenthesis.
• Find a place to mention the director's name and the full movie title.
• If you feel you must discuss information that might "spoil" things for readers, warn them first.

• Cinematography: " Her is a world drenched in color, using bright, soft reds and oranges alongside calming whites and grays that both build, and slowly strip away, the feelings of love between the protagonists. Every frame feels like a painting worth sitting in."
• Tone: "Despite the insane loneliness and high stakes of being stuck alone on Mars, The Martian's witty script keeps humor and excitement alive in every scene. Space may be dangerous and scary, but the joy of scientific discovery is intoxicating."
• Music and Sound: " No Country For Old Men's bold decision to skip music entirely pays off in spades. The eerie silence of the desert, punctuated by the brief spells of violent, up-close-and-personal sound effects of hunter and hunted, keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat."
• Acting: "While he's fantastic whenever he's on the move, using his cool stoicism to counteract the rampaging bus, Keanu Reeves can't quite match his costar in the quiet moments of Speed, which falter under his expressionless gaze."

• Keep your writing clear and easy to understand. Don't use too much technical filmmaking jargon, and make your language crisp and accessible.
• Present both the facts and your opinion. For example, you might state something such as, "The Baroque background music was a jarring contrast to the 20th century setting." This is a lot more informative then simply saying, "The music was a strange choice for the movie."

• Great: "In the end, even the characters of Blue Ruin know how pointless their feud is. But revenge, much like every taut minute of this thriller, is far too addictive to give up until the bitter end.""
• Bad: "Much like the oft-mentioned "box of chocolates", Forest Gump has a couple of good little morsels. But most of the scenes, too sweet by half, should have been in the trash long before this movie was put out."
• Okay: "Without the novel, even revolutionary concept, Boyhood may not be a great movie. It might not even be "good.” But the power the film finds in the beauty of passing time and little, inconsequential moments – moments that could only be captured over 12 years of shooting – make Linklater's latest an essential film for anyone interested in the art of film."

Polishing Your Piece

• Ask yourself whether your review stayed true to your thesis. Did your conclusion tie back in with the initial ideas you proposed?
• Decide whether your review contains enough details about the movie. You may need to go back and add more description here and there to give readers a better sense of what the movie's about.
• Decide whether your review is interesting enough as a stand-alone piece of writing. Did you contribute something original to this discussion? What will readers gain from reading your review that they couldn't from simply watching the movie?

Studying Your Source Material

• The title of the film, and the year it came out.
• The director's name.
• The names of the lead actors.

• Make a note every time something sticks out to you, whether it's good or bad. This could be costuming, makeup, set design, music, etc. Think about how this detail relates to the rest of the movie and what it means in the context of your review.
• Take note of patterns you begin to notice as the movie unfolds.
• Use the pause button frequently so you make sure not to miss anything, and rewind as necessary.

• Direction: Consider the director and how he or she choose to portray/explain the events in the story. If the movie was slow, or didn't include things you thought were necessary, you can attribute this to the director. If you've seen other movies directed by the same person, compare them and determine which you like the most.
• Cinematography: What techniques were used to film the movie? What setting and background elements helped to create a certain tone?
• Writing: Evaluate the script, including dialogue and characterization. Did you feel like the plot was inventive and unpredictable or boring and weak? Did the characters' words seem credible to you?
• Editing: Was the movie choppy or did it flow smoothly from scene to scene? Did they incorporate a montage to help build the story? And was this obstructive to the narrative or did it help it? Did they use long cuts to help accentuate an actor's acting ability or many reaction shots to show a group's reaction to an event or dialogue? If visual effects were used were the plates well-chosen and were the composited effects part of a seamless experience? (Whether the effects looked realistic or not is not the jurisdiction of an editor, however, they do choose the footage to be sent off to the compositors, so this could still affect the film.)
• Costume design: Did the clothing choices fit the style of the movie? Did they contribute to the overall tone, rather than digressing from it?
• Set design: Consider how the setting of the film influenced its other elements. Did it add or subtract from the experience for you? If the movie was filmed in a real place, was this location well-chosen?
• Score or soundtrack: Did it work with the scenes? Was it over/under-used? Was it suspenseful? Amusing? Irritating? A soundtrack can make or break a movie, especially if the songs have a particular message or meaning to them.

Expert Q&A

• If you don't like the movie, don't be abusive and mean. If possible, avoid watching the movies that you would surely hate. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Understand that just because the movie isn't to your taste, that doesn't mean you should give it a bad review. A good reviewer helps people find movie's they will like. Since you don't have the same taste in movies as everyone else, you need to be able to tell people if they will enjoy the movie, even if you didn't. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Structure is very important; try categorizing the different parts of the film and commenting on each of those individually. Deciding how good each thing is will help you come to a more accurate conclusion. For example, things like acting, special effects, cinematography, think about how good each of those are. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about writing, check out our in-depth interview with Marissa Levis .

• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_about_film/terminology_and_starting_prompts.html
• ↑ https://www.spiritofbaraka.com/how-write-a-movie-review
• ↑ https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/9-tips-for-writing-a-film-review/
• ↑ https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/writing-help/top-tips-for-writing-a-review
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/summary-using-it-wisely/
• ↑ https://twp.duke.edu/sites/twp.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/film-review-1.original.pdf
• ↑ https://www.dailywritingtips.com/7-tips-for-writing-a-film-review/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_about_film/film_writing_sample_analysis.html
• ↑ https://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/onnyx.bei/dual-credit/movie-review-writing-guide
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-a-movie-review/
• ↑ https://gustavus.edu/writingcenter/handoutdocs/editing_proofreading.php
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ https://edusson.com/blog/how-to-write-movie-review

About This Article

To write a movie review, start with a compelling fact or opinion to hook your readers, like "Despite a great performance by Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump never overcomes its weak plot." Then, elaborate on your opinion of the movie right off the bat so readers know where you stand. Once your opinion is clear, provide examples from the movie that prove your point, like specific scenes, dialogue, songs, or camera shots. To learn how to study a film closely before you write a review, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write a Film Review: Preparation, Steps, Examples

• by Anastasiya Yakubovska
• 06.10.2022 10.05.2024
• How to write ...

How to write a film review (true, professional, and comprehensive) and not be limited to the phrase “What a great movie!”? In this article, you will find answers to the next questions:

• How long is a movie review? 
• How many paragraphs does a movie review have? 
• Features of the Film Review 
• Functions of the Movie Review 
• How to Write a Film Review: Preparation for Writing 
• 10 Questions You Need to Answer Before You Start Writing a Movie Review 
• How to Write and Structure a Film Review: Step by Step 

What Is a Film Review?

A film review is a critical judgment or discussion that informs about the release of a new film and contains its analysis, assessment, summary, as well as personal impressions and experiences after watching.

How long is a movie review?

On average, the length of a film review is about 1000 words.

How many paragraphs does a movie review have?

It is recommended that the film review should consist of 5-7 paragraphs.

Read also article “How to Write a Book Review: Step by Step and Examples”.

Features of the Film Review

A film review is a persuasive piece of writing, it has some features as:

• A less formal style of writing. 
• You need to write objectively about the film. 
• But, on the other hand, movie reviews contain personal thoughts and feelings. 
• The film review’s audience is wider and more diverse. 

Movie reviews can be written by two groups of reviewers: professional critics and ordinary consumers. Therefore, the text of the review will differ. In the first case, when the reviewer is a professional critic, he will describe the movie instead of evaluating it. While consumer critics mostly write from a personal perspective. 

What is the main purpose of a film review?

The main purpose of a film review is to inform readers about the film (what can expect from it) and to help them determine if they want to watch the movie. 

Functions of the Movie Review

The film review performs several functions at once: it informs, analyzes, persuades, and entertains. If you can include all of these points in your review, then you will have an excellent result in the end. 

How to Write a Film Review: Preparation for Writing

Writing a review is, of course, a creative process, but you should not forget about the analytical approach to creating a convincing and high-quality text. You must take the work responsibly, which we will do now.

To write a professional film review, you first need to complete the following preparation steps:

• Of course, the first step is to find a film, if it has not been previously chosen by the manager/client/boss. There will be more chances to write a good review if the film was liked by both – film critics and you personally.
• Watch the movie at least 2-3 times. After the first viewing, you will get a general impression of the picture, and try to fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the film. Pay attention to the details the next time you watch it: the sound, the actor’s play, the editing, the plot. 
• If you have difficulty understanding the events covered in the film (for example, historical), be sure to find additional information and research the topic.
• If after two viewings you still do not have a final assessment of the film in the form of a brief thesis, watch the film again. You can look at other works of the director who worked on this film, this will help you determine his characteristic style. Also, as an option, you can look at the game of actors in other films (for comparison).
• When watching a movie, take notes: key scenes, interesting plot twists, inconsistencies, details, and quotes. Then, based on them, you can build a review text, and a good quote can become an excellent epigraph.
• Find information about the filming: location, duration, season, details about the filming process, difficulties the production team faced, casting, etc. Such information will make the review more attractive to readers.
• If the film is nominated for awards and prizes, please include this information in your film review. For a potential viewer, such an assessment of the film will be a weighty argument in the direction of -> compulsory viewing.

10 Questions You Need to Answer Before You Start Writing a Movie Review

• Does the film split into multiple parts? A sequel, prequel, or one of the movie series? 
• What is the film genre (action, comedy, historical, drama, fantasy, Western, political, thriller, gangster, horror, tragicomedy, romance, sports, mystery, science fiction)? Is the movie based on real or fictional events?
• Did the screenplay writer create an exciting plot?
• Is the rhythm of the film slow and quiet, heavy and static, or chaotic and frantic?
• What is the film’s rating according to the MPAA? ( G – General Audiences. All ages admitted. PG – Parental Guidance Suggested. PG-13 – Parents Strongly Cautioned. R – Restricted. Under 17 requires an accompanying parent or adult guardian. NC-17 – Adults Only.) 
• Are there any films with a similar/same theme? Sometimes it is worth mentioning some of them in a review, as a comparison.
• How can you characterize the work of a cinematographer? How accurately are the most expressive compositional, lighting solutions, as well as camera angles, selected and embodied?
• Is the film entertaining or covers a serious themes?
• Was the casting successful? Did all the actors cope with their roles?
• Is the atmosphere of the film tense, mysterious, sinister, relaxed, or romantic?

The answers to all of the above questions will help you understand how to write a film review, and above all, create a draft version of your future review. But, of course, this is not enough for the final result.

How to Write and Structure a Film Review: Step by Step

Writing a film review is a long and complicated process. Therefore, it is better to break it down into stages and move step by step. This will help you not to get lost and not get confused in the details.

• The catchy introduction.

The introductory part of the review should contain important information about the film: title, director, release date, and genre. 

You can mention nominations and awards, as well as indicate the box office (if the numbers are impressive) and the cast. 

In addition to “technical” aspects and a simple presentation of the plot, it is necessary to express your impression of the film in the form of a thesis, for example, to tell:

• about the connection of the film’s central idea with current events and social problems;
• about the similarity of the film’s plot with a personal life situation, personal experience, and feelings;
• about the connection of technical elements (lighting, sound, editing) with the theme of the film.

2. Pass the verdict.

Do not torment the reader and express your opinion about the film in the first paragraphs of the review.

You should not leave all the most interesting “for later”. If you decide to give a final assessment of the film at the end of the review, what are the chances that the reader will read to this end?

3. Write a summary of the plot.

Choose 4-5 main events.

Avoid the film’s ending and spoilers. Keep the intrigue. If you want to spoil and share an unusual story development, warn the reader about this.

4. Bring the feelings.

In addition to presenting the plot of the film, you should add emotions to the text of the review and show what you felt while watching it.

5. Define the main purpose of the movie. 

Perhaps the film’s purpose is hidden in its plot. Or maybe the film does not pretend to solve global problems at all. Perhaps the film is entertaining, and this is its advantage – it is relaxed and simple.

Sometimes the main idea of a serious and deep film can be found in an interview with a film crew, a screenwriter, or a director.

6. Add some details of the filmmaking process. 

It is important to know the measure and not to overdo it with the terminology. Here’s what you can write about:

• Cinematography: visual mood, lighting elements, shot sizes and widths, camera angles, etc. 
• Sound. The main goal is to create the necessary atmosphere in the film. Sound in movies includes music, dialogue, sound effects, ambient noise, background noise, and soundtracks. 
• Editing is the creation of a finished motion picture from many shot scenes. A film editor must creatively work with the layers of images, story, dialogue, music, pacing, as well as the actors’ performances to effectively “re-imagine” and even rewrite the film to craft a cohesive whole.
• Mise-en-scène (from French – placement on the stage) is the mutual arrangement of the actors and their environment on the set, natural or pavilion. Mise-en-scene includes landscapes, visual effects, the psychological state of the characters, etc.

7. The deep meaning.

You may be able to spot specific symbolic items, repetitive moments, or key phrases that give depth to the film.

8. Give examples.

It is not enough to say “ an excellent game of actors ”. Explain what exactly caught your attention (appearance, facial expressions, costumes, or movements of the actor). 

9. A convincing conclusion.

Write about the moments in the film that made the biggest impression on you. Share a recommendation. To whom and why do you advise to watch this movie?

10. Reread the review text several times .

Edit, and correct mistakes that can spoil the impression even from a professionally written film review.

Examples of Film Reviews

To consolidate the received information, let’s move from theory to practice. Below are two examples of film reviews.

Apocalypse Now

Review by Roger Ebert

Francis Ford Coppola’s film “Apocalypse Now” was inspired by Heart of Darkness, a novel by Joseph Conrad about a European named Kurtz who penetrated to the farthest reaches of the Congo and established himself like a god. A boat sets out to find him, and on the journey the narrator gradually loses confidence in orderly civilization; he is oppressed by the great weight of the jungle all around him, a pitiless Darwinian testing ground in which each living thing tries every day not to be eaten.

What is found at the end of the journey is not Kurtz so much as what Kurtz found: that all of our days and ways are a fragile structure perched uneasily atop the hungry jaws of nature that will thoughtlessly devour us. A happy life is a daily reprieve from this knowledge.

A week ago I was in Calcutta, where I saw mile upon square mile of squatter camps in which hundreds of thousands live generation after generation in leaky huts of plastic, cardboard and scrap metal, in poverty so absolute it is impossible to see any hope of escape. I do not mean to equate the misery of those hopeless people with a movie; that would be indecent. But I was deeply shaken by what I saw, and realized how precious and precarious is a happy life. And in such a mood I watched “Apocalypse Now” and came to the scene where Col. Kurtz (Marlon Brando) tells Capt. Willard (Martin Sheen) about “the horror.”

Kurtz is a decorated hero, one of the best soldiers in the Army, who has created a jungle sanctuary upriver inside enemy territory, and rules Montagnard tribesmen as his private army. He tells Willard about a day when his Special Forces men inoculated the children of a village against polio: “This old man came running after us and he was crying, he couldn’t see. We went back there, and they had come and hacked off every inoculated arm. There they were in a pile, a pile of little arms. . . .”

What Kurtz learned is that the Viet Cong were willing to go to greater lengths to win: “Then I realized they were stronger than we. They have the strength, the strength to do that. If I had 10 divisions of those men, then our troubles here would be over very quickly. You have to have men who are moral and at the same time who are able to utilize their primordial instincts to kill without feeling, without passion, without judgment.” This is the “horror” that Kurtz has found, and it threatens to envelop Willard, too.

The whole movie is a journey toward Willard’s understanding of how Kurtz, one of the Army’s best soldiers, penetrated the reality of war to such a depth that he could not look any longer without madness and despair.

The film has one of the most haunting endings in cinema, a poetic evocation of what Kurtz has discovered, and what we hope not to discover for ourselves. The river journey creates enormous anticipation about Kurtz, and Brando fulfills it. When the film was released in 1979, his casting was criticized and his enormous paycheck of $1 million was much discussed, but it’s clear he was the correct choice, not only because of his stature as an icon, but because of his voice, which enters the film from darkness or half-light, repeating the words of T.S. Eliot’s despairing “The Hollow Men.” That voice sets the final tone of the film.

Film review: example

Diana biopic Spencer wobbles between the bold and the bad

By Nicholas Barber

You may feel that you’ve had enough of Princess Diana’s story on the big and small screens, what with Naomi Watts taking the role in Oliver Hirschbiegel’s awful Diana in 2013, and then Emma Corrin playing her in the most recent season of The Crown, with the mantel set to be passed in Elizabeth Debicki in the next run. But, to give it its due, Pablo Larraín’s Spencer marks the only time the People’s Princess has been shown delivering a lecture on Anne Boleyn to an old coat that she has just stolen off a scarecrow, and then having a chat with the ghost of Boleyn herself shortly afterwards. The Chilean director doesn’t go in for conventional biopics, as anyone who has seen Jackie (starring Natalie Portman) or Neruda will know. And here again he has gone for a surreal portrait of his iconic subject. The snag is that his experimental art house spirit keeps bumping up against the naffness and the familiarity of British films set in stately homes, so his psychodrama ends up being both ground-breaking and rib-tickling.

It’s set over three days in 1991, from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day, at Sandringham House in Norfolk. The rest of the Royal Family has arrived for their holiday in a fleet of chauffeur-driven cars, but Diana (Kristen Stewart) rocks up on her own in a Porsche convertible, having taken a detour to visit the aforementioned scarecrow: her dilapidated childhood home, from the days when she was Lady Diana Spencer, is a field or two away from Sandringham. Her late arrival concerns the sympathetic head chef (Sean Harris) and bothers the Scottish army veteran (Timothy Spall) who has the job of ensuring that everything goes the way the Queen wants it to. Her Majesty’s insufferable Christmas traditions include weighing all the guests when they arrive and when they leave to ensure that they’ve been sufficiently gluttonous. But Diana is in no mood for festive japes. Her Christmas present from Charles (Jack Farthing) – a necklace with pearls the size of golf balls – is identical to the one he has given his mistress. And the whisper in the servants’ quarters is that the Princess is “cracking up”. The filmmakers apparently agree.

Steering away from the same territory as The Crown, Larraín and Knight don’t fill the film with awkward meals and heated arguments (although there are one of each of those). Prince Charles does some grumbling, but the Queen has hardly any lines and Prince Philip has none: they are closer to menacing waxworks than people. For most of the time, Diana is either talking to her young sons, her trusted personal dresser (Sally Hawkins) or to herself. It’s interesting, this lack of dramatic conflict and discernible plot, but it can leave the film seeming as listless and purposeless as Larraín’s Diana herself. Her favourite occupation is to wander around the estate until she finds something that has an ominous symbolic connection to her, and then make an unconvincing speech about it. Ah, pheasants! So beautiful, yet bred to be killed!

Stewart is such inspired casting that she makes all this eccentric nonsense watchable. She’s been practising Diana’s signature moves for years – dipped head, hunched shoulders – and she certainly knows what it’s like to put up with intrusive tabloid photographers. She also looks suitably fabulous in the many outfits that Diana is required to wear over the long weekend. And unlike Watts’s performance in 2013, hers doesn’t seem distractingly like an impersonation. Mind you, she delivers all her lines in little bursts of hissing whispers, so if you don’t see it with English subtitles, as its first audiences did at the Venice Film Festival, you might not understand more than half of what she says.

The effect is a bit odd, but there are lots of odd things in the film, not least the tone and the pacing, which lurch around like someone who’s had too much after-dinner port. Between Jonny Greenwood’s squalling jazz soundtrack, the hallucinations, and the blush-making sexual confessions, Spencer is a folly that wobbles between the bold and the bad, the disturbingly gothic and the just plain silly. In some scenes, it’s heart-rending in its depiction of Diana’s self-harm and bulimia. In others, it’s almost as risible as the Diana biopic from 2013, and that’s saying something. I didn’t know any more about Diana afterwards than I did beforehand, but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. This is a film that echoes The Shining at the start and 2001: A Space Odyssey at the end. The Crown Christmas Special it ain’t.

Sources of information: 

• “The Film Analysis Handbook” by Thomas Caldwell. 
• https://payforwriting.com/writing/creating-review/how-to-write-movie-review
• www.mtsu.edu
• www.sciencedirect.com/science
• Image:   freepik.com
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How to Write a Movie Review: 10 Essential Tips

As long as there have been films, there have been film critics. Starting with the early days of cinema, where reviews appeared in newspapers and magazines as brief, descriptive pieces, as filmmaking evolved as an art form, so did the role of the critic. James Agee, André Bazin, and Pauline Kael shaped the discourse around cinema, and today, famous film critics like the iconic Roger Ebert , The New York Times’s A.O. Scott , and The New York Times’s Manohla Dargis continue to leave an indelible mark on the world of cinema.

With the rise of the internet, film criticism now encompasses a wide range of voices and perspectives from around the globe. Sites like Letterboxd make it possible for anyone to write short-form reviews on film. Even stars like The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri have accounts and share opinions on the latest box-office hits.

How to Write a Movie Review

Today, contemporary YouTube and TikTok critics such as Red Letter Media , deepfocuslens , and DoMo Draper don’t just write film reviews, they shoot videos and skits. Through their creative formats, they offer refreshing and unique perspectives while building communities of diehard film and television enthusiasts. Whether you choose to write reviews for your own blog, other websites, or social media channels, by learning how to write a movie review, any aspiring filmmaker can start to watch films intentionally. 

@domodraperr Replying to @xsindeviltriggerx I’ll get right on that, Sir!🫡 #comments #movies #film #satire #fyp #mulan #disney ♬ I’ll Make a Man Out of You (feat. Black Gryph0n) – Cover – Samuel Kim

TikTok film critic “DoMo Draper” provides commentary on new and old films, often calling out racism, social injustice, misogyny, and prejudice.

While there’s no perfect approach to writing a review, there are best practices that every aspiring reviewer should consider.

Here are ten tips on writing a compelling piece.

1. Watch the film at least once.

For new reviewers, it’s impossible to capture everything after one viewing. Watching the film first, then watching to take notes, is an easy way to improve the quality of your final review. This will also make it easy to recall in-the-moment thoughts and reactions.

Take a review by Christian Blauvelt of Charlie Chaplin’s silent film The Circus , for example. Since the film does not have sound, properly critiquing the film requires close attention. Viewers have to pay attention to the various nuances in Chaplin’s performance, follow the story, and take in the cinematography. Regarding The Circus , Blauvelt writes, “The film lacks a conventional plot, but is rather a pearl necklace of strung-together episodes. ” The statement isn’t a criticism, but a keen observation likely gleaned from more than one viewing. 

So while every film reviewer has their own approach, many choose to watch a film more than once to deliver the best possible review. Image The Criterion Collection.

2. Express your opinions and support your criticism.

Professional reviewers do not shy away from sharing whether they thought a movie was good, bad, or indifferent. In a review for the film Mother!, reviewer Candice Frederick describes the film as “uncomfortable,” and “controversial,” helping viewers understand the tone of the movie. While Frederick seemed to enjoy the film, her honesty about how it would make audiences feel was vital in writing the review.

Be sure to back up these thoughts with specifics–a disappointing performance, beautiful cinematography, difficult material that leaves you thinking, and so on. Professional reviewers should express why and how they came to their criticism.

3. Consider your audience.

Are you writing for a fan site or a news outlet? Who will read your pieces, and what are their interests? Knowing who your readers are and where the review will be published can help you decide what elements of the movie to highlight. For example, take these two very different reviews for the film ‘Synecdoche, New York’.  

The first review was written by Alonso Duralde for The Today Show , and clocks in at around 500 words. The film focuses on the bullet points: characters, plot, and a concise review. The second review is over 3,000 words and published on the Critical Critics blog . This review goes into massive depth (and yes, includes spoilers) about the film, providing an incredible amount of analysis. The first review is tailored for the casual filmgoer, while the second is for cinephiles. Each review serves a different purpose.

It’s also a good idea to adjust your writing style to fit the target audience. For example, Alonso Duralde is a talented film reviewer and likely wrote the review to fit the tone of The Today Show site. Image via Director’s Library.

4. Talk about the acting.

When reviewing a film, it’s important to take space to discuss the performances. Does the film feature a seasoned actor in a new kind of role or a brilliant performance from a rising star? How was the acting? In a review by Brett Milam for the award-winning film Whiplash , he goes into rich detail about performances by both breakthrough actor Miles Teller and seasoned professional JK Simmons.

Regarding Teller, Milam writes, “This is a performance. This is art,” and about Simmons, “I found him fascinating to just look at.” Those are just small examples of the analysis he provides regarding their acting. As the film mostly focuses on the relationship between their two characters, Miles as the protagonist and JK as the antagonist, the review of the performances lends well to the plot of the film: student and teacher going head to head in an intense and determined showdown. 

Feedback about how well the actors handled the script, the dynamics in an ensemble, and so much more can help describe how the actors did in any given film.

5. Call out directors, cinematographers, and special effects.

Reviews that include highlights or missteps of directors, cinematographers, and costume designers can help provide support to your critiques. By providing specific examples of what worked, what surprised you, and what fell short of expectations, reviewers can write a well-thought-out review that goes beyond whether or not you liked it.

In a review for A Wrinkle in Time , Monique Jones artfully crafts a piece that diplomatically cites the missteps of the film. From analyzing the quality of the CGI to the camera techniques to inconsistencies in the rules of the fantasy universe, Jones fairly offers a critique that guides the filmmakers and crew on future endeavors. To write this type of review, it helps to have some knowledge of the filmmaking process so you can properly assess the screenwriting, cinematography, special effects, acting, and more. Image via Disney.

6. No spoilers!

The point of writing a movie review is to get people interested in seeing a movie. That’s why it’s absolutely best practice to not reveal spoilers in a film review. Film reviewer Robert Daniels approaches this creatively. In his review of Annihilation , he provides commentary on what would be considered spoilers. However, he places that part of the review at the bottom of the article under a bold header/image that warns the reader he’s about to spoil the film. For reviewers who want to dissect the entire film, this is a good way to both tease the film for anyone who hasn’t seen it and cater to people who want to know what the ending is.

Remember: the goal of any film review is to discuss the plot without revealing any twists or the ending of the film. 

7. Study the professionals.

As with all writing endeavors, the more you read, the better. However, with the modern landscape of film reviewing, which can go beyond writing and extend to content creation for social media platforms, there are a ton of reviewers to take notes from. First, determine what kind of reviewer you want to be, and what kind of medium you plan to deliver your reviews on. If you plan to post to Medium, for example, studying the reviewers already established on the site can be a great starting point.

Then, read film reviews for some of your favorite films. Determine which style of review you like and don’t like. Question why, and use your critical eye to consider why one reviewer has a hundred thousand followers and another only has two. If you’re looking to be featured on a website or a magazine, read the publications where you’d like your writing to appear as a template for your reviews, and don’t forget to read the submission guidelines. A few examples of film review professionals include Rotten Tomatoes , Roger Ebert , and Film Comment. 

8. Reread, rewrite, and edit.

While writing film critique is based on opinion, and follows the style of the reviewer, it’s still important to edit work. Writers should check for spelling, grammar, and readability. No matter how good a writer’s opinions are, they will not be taken seriously if the director’s name isn’t spelled correctly. Tools such as Grammarly and Hemingway Editor can be great for correcting and finding areas that need improvement. 

9. Find your voice.

The best reviewers have a distinct personality that comes across in their writing. Los Angeles Times film reviewer Carlos Aguilar wrote an impassioned piece about the film Beatriz at Dinner , going into a lot of detail about his experiences working in the film industry and his Mexican heritage. By sharing anecdotes about casual racism he’s experienced and connecting it to the film’s protagonist, and what she goes through, the review feels personal and relatable.

“If at a film festival – to which I’ve gotten access to because I’m a published writer – in a progressive city like Los Angeles, I must keep my guard up when people question my right to be there, then how are the voiceless supposed to feel safe, respected, or hopeful?” Aguilar writes. 

For new reviewers, developing this type of unique voice does not happen overnight, so take every opportunity to write as an opportunity to develop your style. Image via BBC.

10. Know your taste.

As a film reviewer, it can be helpful to identify your taste in film. By knowing specific preferences, strengths, and biases, reviewers can offer nuanced critiques that resonate with audiences and provide valuable guidance on which films they might enjoy. Additionally, it helps to maintain credibility and integrity as a reviewer by ensuring that assessments are authentic and reflective of personal cinematic sensibilities.

Try to explore various genres, directors, and themes to understand what resonates emotionally, intellectually, and aesthetically. Pay attention to the types of stories that engage you, which can help define your preferences.

Learn More About Filmmaking at NYFA

Film students with writing experience actually make great reviewers, as many of them are required to study a range of topics relating to film that can include cinematography, screenwriting, producing, and much more. Ready to build even more skills in filmmaking? Request more information about New York Film Academy’s filmmaking programs and workshops today!

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How to write a movie review [Updated 2024]

Writing a movie review is a great way to practice critical analysis skills. In this post, we explore what a movie review is, how to start a film review, and steps for writing and revising it.

What is a movie review?

A movie review is a concise evaluation of a film’s content and formal elements (cinematography, sound, lighting, etc.). Also known as a film review, a movie review considers not just what a film means, but how it means. Essentially, when you write a film review, you are conducting a critical analysis or close reading of a movie.

How to write a movie review

To write a successful review about a movie, you need to evaluate a film’s content, as well as its form. In this section, we break down these two components.

A film’s content includes its plot (what it’s about), characters, and setting. You’ll need to determine the main plot points of the film and how the film’s story works overall.

Are there parts that don’t make sense? Are certain characters more important than others? What is the relationship between the movie’s plot and its setting? A discussion of a film’s content provides good context for an analysis of its form.

Form refers to all of the aesthetic and/or formal elements that make a story into a movie. You can break down form into several categories:

• Cinematography : This element comprises all aspects of the movie that derive from the way a camera moves and works. You’ll need to pay attention to elements like camera angles, distances between the camera and the subject, and types of shots (i.e. close-up, aerial, etc.).
• Lighting : Films use lighting in various ways to communicate certain effects. For instance, noir films tend to utilize chiaroscuro lighting (deep contrasts between light and dark) to express a sense of secrecy or foreboding.
• Sound : The way a film uses sound can vary considerably. Most movies have a soundtrack, sometimes with music composed specifically for the film. Some films play around with ambient sounds or use silence at key points to signify important moments. What is the relation of sound to the image in specific scenes or sequences? Do sounds link images? Does it ever become more important than the image?
• Editing : The movies we watch online or in theaters have been heavily edited in order to achieve a particular flow. When you are preparing to write a movie review, pay close attention to elements like the length of shots, transitions between scenes, or any other items that were finalized after filming.
• Costumes, Props, and Sets : Are the costumes and props believable in relation to the film’s content and setting? Are costumes particularly elaborate or understated?

The important thing to remember when you are analyzing the formal elements of a movie is that every image, sound, movement, and object has meaning and has been planned. Your review needs to take into consideration how these elements work together with the film’s storyline to create a whole experience.

Once you’ve considered both the content and form of the movie that you’re reviewing, you can begin to evaluate the film as a whole. Is it a successful movie? Would you recommend it? Why or why not?

Step-by-step review writing tips

1. watch the movie.

The first time that you watch the movie, look for overarching themes or patterns, and establish what the film is primarily about. Take note of the main characters, as well as the setting.

2. Watch the movie again and take notes

Next, watch the movie again and take notes as you are doing so, keeping in mind the formal aspects discussed above. Write down anything that seems significant.

3. Evaluate the film’s form and content

Using the categories described above, and any handouts or guides provided by your instructor, evaluate the film’s formal elements along with its content. Are there elements of the movie that strike you as unfamiliar or perplexing? Are there elements that are repeated to emphasize a point or perception?

4. Write your review

A good movie review will contain:

• an introductory paragraph that tells the reader what movie you’re reviewing
• a paragraph that summarizes the movie
• several body paragraphs that explore significant formal elements and how they relate to the content
• a concluding paragraph that discusses your overall reaction to the film and whether or not you would recommend it to others

5. Create citations

You’ll need cite the film and any secondary sources that you consulted while writing. Use BibGuru’s citation generator to instantly create accurate citations for movies, as well as articles, books, and websites.

You may also want to consult a guide on how to cite a film in MLA or another major citation style .

6. Revise and proofread

Once you’ve written your review, you should set aside some time to revise and proofread it before you turn it in.

Movie review checklist

You can use this checklist to ensure that you’ve considered all of the formal elements, as well as the content, of the film that you’re reviewing:

🔲 Cinematography (camera moves and types of shots)

🔲 Lighting (natural vs. artificial light, contrasts between light and dark)

🔲 Sound (soundtrack, sound vs. silence, loud vs. soft sounds)

🔲 Editing (length of shots, transitions between scenes)

🔲 Costumes, props, and sets (believable vs. staged)

🔲 Content (plot, characters, setting)

Frequently Asked Questions about how to write a review about a movie

A movie review should contain a brief summary of the film, several paragraphs of analysis that focus on form and content, and a concluding paragraph that sums up your reaction.

Before you write anything, you need to watch the film at least once. Take notes as you’re watching and pay attention to formal elements and patterns. Then, write your review. The final step is to revise your work before you turn it in.

The tone for a movie review should be critical, yet objective. The goal of most reviews is to persuade a reader to either see a film or not.

The best film reviews balance plot summary with critical analysis of significant formal elements. A reader should be able to decide if she wants to see the film after reading the review.

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A movie review is an article that is published in a newspaper, magazine, or scholarly work that describes and evaluates a movie. Reviews are typically written by journalists giving their opinion of the movie. Some reviews include score (4 out of 5 stars) or recommendations (thumbs up). Since reviews are printed in many different kinds of publications, you may need to search several sources.

A movie criticism is written by a scholar or expert in film studies to discuss the movie within a historical, social, political, or theoretical context. It differs from the opinion or recommendation that a movie review provides in terms of length, content and focus. Criticisms can be found in cinema studies journals as well as discipline-specific sources, depending on the plot or themes of the movie.

Reviews and criticisms are produced after the release of a movie, whether that is its initial release to theatres, or a release in a home video format. Knowing the initial release date(s) will help refine your search. Also note that nationwide release of movies only started in the 1980s; earlier films were released on different dates in different parts of the country. So a movie reviewed in New York City of Los Angeles may not have been reviewed for months or years later in smaller cities. The Internet Movie Database is an excellent source for release dates. Finally, movies can be remade, so you will want to be sure you are finding reviews or criticisms for the correct film; knowing the director or major stars will help refine your search results.

Many sources will only give a citation for the review or criticism. Use that citation to track down the complete text of the article.

Movie review and critique databases

General interest databases.

Reviews and criticisms can be found in general interest databases. Note the date range covered by each database and select ones that cover the time after the release of your movie. Search the title of the movie (as a phrase when possible) and include the director's last name if more than one film by that title exists.

Print indexes

Since most databases cover only more recent years, finding reviews for older movies may require using a print index. Check the catalog record for each index to see if it covers the dates required. Use the volume corresponding to the year of publication for your book and the year or two after.. (Several of these indexes have been moved to off-campus storage; you'll have to request for them to be brought back to Newman to use them.)

Freely available movie review websites

A large number of websites provide access to movie reviews, either the full text of the review, or at least a citation you can use to track down the full text.

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Film: Movie Reviews and Film Criticism

• Movie Reviews and Film Criticism
• Articles & Databases
• DVDs, Videos, & Streaming Media
• Web Resources

Finding Movie Reviews and Film Criticism

Film criticism provides evidence for Film & Digital Arts criticism assignments. This research guide distinguishes movie reviews from film criticism and pr ovides resources that will help you find criticism and reviews. See the Articles & Databases and Web Resources sections of this research guide for a list of search tools.

Movie Reviews

The purpose of a movie review is consumer in nature. The reviewer is making a judgment about the quality of the movie with the intention of telling the reader whether or not it is worth the time, effort, and money to watch. The reviewer assumes that the reader has not seen the movie and therefore is careful to reveal no spoilers. Reviews tend to be written when the movie is released into theaters, on video or DVD, or in streaming. The quality of reviews varies greatly, ranging from a simple plot summary with a thumbs up or thumbs down to an in-depth examination informed by expertise from film schools and years of film analysis and reviews. Regardless, the purpose of a review is to make a viewing recom mendation.

Examples of movie reviews of Pulp Fiction include:

• James Berardinelli
• Roger Ebert
• Andrew Wickliffe

Film Criticism

The purpose of film criticism is scholarly in nature. The film scholar is also making a judgment of the quality, but is doing so with the intention of making an argument about the meaning of the film or films by providing reasoned consideration and evidence. The scholar assumes that the reader has seen the film in order to better engage the argument – spoilers are irrelevant.

Film scholars have a distinct lens that they use in interpreting films. Their arguments might be based on filmmaker intent with an auteur lens, a formalist analysis of style and aesthetics or visual narrative, or an examination of the biographical or historical context. Their arguments might disconnect and dismantle the meaning of the film from its author’s intent by making a poststructuralist, semiotic, psychoanalytic, or literary analysis from the perspective of the viewer and of society. Their arguments might be a means to social justice intending to challenge the dominant power structures and the status quo by applying ideological Marxist, feminist, postcolonial, or queer approaches. Regardless, the purpose of criticism is to make a scholarly argument.

Examples of film criticism of Pulp Fiction include (you will need to be on campus or logged in to view):

• Davis, Todd F., and Kenneth Womack. “Shepherding the Weak: The Ethics of Redemption in Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction.’” Literature Film Quarterly , vol. 26, no. 1, Jan. 1998, p. 60-66. EBSCOhost permalink .
• Jewers, Caroline. “Heroes and Heroin: From ‘True Romance’ to ‘Pulp Fiction.’” Journal of Popular Culture , vol. 33, 2000, pp. 39-61. Link
• Kimball, A.Samuel. “‘Bad-Ass Dudes’ in Pulp Fiction: Homophobia and the Counterphobic Idealization of Women.” Quarterly Review of Film & Video , vol. 16, no. 2, Sept. 1997, pp. 171-192. Link

Criticism as Evidence

As in criticism, the purpose of film assignments tends to be making your own argument about a film or films using reasoned consideration and evidence. The nature of the evidence that will best serve your needs is criticism, not reviews. This research guide shows how to find both criticism and reviews, because the simple fact is that not all films receive critical treatment, but virtually all are reviewed. In those cases where there is no criticism available, you may use reviews as a starting point, especially if they are the more in-depth examinations informed by expertise. However, you will most likely end up making your own reasoned consideration a centerpiece of the study without providing the evidence a film criticism provides.

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We are republishing this piece on the homepage in allegiance with a critical American movement that upholds Black voices. For a growing resource list with information on where you can donate, connect with activists, learn more about the protests, and find anti-racism reading,  click here . #BlackLivesMatter.

“Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them.” – Jeremiah 11:11

In Rodney Ascher ’s  documentary “ Room 237 ,” four theorists attempt to explain the hidden messages in Stanley Kubrick ’s movie “ The Shining .” The ideas about what the movie is about range from the possible to the downright bizarre. One theory fixates on the possibility that “The Shining” was Kubrick’s way of confessing he faked the landing on the moon footage, and another obsesses over the details of the hedge maze. The other two see evidence that the 1980 film indirectly references either the genocide of Native Americans or the Holocaust.

Like “The Shining,” there are a number of different ways to interpret Jordan Peele ’s excellent new horror movie, “Us.” Every image seems to be a clue for what’s about to happen or a stand-in for something outside the main story of a family in danger. Peele’s film, which he directed, wrote and produced, will likely reward audiences on multiple viewings, each visit revealing a new secret, showing you something you missed before in a new light.

“Us” begins back in 1986 with a young girl and her parents wandering through the Santa Cruz boardwalk at night. She separates from them to walk out on the empty beach, watching a foreboding flock of thunderclouds roll in. Her eyes find an attraction just off the main pier, and she walks into what looks like an abandoned hall of mirrors, discovering something deeply terrifying—her doppelgänger. The movie shifts to the present day, with Janelle Monae on the radio as the Wilson family is heading towards their vacation home. The little girl has now grown up to be a woman, Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o), nervous about returning to that spot on the Santa Cruz beach. Her husband, Gabe ( Winston Duke ), thinks her reaction is overblown, but he tries to make her feel at ease so they can take their kids Zora ( Shahadi Wright Joseph ) and Jason ( Evan Alex ) to the beach and meet up with old friends, the Tylers ( Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker ) and their twin daughters. After one small scare and a few strange coincidences on the beach, the family returns home for a quiet night in, only to have their peace broken by a most unlikely set of trespassers lined up across their driveway: doppelgängers of their family.

Part of the appeal of “Us” is how you interpret what all of this information and images mean. No doubt the movie will give audiences plenty to mull over long after the credits. In the film, the Jeremiah 11:11 Bible verse appears twice before pivotal moments, and there are plenty of other Biblical references to dig into, including an analogy to heaven and hell. Perhaps Jason’s “ Jaws ” shirt is a reference to the rocket sweater the little boy wears in “The Shining” or it could be a warning about the film’s oceanside dangers. In the ‘80s scene, when young Adelaide walks into the mysterious attraction, the sign welcoming her is that of a Native American in a headdress above the name “Shaman Vision Quest.” When the family returns to the beach, the sign has been replaced with a more PC-friendly sign bearing a wizard advertising it as “Merlin’s Enchanted Forest,” a bandaid solution to hiding the racist exterior and the horror inside its halls.  

As he did with “ Get Out ,” Peele pays significant tribute to the films that have influenced him in “Us.” Though this time, there doesn’t seem to be a consensus. As I spoke with others who saw the movie, we focused on different titles that stood out to us. For me, “The Shining” looked to be the film that received the most nods in “Us,” including an overhead shot of the Wilson family driving through hilly forests to their vacation home, much like the Torrance family does on the way to the Overlook Hotel. There’s also a reference to “The Shining” twins, a few architectural and cinematography similarities and, in one shot, Nyong’o charges the camera with a weapon much like Jack Nicholson menacingly drags along an ax in a chase. However, “Us” is not just a love letter to one horror movie. Peele also pays tribute to Brian De Palma with a split diopter shot that places both Adelaide and her doppelgänger in equal focus for the first time in the movie. There’s also a tip of the hat to Darren Aronofsky ’s “ Black Swan ” in terms of dueling balletic styles and a gorgeously choreographed fight scene that looks like a combative pas de deux.

This delightfully deranged home invasion-family horror film works because Peele not only knows how to tell his story, he assembled an incredible cast to play two roles. The Wilsons are a picture of an all-American family: a family of four that looks to be middle class, with college-educated (Gabe is wearing a Howard University sweater) parents doting on their two children. Their doppelgängers may look like them and be tied to them in some way, but their lives are inverses of each other, and their existence has been one of limits and misery. It’s one of the most poignant analogies of class in America to come out in a studio film in recent memory. For the actors, it’s a chance to play two extremes, one of intense normality and the other of wretched evil. In “Us,” Duke shows off his comedic strengths as the dorky father who often embarrasses his kids, and his doppelgänger is a frighting wall of violence with little to say other than grunts and fighting his adversary. If Nyong’o doesn’t get some professional recognition for her performances here, I will be very disappointed. As Adelaide, she’s fearful, trying to keep some traumatic memories at bay but putting on a brave face for her family. To play her character’s opposite, Nyong’o adopts a graceful, confident movement for her doppelgänger, sliding into the family’s home with scissors at the ready. The doppelgänger looks wide-eyed and maliciously curious as if she’s looking for new ways to terrorize this family. She whispers in a raspy but sinister voice that would make many people jump and run away.

A suspenseful story and marvelous cast need a great crew to make the film a home run, and “Us” is not short on talent. “ It Follows ” cinematographer Mike Gioulakis creates unsettling images in mundane spaces, like how a strange family standing at a driveway isn’t necessarily scary, but when it’s eerily dark out, they’re backlit so that their faces go unseen and the four bodies are standing at a higher elevation from our heroes, so it looks like evil is swooping in from above. Kym Barrett ’s costume designs not only supply the doppelgängers’ nefarious looking red jumpsuits but also the normal, comfy clothes the Wilsons and Tylers wear on vacation. Michael Abels , who also composed the score for “Get Out,” and the ominous notes from the sound design team lay the groundwork for nerve-wracking sequences.

Jordan Peele isn’t the next Kubrick, M. Night Shyamalan, Alfred Hitchcock or Steven Spielberg . He’s his own director, with a vision that melds comedy, horror and social commentary. And he has a visual style that’s luminous, playful and delightfully unnerving. Peele uses an alternate cinematic language to Kubrick, seems more comfortable at teasing his story’s twists throughout the narrative unlike Shyamalan, uses suspense differently than Hitchcock, and possesses the comedic timing Spielberg never had. “Us” is another thrilling exploration of the past and oppression this country is still too afraid to bring up. Peele wants us to talk, and he’s given audiences the material to think, to feel our way through some of the darker sides of the human condition and the American experience.

This review was originally filed from the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 9, 2019.

Monica Castillo

Monica Castillo is a critic, journalist, programmer, and curator based in New York City. She is the Senior Film Programmer at the Jacob Burns Film Center and a contributor to  RogerEbert.com .

• Evan Alex as Jason Wilson
• Tim Heidecker as Mr. Tyler
• Winston Duke as Gabriel "Gabe" Wilson
• Kara Hayward as Nancy
• Lupita Nyong’o as Adelaide Wilson
• Shahadi Wright Joseph as Zora Wilson
• Elisabeth Moss as Mrs. Tyler
• Jordan Peele
• Michael Abels

Cinematographer

• Mike Gioulakis
• Nicholas Monsour

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Movie Reviews

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A complete list of movie reviews and ratings from the Screen Rant film critics and industry experts - helping movie lovers decide which films to watch for over 15 years.

Saturday Night Review: Jason Reitman's Drama Is A Hollow Recreation Of A Chaotic, Iconic Night [TIFF]

Reitman is hung up on showing us how SNL's debut came to be rather than establishing the people who made the series a cultural phenomenon.

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix Review: There's Still A Lot To Love In This Underrated Entry

Fitting in review: maddie ziegler’s coming-of-age drama tackles a rarely explored part of adolescence, emilia pérez review: zoe saldana's spectacular netflix crime musical melodrama defies all genres [tiff], bring them down review: christopher abbott & barry keoghan are exceptional in ruthless thriller [tiff].

Bring Them Down may be 105 minutes worth of violence and misery, but it’s great storytelling, nonetheless.

Strange Darling Review: Willa Fitzgerald Shines In Guttural, Suspenseful Horror With Confusing Themes

Strange Darling's pacing and non-linear structure create perfect thrills and intrigue, but its themes are muddled by distracting minor moments.

Speak No Evil Review: Being Polite Is A Bloody Nightmare In James McAvoy's Intoxicating Thriller Remake

James McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis shine in James Watkins' remake of the critically acclaimed 2022 horror from the director of The Woman In Black.

Went Up The Hill Review: This Peculiar Ghost Story Is Nothing Like Your Typical Horror Thriller [TIFF]

Though there are some major flaws, the concept itself is creative and the ghost story, unsettling as it is, is strangely moving.

The Assessment Review: A Conceptually Compelling Sci-Fi That Takes Too Long To Make Its Point [TIFF]

Fortuné has a good grasp of the sci-fi world and it's compelling to watch, even if she doesn’t push the story or its characters beyond what is needed.

Daniela Forever Review: Creative Sci-Fi Romance Cautions Us About Dreams While Being Unbelievable [TIFF]

Because of some questionable decisions, the film's key messages aren’t as effective as they could be.

40 Acres Review: This Dark, Violent Near-Future Family Drama Is Actually Hopeful [TIFF]

The film has some heartfelt moments and themes, and while dark and violent, it is, in the end, an uplifting story about family, legacy, and hope.

Transformers One Review: Thrilling Transformers Animation Is The Boost Of Energy The Franchise Needs

There’s a lot to love here — from the character dynamics to the thrilling action and gorgeous animation. It makes for an exciting origin story.

The Fire Inside Review: Gritty Boxing Drama Is The Realest Sports Biopic I've Ever Seen [TIFF]

The Fire Inside portrays the boxer Claressa Shields with depth and humanity.

Shell Review: Body Horror Movie Is Sleek & Funny But Ultimately Falls Into The Shallowness It Critiques [TIFF]

Shell takes too long to unravel its central mystery & once it gets to the body horror it teases in the beginning, the film begins to pull its punches.

Eden Review: I Loved To Hate Ana De Armas In Ron Howard's Completely Unhinged Thriller [TIFF]

If all Eden set out to do was to show us the drivel of humanity and how quickly they can turn on each other, then it accomplished its goal.

Without Blood Review: Salma Hayek Anchors Devastating Revenge Story That Lacks Bite [TIFF]

With two great performances from Salma Hayek Pinault and Démian Bichir, Without Blood's thin tale of revenge is compelling yet underwhelming.

The Wild Robot Review: Stunning, Hilarious DreamWorks Animation Is An Instant Classic [TIFF]

It's an uplifting, hilarious, gut-wrenching, and stunning animated adventure that reaffirms the power of a parent's love.

Heretic Review: Hugh Grant Has Never Been So Good In intoxicating Religious Horror Thriller [TIFF]

It’s an intoxicating story setup that leads to a striking final act.

Conclave Review: Catty Cardinals Choose The New Pope In Riveting & Excellently Shocking Drama [TIFF]

Conclave is more fun than it has any right to be, a classic thriller with a sheen of prestige that manages to be a damn good time at the movies. 

Nightbitch Review: Amy Adams Goes Absolutely Feral In Comedy About Motherhood & Identity [TIFF]

Nightbitch is very funny, a little gross, & an unforgettable role for Adams, eschewing the tone of the novel for something a little more digestable.

The Life Of Chuck Review: Mike Flanagan Successfully Mixes Genres In Exciting Stephen King Adaptation [TIFF]

The film is poignant and meaningful, with an appreciation for life that reminds us why we live it and how to enjoy it as well. 

Unstoppable Review: Jennifer Lopez & Jharrel Jerome Are Fierce In Powerhouse Sports Drama With Heart [TIFF]

It’s the kind of movie that’s simultaneously a feel-good tear-jerker that’s also deeply personal in the themes it tackles. 

Hard Truths Review: Emotionally Draining Drama Boasts An Oscar-Worthy Marianne Jean-Baptiste [TIFF]

Inherently, witnessing a woman propel insults at people is humorous, but there’s sadness all around this script, if not deeply moving.

Misericordia Review: Restrictive Storytelling Holds Back Entertaining Sexual Repression Drama [TIFF]

Though it may not have been executed to its best potential, Misericordia still manages to get a rise out of you when you least expect it.

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'Emilia Pérez' Review: Three Great Performances Lead Jacques Audiard’s Ambitious but Flawed Netflix Melodrama | TIFF 2024

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Jacques Audiard has never made two films alike, with each new endeavor a completely new exploration of entirely new genres and experiences. From making one of the greatest crime dramas of the 21st century with A Prophet , creating a Western dramedy in The Sisters Brothers , or a unique take on the romantic drama with Rust and Bone , Audiard always makes sure each film is unlike what you’ve seen from him before. While Audiard usually seems to latch onto a specific new genre and try to master it, his latest, Emilia Pérez , is arguably his most ambitious film so far, one that refuses to fit into a particular box, a musical drug cartel drama with a transgender affirmation story, all blended with a melodramatic telenovela style. No one would ever say Audiard isn’t daring, and Emilia Pérez is certainly a strong example of this, yet despite three strong female lead performances—including one of the best of the year— it's a film that bites off more than it can effectively chew.

What Is 'Emilia Pérez' About?

Rita ( Zoe Saldaña ) is a lawyer for a major law firm, yet is under-appreciated in her job, assisting her teammates while not getting any of the credit. After a mysterious phone call one day, she is kidnapped and brought to meet a Mexican cartel leader, Juan “Manitas” Del Monte ( Karla Sofia Gascón ) who needs her help. Manitas wants to leave the country and have sex reassignment surgery, a desire had since childhood. Manitas wants Rita to find the best place to do this major life change quickly and effectively, but also have Manitas’ wife, Jessi Del Monte ( Selena Gomez ), and their children set up for a life without their father and husband. But even after Rita succeeds at helping Manitas become Emilia Pérez (also played by Gascón) and moving Jessi’s family to Switzerland, Rita, Emilia, and Jessi are intertwined in ways they never expected.

Audiard wisely centers this film around these three fantastic female performances , each of which is daring and surprising in its own way. Despite finding massive success at the box office, we’ve never seen Saldaña so free and playful as we do here, with many of the bigger, bombastic musical numbers centered around her. Her opening number sets up the wild shifts in styles that Audiard is going for, and some of the broader songs allow her to really strap in and have a blast. One sequence has Saldaña’s Rita singing in a plastic surgery office to a song called “La Vaginoplastia,” while another has her gyrating and mocking throwing money at rich people. With these three stories intersecting, Saldaña has the most opportunities to let loose and embrace the over-the-top nature of Audiard’s vision fully , and it’s a delight to see Saldaña get a role like this that she can truly sink her teeth into.

The same can be said about Selena Gomez’s Jessi , which gives the actress one of her most mature performances yet, as she’s thrown into a role at extremes. Jessi begins as Manitas’ wife, then goes to mourning her husband, followed by changing her life’s situation, then potentially falling for another man with a questionable background ( Édgar Ramírez as Gustavo Brun). Gomez may not get quite the same amount of attention that the other two actresses receive, yet she makes the most of this rich role in the moments we do focus on her.

Karla Sofia Gascón Gives a Star-Making Performance in 'Emilia Pérez'

But the real standout here is Gascón in a remarkable performance of discovery, struggle, and becoming who Manitas was always meant to be. Even though Emilia Pérez is playing with melodrama and grand ideas—especially in her segments of the film—Gascón always grounds the role of the title character with strength, reserve, and subtle power over everything. As Manitas, Gascón is an intimidating figure who gets what they want, and when the transformation to Emilia Pérez is complete, we still feel the power they hold, even though the character is trying to distance themselves from their cartel past. Again, Gascón is thrown into many larger-than-life situations and story beats, but excels at all of them. We know the pain that this character can inflict, but we also see the love and care Pérez has in this new phase of her life. Especially when Gascón interacts with her children in the film as Emilia, the film finds a touching emotional core that centers this often wild story into something real and heartbreaking. Gascón plants this film into very honest emotions and concepts, and gives a commanding performance that will go down as one of the year’s best.

'Emilia Pérez' Might Be Too Ambitious For Its Own Good

And yet, it’s the overabundance of ideas within Audiard’s latest that holds this film back , attempting to do a lot, and spreading itself too thin. Emilia Pérez is the first film Audiard has written on his own, a story which began as a four-act opera libretto, and was loosely based on the 2018 novel “Écoute” from Boris Razon . It’s impossible not to admire how daring Audiard’s story is, with a narrative that will shift and evolve into something else every 15 minutes or so. But because of that, Emilia Pérez can sometimes feel more like a genre deconstruction and attempt to flow so many different types of films together in a way that never quite becomes cohesive. As previously stated, Audiard has always tried something new with each subsequent film, but with Emilia Pérez , it’s like he wants to try that same level of ambitious genre-hopping every few minutes.

This, unfortunately, mostly hurts the musical side of the film. There are large stretches of Emilia Pérez that are without songs, almost as if Audiard has forgotten he’s attempting a musical. When the film is a musical, songs often stop and start without leaving much of an impact, and sadly, the songs by Camille and score by Clément Ducol are mostly forgettable. There are some exceptions, as with the emotional “Papa,” in which Pérez’s son sings to her about his deceased father, and the staging of the musical sequences are always impressive. But when they’re done extremely well and the songs are hitting just right, it only highlights how often the musical elements seem almost like an afterthought. For a film so daring and inventive, it’s disappointing that the musical aspect of Emilia Pérez never soars to meet this film’s ambitions.

As an always exciting auteur who has deserved more attention for decades, Emilia Pérez is an excellent calling card for Audiard, a film that truly spotlights everything he’s capable of doing as a remarkable director. Audiard has also thrived at getting incredible performances out of actors, such as Tahar Rahim ’s breakthrough in A Prophet , one of Marion Cotillard ’s finest achievements in Rust and Bone , and Antonythasan Jesuthasan ’s powerful performance in the Palme d’Or-winning Dheepan , and he continues this trend with this brilliant trio of Saldaña, Gomez, and Gascón, each of which should deservedly receive attention come award season. But Audiard’s attempt to pack this story with so many directions and ideas doesn’t always coalesce into a satisfying whole, exploring the absurdities of melodrama and Mexican telenovelas effectively, but cramming to many other styles in as well. Emilia Pérez is doing a lot and often doing it quite well, but not all of these pieces fit together as well as they should.

Emilia Perez

Emilia Pérez boasts a remarkable trifecta of performances, but Jacques Audiard's ambitious project tries to do a bit too much.

• Karla Sofia Gascón gives a star-making performance that should make a splash in award season.
• Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez get to flex acting muscles they never have before.
• Jacques Audiard gets to embrace his penchant for trying out new genres.
• But Audiard's playfulness means some parts of the film aren't as effective as others.
• The musical moments are well-shot, but the songs themselves are mostly unmemorable.

Emilia Pérez screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. It's available to stream on Netflix in the U.S. starting November 13.

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You’d Think Watching Tilda Swinton in a Post-Apocalypse Movie Musical Would Be Fun

The central concept of The End is so outlandish that one wants to embrace the movie sight unseen. The film, directed by the award-winning documentarian Joshua Oppenheimer, is a post-apocalyptic musical about the comfortable life of an absurdly wealthy family, as they chill in their well-stocked climate bunker after their own actions have wiped out humanity. The father and the mother are played by two of modern cinema’s most supremely talented eccentrics, Michael Shannon and Tilda Swinton. Their grown son is played by 1917 ’s George MacKay, a 32-year-old actor whose pale, boyish looks still allow him to play odd innocents. The desperate intruder who shows up in their underground bunker one night (that’s not a spoiler — there’s always a desperate intruder in these types of stories) is played by The Queen’s Gambit and Obi-Wan Kenobi co-star Moses Ingram, who brings just the right amount of are you fucking kidding me? bewilderment as she gazes at this family of weirdos and the homey elegance of her new surroundings after years spent in the uninhabitable wasteland outside.

And yes, it is a musical. The songs, composed by Joshua Schmidt and Marius de Vries, replicate the graceful harmonies of Broadway’s Golden Age, with lyrics that edge into the caustic-poetic. “To think this all leads to us,” the parents delusionally croon to their child. “To think this all ends with you. Only you” — as if they’re anointing him with a halo of flowers instead of foretelling his lonely death. There are even a couple of scattershot dance numbers. The songs’ shimmering melodies keep threatening to dissolve into the atonal, musically replicating the sense that oblivion lurks behind these walls decorated with Renoirs and Manets salvaged from civilization. That the cast doesn’t really consist of Broadway-ready actors adds that extra discordant note. There is something discomfiting and funny about watching Michael Shannon try to sing, as there should be.

At the Telluride Film Festival screening of the film, Oppenheimer spoke eloquently about how The End is fundamentally about storytelling — “about how we tell stories to obscure the world from ourselves, and to obscure ourselves from ourselves.” That puts it in line with his acclaimed documentaries The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence , which followed the perpetrators of the 1965-66 genocide in Indonesia and found them in full raconteur mode, and even put these people in colorful, genre-friendly situations to reenact their crimes. For Oppenheimer, cinema is a kind of monstrous, multi-faceted beast, one that can whitewash evil or expose it. It should come as no surprise that he’s chosen the most colorful and fantastical of classic genres to make a movie about people who need to lie to each other and themselves to survive a world they destroyed.

So, The End regularly finds the son working on his oilman father’s memoirs (not that anyone’s going to be around to read them). “I was in the energy business, and I guess I made a difference,” the patriarch says, with zero irony in his voice. Never mind the human rights crimes and what they did to “the terrorists in Macao” and the fact that the Earth might literally be on fire because of his refineries. “Since the dawn of time, climate has changed, and it will keep changing after we’re gone,” father and son write. “It’s sheer arrogance to think we control the fate of our planet.” Anyone with half a brain will of course recognize the self-justifying clichés of pious politicians and energy executives who’ve spent the past few decades either denying or throwing up their hands about the fact that they’ve been setting fire to our planet.

Does it work? Well, no. Oppenheimer’s documentaries sometimes showed an aptitude for suspense, but they were also fundamentally circular works, constantly returning to the same narratives. He does something similar here, repeatedly cycling back to his ideas without really developing them. This time, he doesn’t have the complexity of reality to absorb us. At two and a half very staid hours, The End is a punishing picture. While I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Oppenheimer — whose whole project is about interrogating the cinematic apparatus — wanted it this way, it’s also hard not to feel like the director has lost control of his material, getting mired in tedious variations on the same theme.

Part of the problem has to do with the nature of the tale he’s concocted. Obviously, The End is not trying to be realistic. A viewer will have a million questions about how exactly this bunker works, how these people have survived here for 20 years, where they’re getting their milk, etc. These are, to be clear, dumb questions; this is a movie, not a survival manual. Despite the occasionally evocative detail, Oppenheimer clearly imagines this as a fairy tale, a simple story designed to explore a complex moral subject. But he’s done away with the complexity. The most promising part of The End involves the mother and the new arrival reckoning with survivor’s guilt, with the fact that they left their families behind to make it in this godforsaken hellscape — a potentially troubling, captivating, complicated idea. But the director seems less interested in that than he is in returning constantly to dad’s attempts to explain away his crimes and to the generally absurd nature of the film’s premise. In other words, he hasn’t made a fairy tale, he’s made a satire — a blunt instrument that only really works when wielded with uncommon creativity, levity, and humor. The End is a bold swing, and I’m glad it exists. But for all the stuff it throws at us, the film is frustratingly, wearingly one-note.

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‘A Missing Part’ Review: Tender Drama Showcases a Nuanced Performance From Romain Duris

Roman Duris plays a French driver in Tokyo, mired in Japan’s unusual child custody legislation as he seeks contact with his 12-year-old daughter.

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And what a system it is. Jessica is plausibly incredulous and despairing as she’s told that her ex is well within his rights to simply cut her out of her son’s life. The theory, according to Japanese law, is that it’s best for the children to have one home and one parent, and in cases where one of the parents is Japanese and the other isn’t, the foreigner has an uphill struggle on their hands. Duris does a tremendous job in scenes where Jay attempts to help Jessica come to terms with her new reality: Jay’s advice is all based on how he should have behaved and didn’t, and Duris conveys that sense of wisdom hard-earned with naturalism and grace.

It’s exactly the kind of part actors take on with half an eye on their awards cabinet, but Duris does a decent job of focusing on inhabiting the role rather than showboating during the close-ups. Jay’s predicament is a tough one, but the meeting with Lily and subsequent events give plenty of scope for light and shade, and if the film does gain any awards traction, it’s likely to recognize the performances as the stand-out here. One obstacle may be that as a character, Jay is necessarily fairly passive, at least during the period of his life covered by the film, mostly boxed in by the need to obey the rules.

Still, there’s a painful sense of passion all-but spent, of love almost smothered by despair, in his portrayal of Jay. His performance inspires tremendous compassion for the character, though he also admits vaguely to having behaved very poorly back in France, acting out and allowing anger to drive him. The role of his wife is a minor one, but Yumi Narita plays her as fragile and visibly frightened, which hints at a version of the story where his tenacious pursuit has darker qualities. But this is not that film.

As on-screen barriers to happiness go, manifestly unfair legislation is a pretty good screenwriting choice, giving characters a seriously difficult opponent to wrangle with. The only problem is that unless you’re writing about a landmark case that changed the law, the legislation that obstructs the character is likely to remain defiantly unconquered by the time the credits roll, and that’s inevitably the case here. Still, the screenplay does what it can to find a lighter grace note in its closing minutes, though to any parents contemplating divorce in Japan, it’s the country’s forthcoming legal reforms that will offer the more substantive hope.

Reviewed online, Sept. 8, 2024. In Toronto Film Festival. Running time: 98 MIN. (Original title: “Une part manquante”)

• Production: (Belgium-France) A Be For Films presentation of a Les Films Pelléas, Versus production. (World sales: Be for Films, Brussels.) Producers: Jacques-Henri Bronckart, David Thion.
• Crew: Director: Guillaume Senez. Screenplay: Guillaume Senez, Jean Denizot. Camera: Elin Kirschfink. Editor: Julie Brenta. Music: Olivier Marguerit.
• With: Romain Duris, Judith Chemla, Mei Cirne-Masuki, Tsuyu, Shungiku Uchida, Yumi Narita, Patrick Descamps, Shinnosuke Abe. (French, Japanese dialogue)

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Kevin Smith returns to his roots (again) for teen-centric The 4:30 Movie

The clerks filmmaker returns to new jersey for a quaint, familiar teen film of references and sex jokes..

Once an indie underdog, Kevin Smith has, in middle age, devoted himself to making what critics and fans alike might characterize as glorified, self-referential home movies, cast with friends and family members and filled with callbacks, in-jokes, and the same familiar anxieties about friendship, romance, and growing up. This is not an original observation. But given how frequently and consistently Smith recycles his material, it seems unlikely that anyone will come up with a fresher take any time soon. Certainly Smith isn’t interested in one. His movies have, to their credit, remained personal, earnest, and unpretentious (all positives), which explains at least part of their continued appeal to his faithful and forgiving fan base. But they have also become, more often than not, stale, lazy, and patience-testing, which is what irks his critics (many of whom, one suspects, harbor a formative fondness for Smith’s early output).

That having been said, Smith’s latest, the corny ‘80s-set coming-of-age comedy The 4:30 Movie , while not a good film per se, is probably the best work he’s produced in many years. (At the very least, it’s a lot less leaden than the low-bar likes of  Clerks III , Jay And Silent Bob Reboot , or Yoga Hosers .) Austin Zajur plays movie-obsessed teen and obvious Smith stand-in Brian, who, in the opening scene, asks Melody (Siena Agudong), the dream girl whose boob he almost touched in a pool the previous summer, to go on a quasi-date to the local movie theater. It’s Memorial Day weekend, and his plan is to spend the early part of the day theater-hopping with his two best friends, rat-tailed Belly (Reed Northrup) and macho Burny (Nicholas Cirillo), before meeting up with Melody at a 4:30 showing of something called Bucklick , all while avoiding the theater manager (Ken Jeong), who struts around in a Miami Vice suit and drives a “movie-mobile” festooned with clangy old film reels.

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In the comic-book terms Smith has long favored, this might be called an origin story: Brian is not only a Smith-esque pop-culture nerd, but a budding writer who narrates his day-to-day activities and thoughts into a tape recorder. (In the hands of a more skillful filmmaker, this on-screen narration might make for a clever bit of storytelling, but Smith forgets about it for most of The 4:30 Movie .) Everything is cast in a glow of hazy, diffusion-filter-smeared nostalgia, though it never feels authentic to a particular time or place, or even develops a consistent vibe . Instead, what we get is an unremitting stream of references to the stuff of Smith’s Generation X teenhood: Starlog , Highlander , Star Wars , SCTV , pro wrestlers, Billy Idol, Yakov Smirnoff, nuclear war, Hands Across America, and so on. 

Which is to say that it’s a lot like Smith’s other banter-y films. The main difference being is that the characters are actual dorky, horny ‘80s teens who spend their downtime talking about Jaws rather than adults who have stubbornly held on to their teenage tastes and hang-ups about friends, girls, and sex. This apparent self-reflexivity should not be mistaken for self-examination: all the conflicts here are external, coming by way of annoying adults, insecure friends, and overbearing parents. (In a wearying running gag, Rachel Dratch plays Brian’s mom, who keeps calling him at the movie theater.) All that Brian needs is confidence and an audience, both of which come by way of Melody. 

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There are flashes of vintage Smithiana—mostly in Brian’s brief encounters with bit weirdos and randos who’ve found Jesus or insist that the biopic Gandhi “never happened”—but they prove to be few and far between.  The decision to set a large part of The 4:30 Movie in a neighborhood multiplex (actually a real movie theater that Smith owns in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey) does no favor to his lackluster sense of staging, though it does give him plenty of opportunities to indulge in the cameos and crude, zany parodies that are one of his trademarks. We are treated to lengthy fake trailers for a sleazy exploitation flick about a streetwalking killer nun (which is actually funny) and a horror movie about ass-eating monsters (which isn’t), and extended clips from a Flash – Gordon -meets -Beastmaster cheesefest called Astro Blaster And The Beavermen. 

Like the masturbation jokes and the Batman references, these are familiar ingredients in the slapdash Smith formula. The familiarity is, of course, the point: Anyone going to a new Kevin Smith movie in 2024 is either already well-versed in the comfort food of the View Askewniverse, or is being dragged on a date by someone who is. The result evokes a kind of bittersweet nostalgia—not for the much-mythologized pop-cultural ‘80s, but for a younger, fresher writer-director who was able to do a lot more with a lot less.

Director: Kevin Smith  Writer: Kevin Smith  Stars: Austin Zajur, Nicholas Cirillo, Reed Northrup, Siena Agudong, Ken Jeong Release Date: September 13, 2024

• Speak No Evil is a tongue-tied American remake of a Danish horror gem
• 6 things to watch on TV this weekend
• Don't believe the Goonies 2 rumors

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'Speak No Evil' review: Leave those vacation friends on vacation

Effective horror thriller is a remake of a brutal 2022 danish film..

A relaxing countryside getaway turns into a nightmare for a family of expats in "Speak No Evil," a rousing thriller that explores issues of social niceties, modern masculinity and the concept of vacation friends.

You know vacation friends, those friends you meet while you're on vacation, drinking in the pool and you have such a good time together that you swear you should meet up back in the real world and attempt to carry on the friendship? Rarely is it a good idea, and while "Speak No Evil" offers an extreme case study on the matter, it works as a cautionary tale of why that gap between vacation and real life is so difficult to bridge.

Scoot McNairy stars as Ben Dalton, who is on holiday with his wife Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and his 12-year-old daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) in Italy. The family has recently relocated from the U.S. to London and things aren't going quite as planned: Ben was downsized from his job and Louise had to give up her job at NPR to make the move, and while they're determined to stick it out, they've had an admittedly difficult time transitioning to life overseas.

In Italy, they meet the boorish but charming Paddy (James McAvoy), his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and their son Ant (Dan Hough), who is non-verbal due to a deformity with his tongue. They hit it off, and Paddy invites them to stay for a long weekend at their country farm, where they can get away from it all for a few days and reset, and get to know their new surroundings outside of the city.

The Daltons take him up on the offer, which is strike one. (Never cross the vacation friend matrix into the real world!) "Speak No Evil" then becomes a parade of awkward social interactions, asking how much Ben and Louise are willing to put up with in an effort to go with the flow and be polite, gracious guests. That stain on their bed sheets? Paddy's insistence that vegetarian Louise try a bite of lamb? Paddy and Ciara's sexual frankness at the dinner table? How much is too much, and when do they decide it's time to pack up the car and leave?

Writer-director James Watkins ("The Woman in Black") toys with the audience the same way Paddy plays with his guests and their psyche. And while it's not necessarily a surprise where "Speak No Evil" is headed — the trailer gives plenty away, and the film is a remake of a brutal 2022 Danish thriller — it plays out as a carnival ride as the audience is taken for a spin through a series of relatable situations, asking how they'd react to them and when they'd finally throw in the towel, always allowing them to feel smarter than the characters on screen.

The original "Speak No Evil" was an uncompromising achievement, with a sickening feel-bad ending that no American studio would ever touch. So this new version does a wholesale rewrite on the last act and pulls in a "Straw Dogs"-style assault on the property, which puts Ben's masculinity on trial as he's forced to protect his family against a series of horrors, not the least of which is the hulked-up Paddy and his hyper-macho aura. Ben is meek by comparison, and he's asked to call on something deeper within himself, and Watkins has a blast putting him through the fire.

He's assisted by a superb cast: McNairy, so good at playing squirrelly lowlifes, is great as the emasculated husband and father, and Davis is wonderfully relatable as a wife who sees the situation for what it is and just wants to get out of dodge. (The couple is given some strife in their relationship, which heightens the tension between them.)

Franciosi, too, is alluring and mysterious as Paddy's wife and accomplice, but it's McAvoy who makes a full buffet out of his meal, relishing his villain role and playing it with sly, off-the-charts charisma and menace.

There's a scene where he's confronted about whether or not he's a doctor, which is what he told his new friends back in Italy, and he runs the gamut of having them believing that he's not and never was, all the way back to convincing them he fully is. It doesn't matter whether or not he has a medical license, the point is they are putty in his hands, and McAvoy makes you believe that Paddy is always in control of the situation and his surroundings. The actor has played villains before — see "Split" and "Glass" — but he's especially impressive here, and leaves a lasting impression as a barking mad psycho with a short leash.

Sure, "Speak No Evil" more than stretches credulity at times, but that's part of the fun of this effective, well-made crowd pleaser. And if nothing else, it's a reminder to keep vacation friends where they belong: in neutral territory, at the swim-up bar, on vacation.

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'Speak No Evil'

Rated R: for disturbing horror violence

Running time: 110 minutes

In theaters

Speak No Evil Helped James McAvoy Understand How Men Get Radicalized Online [Exclusive Interview]

In 2022, director Christian Tafdrup unleashed "Speak No Evil," a bleak, relentless examination of how politeness is one of the quickest ways to put us in danger. By disregarding red flags for the sake of social pleasantries, a Danish couple and their daughter find themselves trapped in the clutches of a Dutch couple at their house in The Netherlands countryside after befriending them while on vacation. But the more the Dutch couple reveal the truths about themselves, the more horrific the Danish family's life becomes.

The film's ending has since earned a notorious reputation, but as Tafdrup recalled in 2023 , viewers from around the globe have related to the core conflict of suppressing one's feelings to better perform societal expectations. When it was announced that the horror mavens at Blumhouse were going to remake the film, hardcore horror fans lamented it "unnecessary." But in thinking about Tafdrup's comment, there's an argument to be made for a "Speak No Evil"-esque film for any number of cultural difference pairings between vacationing couples.

The true power of "Speak No Evil" is relatability, forcing audiences to reckon with the painful truth that they too could find themselves victim to nefarious forces by refusing to upset the applecart. For James McAvoy, who plays the charming yet dangerous Paddy in the remake by director James Watkins ("Eden Lake," "Black Mirror"), portraying a convincing figure with heinous intentions also helped him better understand why young men have become prey for radicalization online by perceived "alpha male" figures like Andrew Tate. By switching from Danish/Dutch sensibilities to that of the USA/UK in this version, a new layer of horror emerged.

I recently sat down with McAvoy to talk more about this breakdown of politeness and masculinity, as well as learn what it took for him to enter the headspace of one of the scariest villains of the year.

Note: This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

James McAvoy hadn't seen the original Speak No Evil

Do you know how scary you are in this movie?

I watched it with an audience a couple of nights ago in San Diego and I got a sense through them that they found it quite scary at times. [ laughs ]

Oh yeah, you're absolutely terrifying. You did a fantastic job because –

I had both sensations of one, like, "Oh, let me out, I got to take him down," and then also "... I will lose this fight. I need to sit back here."

He's also kind of funny as well!

Which is weird because he's such a bigot. He's an a**hole. He's got the worst kind of opinions about f***ing politics, gender politics, everything. And yet you're enjoying being with him and you're like, "Ah, this feels horrible. And I'm still laughing at him." It's weird.

It's a total mind trip to sit in that world. One of the questions I have for you is that this is a character that exists from another film, and this is not the first time –

I was like, "There was a prequel? What? Are we talking multidimensional here?"

Could you imagine if there was a "Speak No Evil" multiverse? That would just be the bleakest multiverse ever created.

The Paddy-verse. [ laughs ]

But this is not the first time that you've played a character that exists either in another film or a book. In many cases, these characters are already beloved. So when you prepare for a role like this, do you watch the source material or do you just build it from the ground up?

I was really glad I hadn't seen the original film. If I had have seen it, I might not have taken this role. So no, I actively chose not to watch the original until we were finished making our version of it.

'The film gets drawn like a bow'

How do you feel about your character and what you brought to it now that you have seen the original?

I'm really proud of what we did. I'm really proud of the humor in it. I'm really proud of the tension in the film because we managed to somehow ... the film gets drawn like a bow so tight, by about an hour in it's just like shaking. You feel that the bow's going to break or the arrow is going to get loose, and yet there's a lot of laughs along the way and there's a lot of scares along the way. And yet somehow you'd think it would dissipate the tension every time that happens. But it [doesn't]. It somehow, everyone goes, "Whoa!" and it kind of ramps up each time. It kind of ramps up and ramps up and ramps up. And that's a testament to James Watkins, the director. He managed to orchestrate and calibrate this really fine tightrope walk where we had levity on one side and scariness and fear and frights on the other side. And yet he managed to walk this line where both things managed to coexist without dissipating the other. It was really deft from him.

Absolutely. And the levity in this movie almost feels like it has an asterisk because you can just sense that this humor that's coming ... there's a lot of uncomfortability with that humor and having to sit in it. And this film has so much to say about both the art of politeness and polite society and the things that we are willing to ignore in the face of politeness. But also there's some very fascinating stuff about masculinity in here.

Yeah, totally.

How Speak No Evil helped McAvoy understand online radicalization

I would love for you to talk about what it was like playing in these very complicated sandboxes.

Listen, I mean, I regularly do walk away from people like Paddy as well. I'm not talking about murderers and kidnappers and people like that, but as soon as you get guys giving it like, [ imitates a blowhard ] "Here's the thing about me," do you know what I mean? [ continues imitating ] "Let me tell you. No, let me put you straight here. Okay?" And you're just like, "F*** off." I don't like being around it. I really enjoyed examining and getting to play somebody like that. But you've got two kinds of versions of masculinity in the film. You've got this kind of beta masculine, then you've got this kind of alpha masculine, and I'm sure there's a version of alpha masculinity, which is also okay and nice and in some way great, but this is a very toxic version of it. 

But then you've got a beta masculine guy here as well, but he's f***ing toxic as well, because he's not spreading health in his life or in his family. He's helping that toxic environment, which you think surely is a different thing because it's not front-footed, but this guy who's sitting there, can't look at himself in the mirror as a professional, can't look at himself in the mirror as a husband, as a father, as just a man. He feels like he's failing on every level. And so you get this guy who comes – yes, he's toxic, yes, he's dick-swinging, but really, he's projecting positivity and happiness and it seems genuine. And I actually think it is genuine. He's genuinely capable of being jolly and genuinely happy. And why wouldn't somebody as vulnerable as Ben look at that person, and go, "He's got the answers. I want to try and get like him." Even though he would never, at any other time in his life, subscribe to these toxic views.

And it helps me to understand a little bit why these people online are appealing to so many young men at the moment, who are growing the worst possible opinions and the worst possible sort of relationships now because of it and the way that they're behaving towards people. Anyway, it was interesting to play with that dynamic between two grown men as well, not just kids, but two middle-aged men.

The dangers of not letting men express their emotions

Absolutely. I think when we talk about the patriarchy, we often forget how much the patriarchy hurts men. It hurts young men as well.

Absolutely.

And I love that this movie is playing with that, because in both the original film and in this film, just the primal screaming, letting a man feel an emotion, for the love of God, and getting to see that, it's this thing that twists in your brain where I watch this, and I'm like, "Oh, he needed that. He really needed that."

Do you know what as well? I also like it because Paddy is somebody who, he's not afraid to cry. He's not afraid to feel emotion. So you look at it and you go, "God, he's so great being vulnerable. He's so capable of being vulnerable. That's actually a modern man. That's a good version of masculinity." And you're like, "Eh, it kind of is, but he's still actually an a**hole." I love that scene where we get to do the primal scream simply because he cuts from just the midsize shot of us two to the wide shot and you just get this huge phallus standing upright. It's like, "Hey!" [ laughs ]

It was perfect, absolutely perfect, everything about it. And this movie also plays with so much subversion and then just kicks you in the gut towards the end of it. I've heard that the set, though, was very lovely and everyone was very happy.

So how do you pull yourself out of that mindset? Are you someone who needs a decompression or are you a light switch actor?

Light switch. Honestly, since they shout "cut" and I'm like, "Was that good? Yeah, I thought that was good. Or maybe I could go again. All right, whatever." And then it's back to me. But I mean, it's always me. It's me in the take and it's me outside the take and it is ... I just think save it for the take. You know what I mean? And be relaxed for the take. And you can intellectualize in between takes, but don't try and ... I would never try and be in the scene or be in the character or be in the moment. I think it just creates tension and takes your eye off the storytelling ball.

On working with the incredible adult cast

Fantastic. My last question for you is you have such an interesting relationship dynamic on the screen, specifically with Mackenzie Davis. She feels like the one who is equal to you[r intensity]. So what was it like working with her as the scene partner?

She's wicked, man. She's so good. And she had a really difficult job, certainly in the first half of the film as well, where her character is not so actively telling the story of the film. It's more in a passive way, which is not something that I think we're used to seeing Mackenzie Davis do. Her wheelhouse is so built on active action. So to watch her do that and still absolutely draw the audience in was brilliant. And then she takes over a bit in the second half, and she becomes more of the active protagonist and the leader, really. But she's brilliant. She's got such a strong presence. In fact, all four of the actors, all three of the other actors that were in this little adult foursome anyway, were amazing.

Aisling Franciosi plays somebody who's totally being groomed into this situation and abused in this situation and yet layered it to the point that you go like, "I think she actually does love him though as well" [...] but you don't even know because she's played it so strongly that the love is real, even though abuse is part of their everyday. It's an amazing performance.

And Scoot [McNairy] was just incredible. The amazing thing about Scoot is he's more the Paddy than I am in real life. Not a murderer, doesn't do anything that, but he is a man of the woods, hunter/stalker, build his own house, could fix any car. Like he is that guy. So the fact that he was playing this weak beta male figure, I was like, "Good on you, man, because you could out-Paddy me any day."

"Speak No Evil" hits theaters on September 13, 2024.

What We All Forgot About Beetlejuice

In the sequel to his classic film, Tim Burton’s brand contends with Tim Burton’s art.

It’s easy to be cynical about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and those who bought tickets to see it on opening weekend, to the tune of a dazzling $110 million. We’re in the age of intellectual property, after all, and a 36-years-later sequel to a beloved film doesn’t come across as an inspired project so much as the result of industry pressure.

That feels more true when comparing the new film with its predecessor. The director Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice —the tale of a lonely teen and her (un)dead friends taking on a trickster demon—employs a rich visual storytelling that’s no longer common in blockbusters, which rely on computer effects and rote humor. In 1988, it struck an immediate chord with its haunted-house scares and three-ring-circus energy, earning an impressive $75 million at the box office, critical acclaim, and a place in the cultural canon.

Despite the director’s return for the sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice doesn’t break new visual or narrative ground. With its renewal of the “humans-meet-poltergeists” premise, the film embodies the platonic ideal of Burton: familiar players, cartoony horror, goth vibe, and surrealist humor. But it’s also self-aware, encouraging viewers to consider both the art and the artist behind it. The result is a movie that fulfills the apparent desire of Warner Bros. producers for an IP revival and also explores the gap between the filmmaker Burton was three decades ago and the one he is now.

Over his nearly 40-year career, Burton has become a house style as much as an individual creator. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice exemplifies that transformation by revisiting the first film’s charmingly twisted sights, replete with the practical effects fans expect from early-period Burton. The sequel recalls almost every memorable moment from Beetlejuice , with several gags reproduced verbatim; Harry Belafonte musical cues and the depiction of the afterlife as a big DMV office are immediately familiar. Only occasionally does it demonstrate its predecessor’s imagination: We get a delightfully wicked Claymation sequence, French New Wave parodies that allow the actors to ham it up, and glimpses of the sprawling economy beyond the grave. The movie ends up as both a full embrace of Burton’s trademark aesthetic and a rumination on what it is to be hemmed in by one’s own success.

Read: Tim Burton’s Dumbo is a dark interpretation that really soars

A surprise smash upon release, Beetlejuice —Burton’s second feature film, following 1985’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure —established everything the director’s name now conjures in the popular imagination. All of his signature visual tics are present, from humorously macabre costuming to German-expressionist, handcrafted production design. The broad appeal lies in how these eccentric parts coalesce into an endearing whole.

Beetlejuice remains popular in large part because of the director’s stylistic consistency. Burton's aesthetic is so distinct that it’s become marketable, both cinematically and for a bevy of tie-in products. His artistically unified canon—hopping from Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands to Sleepy Hollow , Corpse Bride , and beyond—has rendered each project an advertisement for the others. Should you like one because of Burton’s idiosyncrasies, you can expect to enjoy the others. (You may even want to buy a T-shirt at your local Hot Topic.) In other words, Burton’s brand is bigger than any single film, although Beetlejuice proved sellable in its own right, spawning a cartoon that sanded down the adult edges and a 2019 musical that briefly became part of a congressional scandal . In spite of Burton’s departures in the past decade from his creative hallmarks (which are more in step with his oeuvre than they appear), he’s still a singular force in Hollywood. There are few modern filmmakers with a flair so unique and merch-friendly that it’s taken on their own name: in his case, Burtonesque.

A deeply human theme ties together all of his zany grotesquerie: feeling isolated by your own individuality, longing for inclusion. Like Edward Scissorhands on his hilltop or Bruce Wayne in his manor, the Beetlejuice heroine Lydia Deetz (played by Winona Ryder) is an observer, holding herself at a remove with her photography and in denial about her discomfort with being excluded. She feels more kinship with the dead than with the living, especially once she learns that she can see ghosts. Supernatural complications aside, her struggle to fit in is resonant and recognizable.

Read: Winona Ryder’s second act

The most satisfying parts of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice directly link back to, and further, this thread. Now an adult, Lydia (a returning Ryder) is haunted by her past and trapped in her goth-inflected outsider image, with a successful ghost-hunting show produced by a money-grubbing boyfriend (Justin Theroux) who exploits her fame and talents for wealth. Her daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega, the star of Wednesday , for which Burton directed several episodes), feels ostracized by her mother’s famously spooky history and art-brat upbringing; in a reverse of Beetlejuice ’s teenage Lydia, Astrid desperately yearns for a normal life. The outcast’s acceptance has created another kind of loneliness, because it’s not a Burton film without some visceral melancholy.

When viewed from this angle, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice becomes a bookend with its predecessor. Beetlejuice forged the director’s cinematic calling card; the sequel steps back to examine the culture his body of work has formed, and where it has left him. Burton is no longer a Hollywood oddball; he’s an institution. This is perhaps an unexpected place for a filmmaker once fired by Disney for his morbid and whimsical style, but it’s one he occupies nonetheless. (Case in point: His 2010 reunion with Disney made more than $1 billion.) Each of his new works thus raises the question: Who is in the director’s chair this time? Burton the brand, who can coast on his aesthetic alone, or Burton the artist—a former outsider who’s still hopelessly interested in telling stories about them?

There is a contradiction here, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice compellingly embodies that tension, its breezy performances and deftly delivered jokes sitting alongside the fuzzy nostalgia. The sequel is, in many ways, exactly what it looks like: a revival of a decades-old movie with plenty of cultural stock to cash in on, happy to play the hits. But it is also an artist’s reflection on his journey from ghastly pariah to mall-goth staple. Burton could’ve settled by taking audiences on another roller coaster through the land of the dead. Instead, he chooses to consider the living too.

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