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How to Write a Film Review

Jul 31, 2014

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How to Write a Film Review . Shao Guangqing. Outline . Warm-up The Structure of a Film Review Steps to write a film review Types of films/genres Useful vocabulary and language for a film review. Warm-up. What is a film review (for)? Have you ever read one?

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How to Write a Film Review ShaoGuangqing

Outline • Warm-up • The Structure of a Film Review • Steps to write a film review • Types of films/genres • Useful vocabulary and language for a film review

Warm-up • What is a film review (for)? • Have you ever read one? • Did your reading of a film review encourage you to see that film?

A Film Review is • a short description of a film, where the writer: • provides details of the movie analyzed, • gives his/her opinion or recommendation of the film. • The register used may be formal or semi-formal depending on the addressees and kind of newspaper or magazine where it will be published. • Present tenses and a variety of adjectives are frequently used.

What is a film review for? • Writing a movie review is a great way of expressing your opinion of a movie. • The purpose of most movie reviews is to help readers in determining whether they want to watch, rent or buy the movie. • The review should give enough details about the movie that the reader can make an informed decision, without giving anyway any essentials such as the plot or any surprises.

What is a film review for? • Similar to the purpose of writing book reviews, movie reviews analyze the effectiveness of the plot, theme, acting, direction, special effects, musical effects, cinematography, and all other elements that created the movie. Cinematography: the art or science of motion picture photography. It is the technique of movie photography, including both the shooting and development of the film. 영화 예술[촬영술]

The Structure of a Film Review • It should consist of 3 different parts: • Introduction • Body • Conclusion

Introduction • Introduction (1st paragraph) • It summarizes all the background information of the film. • It may include references to the title, director, type of film( comedy, adventure, drama, etc.), setting (place and time), characters, etc.

Body • Body: it may contain two paragraphs • 2nd paragraph: it offers a summary of the plot focusing on the main aspects. • 3rd paragraph: it includes general comments on the plot, the development of the main characters, the acting, the direction, etc. • Note: the end should not be revealed to the reader

Conclusion • Conclusion (4th paragraph) • The writer provides a general assessment of the film, and his/her opinion about it. • The writer recommends or does not recommend the movie. He/she should give reasons to support his/her opinion about the film.

Process-1st step • 1. Watch a film with a critical eye. Write down the description of the most significant parts and details which you will include into your work.

Process-2nd step • 2. Take note of information on the director, main characters, historical period used in this film, soundtrack, editing and camera work.

Process-3rd step • 3. Write an outline with the main ideas you want to develop in each paragraph. • Remember to include a topic sentence which summarizes the main idea of each paragraph.

Process-4th step • 4. First draft: start writing the paper considering the structure presented (4 different paragraphs). • Be creative and use quite a lot of cinema-related vocabulary.

Process-5th step • 5. Edit and proofread your final review for mistakes (grammatical, spelling, word-order, etc.) • Avoid vocabulary repetition • Check that you have followed the 4-paragraph structure. • Use an appropriate register (formal or semi-formal). Contractions, abbreviations, colloquial language should be avoided. • Check margins, font type and size, double-spacing, etc. • Ask a partner to read your film review to get some feedback before submitting your work.

Types of films/genres • Science fiction (sci-fi) • Comedy/sit-coms (situation coemedies) • Romance/love story • Horror film (not terror film) • Thriller • Spy film • Erotic/pornographic • Musical

Types of films/genres • Detective story • Mystery film • Adventure/action film • Biography • Animated film/Cartoon • Historical • War film • Gangster film

Useful Words • Soundtrack • Script • Plot/storyline • Stunts (stuntman) • Special effects • Box-office hit • Rehearsal • Masterpiece • Star (verb/noun)

Useful words • Hero/heroine • Opening • End/ending • Episode • Premiere • Climax • Cast of characters • Leading/supporting character • Sequence/scene

Useful adjectives • Positive adjectives • Interesting, good, exciting, funny, fantastic, amusing, moving, excellent, entertaining, realistic • long-running, well-developed, convincing, gripping • Negative adjectives • Boring, sad, bad, poor, dull, terrible, dreadful, thrilling, predictable, unimaginative, weak, frightening, scary, unbelievable

Useful language • 1st paragraph-Background • This film is set in…; the movie tells the story of…; this excellent film is based on… • 2nd paragraph-Summary of the plot • The storyline/plot focuses on …; the film reaches its climax…; the story begins…

Useful language • 3rd paragraph-Comments on the film • This acting/development of the main (leading) character is fascinating/excellent…; The script is bight/dull…The end is surprising / predictable • 4th paragraph-Conclusion • It is worth seeing…; I would/would not recommend it because …; Do not miss it…

Checklist • □ I have included a title for my film review. • □ I have summarized the plot without giving away the ending. • □ I have included a strong lead/introduction. • □ I have discussed significant characters and actors. • □ I have discussed important technical elements. • □ I have evaluated the sound and/or movie soundtrack. • □ I have stated and evaluated the theme. • □ I have included a strong conclusion summarizing my ideas. • □ I have edited my review for spelling and grammatical errors.

Film Review • The Truman Show

The Truman Show Part 1

Part 2 • Truman Burbank has been on television all of his life, the only thing is he doesn't know it yet. Truman Burbank's (Jim Carrey) whole life, unbeknown to him, has been televised. He is the star of the Truman Show the ultimate in reality television shows. He has been raised in the town of Sea haven, which in reality is a giant film set built inside a massive artificial dome (at last a use for the Millennium Dome). His whole environment, including the weather, is control by the shows creator Christof (Ed Harris) and his team.

They introduce characters and plot lines into Truman's life as if it were a soap opera, but things are not going well for them as due to a number of accidents Truman is beginning to suspect that there is something wrong with his life. Despite reassurances from his best fried Marlon (Noah Emmerich), the breakdown of his on screen wife Meryl (Laura Linney) leads him towards the truth. Will he be reunited his true love Lauren (NataschaMcElhone), or will Christof ensure that the whole of his life is televised? There is only one way to find out, and that is to watch the Truman Show.

Part 3 • This is one of the most brilliantly original films to come out of Hollywood in the recent years. It is a damning indictment of the current trends in television (Big Brother style reality television taken to its ultimate conclusion). It is an intelligent and witty piece of drama, but above all of this it is massively entertaining. • Lets take a look at why. Firstly we have the direction of Peter Wier (Witness, Picnic at Hanging Rock) who has used a brilliant selection of techniques that make this film work. Every time that we see Truman we are actually watching the Truman Show. This is achieved by the use of odd camera angles, fish eye lens effects, and shots supposedly from behind one way glass. The overall effect is stunning. It draws the audience in and leaves you in no doubt that we are actually watching a person that is begin unwitting filmed, and that we are really watching the same television show as the viewers in the film. This so easily could have gone very wrong, with the result that we would be just left confused.

Many other neat tricks are used on top of this including the synchronization of extras so that they look like extras. I can't believe that this would have been easy, as filmmakers for the whole of their lives have been trying to achieve the exact opposite. The response of the Truman Show viewers is also used to great effect, as we get to see what a consistent few viewers think about what we ourselves are watching. I really could go on all day extolling the virtues of the direction and scripting techniques used, but its suffice to say that it really is top class. • This leads me to the impressive script written by Andrew Niccol (Gattaca). The dialogue is intelligent and original. The way in which only Truman is allowed to make decisions and the other cast members are appearing to ad-libis well implemented. It questions our love of television and just how far should we go in the name of entertainment. That's not to say it is serious, far from it there are many moments of gentle comedy. What is most impressive is the fact that it never has to result to extremes to get its message across (no violence, no sex, or much swearing for that matter).

ad-lib • Ad-lib is used to describe individual moments during live theatre when an actor speaks through their character using words not found in the play's text. • In film the term ad-lib usually refers to the interpolation （inserting）of unscripted material in an otherwise scripted performance.

Part 4 • A special mention must be made of Burkhart von Dallwitz's (Supernova) music score, which compliments the action perfectly. It is rare that a score is integrated with a script quite so seamlessly. • The biggest surprise of all is Jim Carrey. He is well known for his madcap, zany, comedies, and people either love him or hate him. What he is not known for is subtlety, and here he is a revelation. He is fantastic, delivering a performance of a lifetime, and with a great deal of acting talent (maybe he should try it more often). The supporting cast are also faultless, especially Laura Linney who convincingly falls apart on screen desperately relying on product placement in an attempt to deal with Truman. It is a rare pleasure to say that all of the cast, from main stars, to the extras do a fine job and are faultless.

madcap：an impulsive, reckless, or lively person • zany：one who acts the clown to amuse others

Part 5 • As you can tell I really rate the Truman Show. It is a film that can be enjoyed by anyone, and in repeated viewings many subtleties can be uncovered. If I have any criticism it would be that it is a little lightweight and maybe a little too sweet (although this is intentionally so!), but this a very minor consideration. In an age of remakes, sequels, and special effect movies the Truman Show is head and shoulders above the rest. • Watch the Truman Show, everyone else is. Oh one last thing, in case I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening, and good night.

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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.

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Subscribe for more filmmaking videos like this.

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.

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• 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: May 2, 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 5,601,185 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 0 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

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• ↑ 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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10 Movie Review Examples That Will Help You Write Better Reviews

Studying movie review examples is a great place to start if you’re looking for inspiration for your own movie reviews. 

This article has gathered different kinds of movie review examples that will help you write better and more insightful reviews in whatever style you choose.

There is an overwhelming library of movie reviews to sift through, but having studied many reviews by Pulitzer Prize-winning film critics along with your average movie review articles published online, I’ve been able to find a few movie reviews that provide a great template for crafting a review of your own.

10 Detailed Movie Review Examples

The Classic Movie Review

A classic movie review example has a neat structure that clearly communicates the author’s sentiment toward the film in a clean, straightforward manner.

Roger Ebert’s review of North is the perfect example of that.

1. “North” by Roger Ebert

This review starts with a catchy hook, making readers curious for Ebert to elaborate on his statements.

“I have no idea why Rob Reiner, or anyone else, wanted to make this story into a movie, and close examination of the film itself is no help.”

The opening sentence of this movie review example makes it clear to the audience that Ebert did not enjoy the film in question and if they would like to know why, they are encouraged to continue reading.

The whole first paragraph is chock full of strong adjectives setting the tone for the scathing critique this film is about to get.

Moving on to the next paragraph of this movie review example, Ebert gives a quick synopsis of what this film is about, filling the audience in on the story in case they’re unaware.

“He [Elijah Wood] plays a kid with inattentive parents, who decides to go into court, free himself of them, and go on a worldwide search for nicer parents.”

Following the paragraph summarizing the main plot of the film, the movie review dives straight into the critique explaining why this film garnered the strong adjectives it received in the opening paragraph:

“This idea is deeply flawed. Children do not lightly separate from their parents – and certainly not on the evidence provided here, where the great parental sin is not paying attention to their kid at the dinner table.”

In this movie review example, Ebert dives deep into the oddities of the narrative and what makes it so unbelievable.

He questions the director’s decisions and the plot’s direction as well in these middle paragraphs:

“What is the point of the scenes with the auditioning parents?… They are not funny. They are not touching. There is no truth in them.”

Ebert uses the middle paragraphs to dissect what does not work in the film.

In the final paragraphs of this movie review example, Ebert closes out by reiterating his sentiments towards the film, giving readers a good idea of whether the movie would be something he would recommend others watch.

“I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it.”

“‘North’ is a bad film – one of the worst movies ever made.”

After reading Ebert’s movie review example there is no question of whether he liked the movie or not. I don’t know, he might’ve even mentioned hating it at one point…

And he makes it clear what plot and artistic choices played into his final assessment of the film.

Would you whip out your cash to experience the movie North after reading a review like this?

With this straightforward, informative, evidence-supported review, there is no confusion about the perceived quality of this film.

READ THE FULL REVIEW OF NORTH BY ROGER EBERT

The Real World Parallel Review

A movie review that can parallel the events occurring within the movie with events occurring outside of the movie shows a deeper level of critical thinking.

This is one of the movie review examples that truly exemplifies a deep critical thinker.

2. “The Flash” by Justin Chang

This movie review example starts right away with a brief synopsis of what the movie, The Flash, is about.

“‘The Flash’ is a time-travel story and a cautionary tale, a warning of how dangerous it can be to change the past or mess around with alternate realities.”

Same as with the classic movie review, this reviewer also hints at his overall sentiments towards the film.

“…this initially enjoyable, increasingly sloppy megabucks mess…”

This review, unlike the classic movie review, spends more time following the plot of the story through a biased lens, further walking readers through the details of the story.

“He gets stuck in the past and… winds up unwisely joining forces with a teenage version of himself (also Miller, with floppier hair), who’s had a much happier childhood but doesn’t (yet) have the Flash’s superheroic powers.”

After indirectly criticizing the CGI and praising the main actor’s performance, Chang gets into his main criticism of the review: the popular trend of reintroducing old versions of superheroes into new superhero movies.

“Really, though, is nostalgia that satisfying anymore?”

And it’s really this last sentence of the movie review example that ties this compelling thought together, not only concluding the movie but drawing a parallel to how the movie creators are perpetrators of the same mistake that the movie’s main character made.

“Lost in an endless game of IP-reshuffling musical chairs, Barry realizes, possibly too late, the futility of dwelling on the past — a fatuous lesson from a movie that can’t stop doing the same.”

READ THE FULL REVIEW OF THE FLASH BY JUSTIN CHANG

3. “Bonnie and Clyde” by Roger Ebert

Another great movie review example, using a movie as a sense of societal self-reflection, is Roger Ebert’s review of Bonnie and Clyde . The final sentences of the review say:

“‘Bonnie and Clyde’ will be seen as the definitive film of the 1960s, showing with sadness, humor, and unforgiving detail what one society had come to… it was made now and it’s about us.”

READ THE FULL REVIEW OF Bonnie and Clyde BY Roger Ebert

4. “Black Panther” by Soraya Nadia McDonald

Yet another movie review example is this Black Panther review by Soraya Nadia McDonald.

The whole review deep dives into the cultural context of the movie and its timeliness or lack thereof.

“Honestly, the worst thing about Black Panther is that it had to be released in 2018 and not during the term of America’s first black president.”

This movie review example walks through the narrative praising the film’s actors, director, and cinematographer before ending on the note of its cultural relevance.

“Perhaps it’s even capable, just as The Birth of a Nation once was, of helping to steer an entire national conversation.”

READ THE FULL REVIEW OF Black Panther BY Soraya Nadia McDonald

The Storytelling Movie Review

If you have a story of your own that you can parallel with the movie’s story, then connecting the movie’s narrative with your own is a particularly entertaining way to craft your review.

Instead of comparing the film to society as a whole, the following storytelling movie review examples compare the movie to specific stories they pull from their personal life.

5. “The Help” by Wesley Morris

One of my favorite reviews by Pulitzer prize-winning Wesley Morris is written in this style, drawing readers in with his own personal story:

“Three summers ago, I went to visit a friend in West Texas.”

“What happened in Texas?”, readers wonder as we curiously continue reading.

After 3 engaging paragraphs narrating a strange, racial encounter in Texas, Morris introduces the movie, The Help .

“This pretty much captures the cognitive dissonance of watching “The Help’’: One woman’s mammy is another man’s mother.”

The following paragraph gives a synopsis of the film and introduces the audience to the main characters:

“Meanwhile, the heart of the film itself belongs to Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) and Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer), the two very different maids and best friends at the center of the story.”

The center of this movie review example narrates the happenings of the movie from a biased point of view before presenting some debate points about the movie’s approach to race relations.

“‘The Help’ joins everything from “To Kill a Mockingbird’’ to “The Blind Side’’ as another Hollywood movie that sees racial progress as the province of white do-gooderism.”

Morris then praises the actors’ performances in this very character-based film but is unable to shake the social weight of the casting that this film requires:

“And yet here’s the question you ask as you watch a black actor in 2011 play a white lady’s maid, decades and decades after that was the only job a black woman in Hollywood could get. What went through the minds of Davis, Spencer, and Aunjanue Ellis, who plays Hilly’s maid, as they put on those uniforms and went to work?”

Morris finishes off the review sure to reference the personal story that he introduced in the beginning before leaving the reader with something to ponder.

“These are strong figures, as that restaurant owner might sincerely say, but couldn’t they be strong doing something else?”

Morris’s final statements in this movie review example make it clear his assessment of the film’s quality is good but its messaging is questionable, allowing the audience to make a judgment on whether they’d like to see the film for themselves.

“On one hand, it’s juicy, heartwarming, well-meant entertainment. On the other, it’s an owner’s manual.”

READ THE FULL REVIEW OF THE HELP BY WESLEY MORRIS

6. “Me Without You” by Stephen Hunter

This movie review example also tells a story although it’s not personal.

Instead of starting by talking about the movie or talking about himself, Hunter begins the review like a novel. With an untethered phrase that needs further explanation.

“Friendship isn’t rocket science. It’s much harder.”

He then lists out all of the complexities of trying to maintain a friendship, painting a picture to support his point.

“Oh, yeah, it’s easy to say just be loyal and true and that makes you a good friend. But suppose the other person does something that really irks you, like chew gum or vote Democratic?”

Hunter doesn’t leave you hanging for too long before segueing into how this thought point relates to the film.

“And that thorniness, that dark underbelly of it, is the gist of the acerbic British import ‘Me Without You…'”

As usual, a sign of good storytelling, he finishes this movie review example with his full-circle concluding statement on friendship.

“But the truth is, of course, that friendship matters to those of us who still claim membership in the human race…”

READ THE FULL REVIEW OF ME WITHOUT YOU BY STEPHEN HUNTER (Under the title: ‘Me’: Friendship as Relationship)

The Unconventional Movie Review

A less common but creative and fun way to approach a movie review is to approach it from a different angle or point of view. To write it in a way that’s unexpected.

7. “ET” by Roger Ebert

In another movie review example from Roger Ebert, instead of approaching this review traditionally, Ebert rather writes the review as a letter to his grandchildren.

Rather than addressing the readers, he addresses his grandchildren in his movie review:

“Dear Raven and Emil: Sunday we sat on the big green couch and watched “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” together with your mommy and daddy.”

After noting how his grandchildren reacted to climactic parts of the film, Ebert recounts the events of the movie, ET, continuing to include his grandchildren’s remarks and reactions.

“The camera watches Elliott moving around. And Raven, that’s when you asked me, “Is this E.T.’s vision?” And I said, yes, we were seeing everything now from E.T.’s point of view.”

Ebert uses this opportunity to make a simplified analysis of the director’s use of POV in the movie, praising the film’s direction without losing the context of a grandfather’s letter.

“Some other filmmaker who wasn’t so good might have had subtitles saying, “E.T.? Are you out there? It’s Mommy!” But that would have been dumb.”

Ebert ends this movie review example like anyone would end a letter, with good wishes and a signature.

“Well, that’s it for this letter. We had a great weekend, kids. I was proud of how brave you both were during your first pony rides. And proud of what good movie critics you are, too. Love, Grandpa Roger”

The average person has a 7-8th grade reading level, so a simple letter like this, is not only cute, creative, and endearing but it’s incredibly easy to read and understand the critic’s assessment of the movie.

READ THE FULL REVIEW OF ET BY Roger Ebert

8. “Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse” by IMO Flicks

Another unconventional movie review example is one that I wrote for this blog website.

Instead of writing from my point of view, I decided to write from the point of view of an out-of-touch grandma, someone who may not have the background knowledge to really understand and appreciate the film.

I approached the film this way because I was tired of reviewing Marvel Superhero films but the thought of writing it as an out-of-touch grandma made the review so much more fun and less pressure-filled, even if it’s really not the most straightforward or informational read.

The review does not include a clear synopsis and the critiques of the film waver between genuine observations and areas that the grandma misunderstood.

It was a blast to write.

The grandmother writer uses the remarks of her grandchildren as a voice of reason for the film.

“My granddaughter told me to rate this spider film [ Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ] out of 10 points. I initially wanted to give it 4 points out of 10… Apparently, my grandchildren think this rating is ridiculous. One of my grandsons almost threw a chair. He gave the film a 200/10, claiming it’s one of the best films he’s ever seen.”

This sort of review may not be as befitting for a serious homework assignment but if there’s space to think outside the box, I say go for it.

READ THE FULL REVIEW OF Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

The Self-Aware Review

Similar to the unconventional movie review, but not quite as unconventional, these movie review examples are self-aware of their influential power. It breaks the fourth wall of movie reviews so to speak.

9. “Manchester By the Sea” by Ty Burr

This movie review example of Manchester By the Sea wants to encourage you to watch the movie but doesn’t want your expectations so high that you don’t experience the same subtle unexpected magic that the movie works on viewers.

Burr explains this in the first paragraph:

“Nothing destroys an audience’s appreciation of a small good movie like advance praise.”

Careful to not ruin the audience’s expectations, Burr goes on to begin every following paragraph with a phrase that denies all of the critiques that follow.

“So I won’t tell you that I’ve seen “Manchester by the Sea” twice now and both times felt haunted for weeks.”

“I won’t bother you with how the movie stands as a soul-satisfying comeback for its maker…”

“I could say, but I won’t, that we’ve all seen too many movies in which a lost soul comes out of his shell and rejoins the human race after he inherits a kid from a dead relative.”

The entire center of the film covers the movie in a way that says, “You didn’t see me. I was never here.” Good and well knowing that people are going to be more curious about this film and expect it to be as fantastic as Burr says.

But don’t worry, Burr accounts for this “undesired” outcome that he had been trying to avoid from the beginning with this closing paragraph.

“If I do tell you all this, forget I ever did. Just remember you heard somewhere that “Manchester by the Sea” is an experience worth having…”

READ THE FULL REVIEW OF MANCHESTER BY THE SEA BY TY BURR (Under the title: A Shore Thing)

10. “Mark Kermode” by Mamma Mia

Kermode’s review of Mama Mia takes his self-awareness in a different direction where he personally loves the movie Mama Mia and is not afraid of letting the world know it.

In fact, the movie has brought something to life in him as a movie critic.

“One minute I was a miserable critic; the next, everything had gone pink and fluffy.”

Kermode continues the movie review example, touching on the actor’s performances, the director’s execution of the film, and the soundtrack before returning to how the film affected him as a critic.

“I feel duty-bound to report that I came out of the screening an utter wreck.”

Further aware that as a serious critic, he probably shouldn’t like this film as much as he did, he lets his guard down and leans into the wonder of the film.

“I have certainly mellowed, and perhaps my critical faculties have withered and died. But I simply can’t imagine how Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again could be any better than it is.”

The self-aware review speaks to the readers as a friend rather than as a removed source of movie information.

A lot of the time, this personal voice can be merged with other review styles as well.

READ THE FULL REVIEW OF Mamma Mia by Mark Kermode

Common Questions

How to write a movie review.

To write a movie review you would need to watch the movie and take good notes, then you would craft an attention-hooking introduction, a few center paragraphs explaining your critiques of the film, before concluding on whether you’d recommend the film or not. This article breaks down the 10 steps to writing a movie review effortlessly .

What should a good movie review include?

A good movie review should include a synopsis of the film, a clear stance on whether the film was good or not, including why or why not, and a conclusion that makes it clear whether the critic would recommend others to watch the film or not.

What is the best movie review for students?

The best movie review example for students would be the classic movie review because it’s straightforward and the easiest to follow and grade.

In Conclusion…

There are so many movie review examples to choose from but the majority can fall into one of these 5 groups: the classic movie review, the real-world parallel, the storytelling review, the unconventional review, and the self-aware review.

If you would like to view 50 more outstanding movie review examples , I’ve grouped some here in a shared Word document available for free!

I hope this article was able to provide some movie review examples to help you craft your own. Happy movie reviewing!

What’s your favorite movie review example? Let me know in the comments below!

And be sure to subscribe for the latest blog updates (form in sidebar).

Peace, love, and lots of popcorn,

When I'm not over-analyzing movies, I'm eating chocolate, belting my favorite songs, and binge-watching reality dating shows. Feel free to share your opinions with me and follow me through my social links!

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Movie Analysis Topics and Areas of Films to Evaluate.

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"Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" looks like nothing so much as one of those live-action adventures that Disney used to grind out in the 1950s — and hey, here's Captain Nemo's Nautilus to prove it. Also, a tree house to humble "Swiss Family Robinson," which contains a short-wave radio that has been assembled from old spoons, I think I heard.

The movie is very, very loosely a sequel to " Journey to the Center of the Earth ," with only two connections: It's inspired by a Jules Verne novel, and it co-stars young Josh Hutcherson as the hero Sean. The film opens with him on a motorcycle and being chased by cops, but not to worry; all he did was break into a satellite-tracking station to boost the power on a message for help sent by his grandfather from a lost island in the Pacific.

Sean, whose father in the first film ( Brendan Fraser ) has disappeared (from the cast, anyway), now has to deal with Hank ( Dwayne Johnson , aka the Rock). Hank is his new stepdad. Josh and Hank make friends by decrypting grandfather's message; Hank glances at it and intuits that the two-syllable words stand for dots and one-syllable words stand for dashes, which means Grandpa has had enough free time on his remote island to figure out a way to make Morse code several times longer than it previously was. Unanswered is why grandfather would encrypt a call for help.

This Hank, what a swell guy. He proposes that the two of them fly off to the Pacific and find Grandpa. On arrival somewhere, they hire a tourist helicopter pilot named Gabato, played by Luis Guzman as another one of those low-comedy guys who gets all worked up and is scared of stuff. (I enjoyed a reprise of this classic shot: Gabato runs toward camera, falls on stomach, looks up …and up … and up.)

Gabato has a daughter named Kailani ( Vanessa Hudgens ), a Polynesian beauty who wears a tank top and Daisy Dukes throughout the film. These four fly off in the helicopter, are trapped in a Force Five hurricane that rips it to pieces and are lucky enough to find themselves alive on the beach of the Mysterious Island.

This is your complete island. It has an active volcano; waterfalls with no apparent water sources streaming down cliffs; elephants the size of dogs, and giant lizards that are nowhere big enough to account for the size of their eggs. (Josh falls through the shell of one, splashes in a pool of yolk and is attacked by an unborn lizard chick.) Also on the island is the lost city of Atlantis, even though it's in the wrong ocean, and bees so big Sean and Kailani can both ride on the back of one. And Alexander Anderson, Sean's grandfather, played by Michael Caine , who will not be editing this role into his videos about how to act in movies.

I hope you understand I enjoyed most of this stuff. The director, Brad Peyton , apparently intended it as a genial parody of countless other movies in this spirit. There is, for example, a scene were Sean, Grandpa, Kailani and Gabato all sit around the old campfire and listen while Hank strums a ukulele and sings "What a Wonderful World." And I mean he sings it: every word of three verses. It's not every day you see the Rock channeling Gene Autry.

Sean deduces that Verne's novel contains everything they need to know, and this comes in handy when the volcano explodes, and the island begins to sink into the sea. Sure enough, Captain Nemo's submarine is still hidden underwater. Hank and Sean, trusting Verne, dive off a high cliff, and while holding their breath and swimming underwater, are able to (1) find the sub, (2) open the hatch by tugging and twisting it, (3) swim inside, (4) push a lever to fill it with air, and (5) get the power generator working by jump-starting it with an electric eel.

This is transcendently goofy. It isn't a "good" movie in the usual sense (or most senses), but it is jolly and good-natured, and Michael Caine and Dwayne Johnson are among the most likable of actors. Johnson is such a good sport, he even shows young Sean how to impress girls by flexing your pecs so quickly that nuts will ricochet off them. I can't think of any reason to pay extra for the 3-D.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Journey 2: Mysterious Island (2012)

Rated PG for some adventure action, and brief mild language

Josh Hutcherson as Sean

Dwayne Johnson as Hank

Vanessa Hudgens as Kailani

Michael Caine as Alexander

Luis Guzman as Gabato

Directed by

• Brad Peyton

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I wanted only to change my email address. Pretty simple. Just edit personal details, save and wait for a confirmation email and respond in the manner described in it. Problem was that the confirmation email never arrived. Neither did the resent confirmation email or the one after that or the one after that. Their auto-response system is broken. Then I had trouble with the drop-down box of options available by clicking on your profile image. Unresponsive. They have a lot of basic tech problems. I contacted Support who suggested I send a screen shoot. How can you take a screenshot of an email never arriving?

Date of experience : February 25, 2024

looking for a pdf I found a link to it …

looking for a pdf I found a link to it on slidshare. However to download it I had to create an account and give my credit card as proof I was real. I was then signed up to a trial. To cancel the trial I had to log on but despite me using copy/past with the password I used it said my password was wrong, it would not let me reset my password or contact them (you have to login to send a message - the only contact method) so now they have my credit card details and I have a trial I cant cancell, so now I had to cancel my credit card! BE WARNED! reply to my post in just under 5 years! wow that's speedy response, NOT and you request I get in touch via your website loging in to submit a case, That was the very thing I could not do, how can you contact a company to say you cant log in if the only contact option require you to login to submit a request CATCH 22

Date of experience : February 12, 2018

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Hi Stuart, we're sorry for any confusion. Our support team at SlideShare recently gained access to our Trustpilot account and are responding to older reviews from our customers to ensure that anyone who still may need assistance gets the support they need. Since you mentioned having issues submitting a ticket through the link provided, you can always reach out to us at [email protected]. If you do, please update your review with your ticket number so we can ensure that your case is escalated right away. Thanks! -VG

Can't just get slides without getting Classroom lectures

Trying to just download attractions of various cities. As an example, try to find Athens attractions ... all you get are primarily 'lessons' more suitable for classroom. I understand Slideshare is part of the LinkedIn, but ... must they make EVERYTHING to be primarily classroom materials!??? I don't WANT a history lesson, nor classroom lecture. I just want to SEE what are the main attractions in Athens!! Tons of books in PDF format to download! I don't want to download a book! AND now, why must everything be downloaded in PDF format? I see it as a Slideshow! WHY convert it to a PDF file when I download??? I used to enjoy Slideshare and would come here quite often, if nothing else, to see various attractions of different cities and countries, or look at animals, etc. Now, I occasionally come here ... and usually am frustrated in trying to find something that isn't Classroom material or a lecture or PDF download of a book

Date of experience : June 25, 2018

Hi there, we're with the SlideShare team at Scribd. We're so sorry for the trouble and are happy to assist with any issues you're experiencing. Please submit a ticket through this link and an agent will be in touch very soon: http://scr.bi/slideshare-social Thanks! -VG

Excellent products and handling of related question

I searched for a way to handle upload of power point show at my Joomla homepage and found Slideshare. I downloaded a non commercial extension at joomla.org. I followed the very detalied instructions and the extension worked excellent. However, I had a question after having tested all the features that were included in the extension. I searched for a mailadress at the homepage and, surprisingly - because it often is difficult to find a contact e-mail adress at succh companies, I easily found the mailadress. I wrote to the company about a tiny problem and after having written my question I immediately received a confirmation e-mail. Furthermore my question was answered satisfactorily within 12 hours. I therefore would like to give Slideshare by very best recommendations. Best regards Jungclaus

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Mandatory LinkedIn account signup

Now it's been bought by LinkedIn it forces you to sign up for an account on this social network which I don't want for privacy reasons.

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Rubbish - adverts and lies

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Date of experience : October 26, 2019

Total scam, I was able to log in twice, after that it does'nt remember my login info. My advice to you, don't be a victim to there system.

Date of experience : October 26, 2021

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would give i no stars if possible

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Terrible scam

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Date of experience : May 15, 2021

Complete scam that preys on your need for help

What is the point of sharing slides that can only be downloaded as PDFs? ANSWER: THERE IS NO POINT. What a waste of time and money.

Date of experience : October 18, 2022

Hi Nick, we're with the SlideShare team at Scribd. We're so sorry for the trouble and are happy to assist with any issues you're experiencing. Please submit a ticket through this link and an agent will be in touch very soon: http://scr.bi/slideshare-social Thanks! -VG

Great Source of Information

Love looking and reading other peoples shares.

Date of experience : January 27, 2020

Liked the quality of presentations on…

Liked the quality of presentations on the website.

Date of experience : June 26, 2021

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Text Classification with Movie Reviews

This notebook classifies movie reviews as positive or negative using the text of the review. This is an example of binary —or two-class—classification, an important and widely applicable kind of machine learning problem.

We'll use the IMDB dataset that contains the text of 50,000 movie reviews from the Internet Movie Database . These are split into 25,000 reviews for training and 25,000 reviews for testing. The training and testing sets are balanced , meaning they contain an equal number of positive and negative reviews.

This notebook uses tf.keras , a high-level API to build and train models in TensorFlow, and TensorFlow Hub , a library and platform for transfer learning. For a more advanced text classification tutorial using tf.keras , see the MLCC Text Classification Guide .

More models

Here you can find more expressive or performant models that you could use to generate the text embedding.

Download the IMDB dataset

The IMDB dataset is available on TensorFlow datasets . The following code downloads the IMDB dataset to your machine (or the colab runtime):

Explore the data

Let's take a moment to understand the format of the data. Each example is a sentence representing the movie review and a corresponding label. The sentence is not preprocessed in any way. The label is an integer value of either 0 or 1, where 0 is a negative review, and 1 is a positive review.

Let's print first 10 examples.

Let's also print the first 10 labels.

Build the model

The neural network is created by stacking layers—this requires three main architectural decisions:

• How to represent the text?
• How many layers to use in the model?
• How many hidden units to use for each layer?

In this example, the input data consists of sentences. The labels to predict are either 0 or 1.

One way to represent the text is to convert sentences into embeddings vectors. We can use a pre-trained text embedding as the first layer, which will have two advantages:

• we don't have to worry about text preprocessing,
• we can benefit from transfer learning.

For this example we will use a model from TensorFlow Hub called google/nnlm-en-dim50/2 .

There are two other models to test for the sake of this tutorial:

• google/nnlm-en-dim50-with-normalization/2 - same as google/nnlm-en-dim50/2 , but with additional text normalization to remove punctuation. This can help to get better coverage of in-vocabulary embeddings for tokens on your input text.
• google/nnlm-en-dim128-with-normalization/2 - A larger model with an embedding dimension of 128 instead of the smaller 50.

Let's first create a Keras layer that uses a TensorFlow Hub model to embed the sentences, and try it out on a couple of input examples. Note that the output shape of the produced embeddings is a expected: (num_examples, embedding_dimension) .

Let's now build the full model:

The layers are stacked sequentially to build the classifier:

• The first layer is a TensorFlow Hub layer. This layer uses a pre-trained Saved Model to map a sentence into its embedding vector. The model that we are using ( google/nnlm-en-dim50/2 ) splits the sentence into tokens, embeds each token and then combines the embedding. The resulting dimensions are: (num_examples, embedding_dimension) .
• This fixed-length output vector is piped through a fully-connected ( Dense ) layer with 16 hidden units.
• The last layer is densely connected with a single output node. This outputs logits: the log-odds of the true class, according to the model.

Hidden units

The above model has two intermediate or "hidden" layers, between the input and output. The number of outputs (units, nodes, or neurons) is the dimension of the representational space for the layer. In other words, the amount of freedom the network is allowed when learning an internal representation.

If a model has more hidden units (a higher-dimensional representation space), and/or more layers, then the network can learn more complex representations. However, it makes the network more computationally expensive and may lead to learning unwanted patterns—patterns that improve performance on training data but not on the test data. This is called overfitting , and we'll explore it later.

Loss function and optimizer

A model needs a loss function and an optimizer for training. Since this is a binary classification problem and the model outputs a probability (a single-unit layer with a sigmoid activation), we'll use the binary_crossentropy loss function.

This isn't the only choice for a loss function, you could, for instance, choose mean_squared_error . But, generally, binary_crossentropy is better for dealing with probabilities—it measures the "distance" between probability distributions, or in our case, between the ground-truth distribution and the predictions.

Later, when we are exploring regression problems (say, to predict the price of a house), we will see how to use another loss function called mean squared error.

Now, configure the model to use an optimizer and a loss function:

Create a validation set

When training, we want to check the accuracy of the model on data it hasn't seen before. Create a validation set by setting apart 10,000 examples from the original training data. (Why not use the testing set now? Our goal is to develop and tune our model using only the training data, then use the test data just once to evaluate our accuracy).

Train the model

Train the model for 40 epochs in mini-batches of 512 samples. This is 40 iterations over all samples in the x_train and y_train tensors. While training, monitor the model's loss and accuracy on the 10,000 samples from the validation set:

Evaluate the model

And let's see how the model performs. Two values will be returned. Loss (a number which represents our error, lower values are better), and accuracy.

This fairly naive approach achieves an accuracy of about 87%. With more advanced approaches, the model should get closer to 95%.

Create a graph of accuracy and loss over time

model.fit() returns a History object that contains a dictionary with everything that happened during training:

There are four entries: one for each monitored metric during training and validation. We can use these to plot the training and validation loss for comparison, as well as the training and validation accuracy:

In this plot, the dots represent the training loss and accuracy, and the solid lines are the validation loss and accuracy.

Notice the training loss decreases with each epoch and the training accuracy increases with each epoch. This is expected when using a gradient descent optimization—it should minimize the desired quantity on every iteration.

This isn't the case for the validation loss and accuracy—they seem to peak after about twenty epochs. This is an example of overfitting: the model performs better on the training data than it does on data it has never seen before. After this point, the model over-optimizes and learns representations specific to the training data that do not generalize to test data.

For this particular case, we could prevent overfitting by simply stopping the training after twenty or so epochs. Later, you'll see how to do this automatically with a callback.

Except as otherwise noted, the content of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License , and code samples are licensed under the Apache 2.0 License . For details, see the Google Developers Site Policies . Java is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Last updated 2023-12-08 UTC.