movie review without spoilers

Spider-Man: No Way Home

The best of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" reminded me why I used to love comic books, especially the ones about a boy named Peter Parker. There was a playful unpredictability to them that has often been missing from modern superhero movies, which feel so precisely calculated. Yes, of course, "No Way Home" is incredibly calculated, a way to make more headlines after killing off so many of its event characters in Phase 3, but it's also a film that's often bursting with creative joy.

Director Jon Watts and his team have delivered a true event movie, a double-sized crossover issue of a comic book that the young me would have waited in line to read first, excitedly turning every page with breathless anticipation of the next twist and turn. And yet they generally avoid getting weighed down by the expectations fans have for this film, somehow sidestepping the cluttered traps of other crowded part threes. "No Way Home" is crowded, but it's also surprisingly spry, inventive, and just purely entertaining, leading to a final act that not only earns its emotions but pays off some of the ones you may have about this character that you forgot.

Note: I will very carefully avoid spoilers but stay offline until you see it because there are going to be landmines on social media.

"No Way Home" picks up immediately after the end of "Spider-Man: Far From Home," with the sound of that film's closing scene playing over the Marvel logo. Mysterio has revealed the identity of the man in the red tights, which means nothing will ever be the same for Peter Parker ( Tom Holland ). With an almost slapstick energy, "No Way Home" opens with a series of scenes about the pitfalls of super-fame, particularly how it impacts Peter's girlfriend M.J. (Zendaya) and best bud Ned ( Jacob Batalon ). It reaches a peak when M.I.T. denies all three of them admission, citing the controversy about Peter's identity and the roles his buddies played in his super-adventures.

Peter has a plan. The "wizard" he met when he saved half the population with The Avengers can cast a spell and make it all go away. So he asks Dr. Strange ( Benedict Cumberbatch ) to make the world forget that Spider-Man is Peter Parker, which, of course, immediately backfires. He doesn't want M.J. or Ned or Aunt May ( Marisa Tomei ) to forget everything they've been through together, and so the spell gets derailed in the middle of it. Strange barely gets it under control. And then Doc Ock ( Alfred Molina ) and the Green Goblin ( Willem Dafoe ) show up.

As the previews have revealed, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" weaves characters and mythology from the other cinematic iterations of this character into the universe of the current one, but I'm happy to report that it's more than a casting gimmick. My concern going in was that this would merely be a case of " Batman Forever " or even " Spider-Man 3 ," where more was often the enemy of good. It's not. The villains that return from the Sam Raimi and Marc Webb films don't overcrowd the narrative as much as they speak to a theme that emerges in the film that ties this entire series back to the other ones. For a generation, the line about Spidey was "With great power comes great responsibility." "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is about the modern Peter Parker learning what that means. (It also helps a great deal to have actors like Molina and Dafoe in villain roles again given how the lack of memorable villains has been a problem in the MCU.)

So many modern superhero movies have confronted what it means to be a superhero, but this is the first time it's really been foregrounded in the current run of Peter Parker, which turns "No Way Home" into something of a graduation story. It's the one in which Parker has to grow up and deal with not just the fame that comes with Spider-Man but how his decisions will have more impact than most kids planning to go to college. It asks some interesting questions about empathy as Peter is put in a position to basically try to save the men who tried to kill other multiverse iterations of him. And it playfully becomes a commentary on correcting mistakes of the past not just in the life of Holland's Parker but those of characters (and even filmmakers) made long before he stepped into the role. "No way Home" is about the weight of heroic decisions. Even the right ones mean you may not be able to go home again.

Watts hasn't gotten enough credit in his other two Spider-Man movies for his action and "No Way Home" should correct that. There are two major sequences—a stunner in a mirror dimension in which Spidey fights Strange, and the climactic one—but it's also filled with expertly rendered minor action beats throughout. There's a fluidity to the action here that's underrated as Mauro Fiore 's camera swoops and dives with Spider-Man. And the big final showdown doesn't succumb to the common over-done hollowness of MCU climaxes because it has undeniable emotional weight. I also want to note that Michael Giacchino 's score here is one of the best in the MCU, by far. It's one of the few themes in the entire cinematic universe that feels heroic.

With so much to love about "No Way Home," the only shame is that it's not a bit more tightly presented. There's no reason for this movie to be 148 minutes, especially given how much the first half has a habit of repeating its themes and plot points. Watts (and the MCU in general) has a habit of over-explaining things and there's a sharper version of "No Way Home" that trusts its audience a bit more, allowing them to unpack the themes that these characters have a habit of explicitly stating. And, no offense to Batalon, turning Ned into a major character baffles me a bit. He always feels like a distraction from what really works here. On the other hand, this is the first of these three films that has allowed Zendaya and Holland's chemistry to shine. In particular, she nails the emotional final beats of her character in a way that adds weight to a film that can feel a bit airy in terms of performance.

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" could have just been a greatest hits, a way to pull different projects into the same IP just because the producers can. Some will see it that way just on premise alone, but there's more going on here than the previews would have you believe. It's about what historic heroes and villains mean to us in the first place—why we care so much and what we consider a victory over evil. More than any movie in the MCU that I can remember, it made me want to dig out my old box of Spider-Man comic books. That's a heroic accomplishment.

In theaters on December 17 th .

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
Zendaya as Michelle 'MJ' Jones
Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange
Jon Favreau as Harold 'Happy' Hogan
Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds
Marisa Tomei as May Parker
Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus
Jamie Foxx as Max Dillon / Electro
Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin
Tony Revolori as Eugene 'Flash' Thompson
Angourie Rice as Betty Brant
Martin Starr as Mr. Harrington
Hannibal Buress as Coach Wilson
J.B. Smoove as Mr. Dell
J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson
Benedict Wong as Wong
Chris McKenna
Erik Sommers

Cinematographer

Mauro Fiore
Michael Giacchino

Writer (based on the Marvel comic book by)

Steve Ditko

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How to write a review without spoilers

Have you read reviews that describe the whole story of a book (movie, show, etc.) and found yourself disappointed? Or read a review that led to reading a book and discovering that the most interesting plot had been given away in the review? Maybe you have to write a review and have no clue how to do that.

You are in the right place! In this post, I will explain how to write a killer review without spoilers. If you are new to my blog and not sure do my advice is worth reading (and following) then you can check out my ARC review and all future ones will be found here .

Spoilers spoil it

I hate when a review turns out to be a retelling of a story. Retelling and summarizing have their purposes and are needed, but they should be labeled correctly. I was in an in-depth study of literature and was required to read a lot of books. So I was thankful for finding someone’s retellings on the books I didn’t have time to fully read.

Review – to think or talk about something again, in order to make changes to it or to make a decision about it: Cambridge dictionary

I don’t like it when I am looking for a new book or a movie and find myself ripped off a chance to explore the story myself. Especially when they give away the plot. Why would I spend my time following a story I already know?

But how can you review without a story?

This actually is easier than it seems. In this post, I will focus on books so it would be easier to write (and read), but this can be applied to anything – books, movies, TV shows, blogs, etc. The form of a creation doesn’t matter. The goal is to let the reader know did you liked it or not and why. Not to explain what is happening in the story.

The main secret ingredient of a good review is former familiarity with books. It will be hard to write a good review on the first book you read. So you have anything to compare it to? The more you have read the better and it helps if you have read a different type of book.

What did you read?

Firstly in the introduction, you can talk about what did you read and why. A good way to introduce the book is to name, the author and recap author has chosen. The first two are needed so the reader knows, what to look for (or avoid). The recap is public anyway so you can’t spoil anything with this. I used them a lot in school since we needed to hit a certain length.

In this way – you can explain how you found the book and what made you read it in the first place. You probably had heard something about it or someone recommended it. This is also a good place to add some of your expectations to the book you had before reading. Apparently in school mandatory reviews “the teacher told me” don’t get positive feedback from a teacher – so for school purposes figure out some better reason or skip this part.

Compare it with other books

This part needs that you have read at least a few books before. A good way is to review the writing style of the current book and compare the writing with other books, authors, or other books from the same author.

Some authors have vivid description skills, some create explosive dialogue, some have excellent and twisting backstory. Most of the authors try to balance these and here you can judge with your own words how did it work. Are there more descriptions than other similar books or less. Did the storyline followed same path as other similar books or not?

Some authors have vivid description skills, some create explosive dialogue, and some have excellent and twisting back stories. Most of the authors try to balance these and here you can judge with your own words how it worked. Are there more descriptions than other similar books or less? Did the storyline follow the same path as other similar books or not?

For example, romance books tend to follow a path where the main character meets the One, there will be some obstacles and in the end – they get together and live happily ever after. So if you read romance book that went off the path you can point out there was unexpected twist. But don’t tell what. Let the next reader have the same suprise element that you had.

How did you felt?

There is no better way to give review a personal touch than to tell how did you felt while reading. Were you caught in the story, exited, sad, anxious, irritated, surprised – any feeling you had while reading is worth mentioning and the good book will give you several of them. Use them and bind different feelings together to describe the book.

Ending the review

But don’t spill all your feelings and thoughts in one breath. Leave some, and maybe the best ones to the end. Sum up your experience with the book and reveal your recommendation clearly: would you suggest a current book to others and why – or why not?

If not – don’t forget that people are different and someone else might like it. So in here you have a change to say who might enjoy it. Bring out that if a reader likes some dominant characteristic of the book then this book might be right for a reader.

I hope this post has given you ideas how to write a review or give some extra layer to any other writinh

Book review: “Winds of Destruction” by Karen Lykkebo

Book review: “Heir to The Sun” by Karen Lykkebo

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!