good movie review names

613 Movie Blog Name Ideas to Direct Your Success Story

If you’ve ever thought of launching your very own movie blog, you might have gotten stuck on the most basic yet crucial step: naming it. 🎥✍️

Just like choosing the title of a blockbuster movie, your blog’s name can set the tone for your entire platform.

This article will guide you through the maze of choosing the perfect movie blog name.

Whether you’re looking to start a movie review blog, a movie news blog, or a film-based website, these movie blog name ideas are the perfect inspiration for your blog.

Just go through this list and pick the name you feel is suitable for your movie blog.

Catchy Movie Blog Names

Here’s the deal: Your blog name is like the headline of a magazine. It’s the first thing people see, and a catchy name can make them want to dive deeper.

Why Catchy Names Matter:

👉 Immediate Recognition: A catchy name sticks. People remember it, helping you build a brand.

👉 Engagement: If it piques interest, they’re more likely to click on your site from search results or social shares.

👉 Establishing Tone: A snazzy name gives off vibes of fun and entertainment, perfect for a movie blog.

Now, remember the magic formula for catchiness: simplicity + creativity = catchiness . Too complex, and you risk losing potential readers. Too bland, and well, it’s just another name in the crowd.

So, ready to roll the film on these catchy names?

Here goes the premiere of our catchy blog names:

Movie Mingle
Screen Scoop
Film Frontrunners
Cine Circle
Film Fraternity
Movie Metropolis
Filmroll Chronicles
The Film Forecast
Cinematic Canvas
Reel Rundown
Movie Matrix
Film Fanatics
Reel Reflections
Film Fluent
Screen Dreams
Movie Momentum
Silver Screen Speak
Movie Mosaic
Screen Sage
Cine Critic Central
Silver Screen Sightings
Cine Stream
Film Facade
Movie Manifesto
Reel Report
Film Fiesta
Cine Cellar
Film Forecast
Screen Savvy
Movie Meadow
Film Frontier
Movie Magnet
Silver Screen Seeker
Cine Savant
Film Fountain
Movie Marathon
Reel Reviews
Cine Century
Film Frequency
Screen Scope
Movie Mirror
Movie Majesty
Cine Cluster
Screen Seer
Movie Morsels
Reel Resonance
Cine Chronicle
Screen Synopsis
Movie Meridian
Reel Ripple
Film Feature
Movie Metric
Cine Canvas
Screen Spotlight
Reel Reviewers
Film Flicker
Screen Stories
Movie Mentor
Cine Centric
Film Facets
Screen Series
Cine Corner
Film Fusion
Screen Segment
Movie Mystique
Reel Roundup
Cine Connect
Screen Sift
Movie Mural
Reel Roster
Screen Slate
Reel Thoughts
Screen Seen
Moviewpoints
Reel Life Stories
Clips Chips
Flicks N Sticks
Screen Beans
Cine Scene Seen
Plot Twist Tips
Reelationships
Flicker Picker
Frame By Fame
Reel Lovers Lane
Scene Cuisine
Cine Binge Bin
Reel Recipe
Movie Motive
Frame Fame Game
Celluloid Savvy
Flick Flicker
Cine Sine Wave
Frame Tales
Reel Rewards
Plot Hotspot
Screen Queen
Movie Maven
Cinema Scope
Screen Siren
Indie Inklings
Blockbuster Buzz
Cinema Sizzle
Plot Twists
Celluloid Charm
Popcorn Premiere
Flick Fusion
Silver Screen Sage
Flick Fables
Screen Spectacle
Indie Imprints
Talkie Tales
Cinema Cascade
Director’s Cut
Box Office Bonanza
Picture Perfect
Reel Ripples
Film Fables
Flick Frills
Cinema Carnival
Filmy Fairytales
Scene Stealers
Screen Symphony
Flick Feast
Cinematic Capers
Feature Follies
Cinema Capers
Flick Fixation
Celluloid Symphony
Silver Screen Sparkle
Film Flurry
Talkie Trends
Blockbuster Blast
Script Scintillations
Picture Palooza
Movie Magic
Cinematic Chorus
Film Festival Fervor
Star Struck Screen
Cinema Centric
Flick Fervor
Celluloid Circuit
Frame Frenzy
Movie Maelstrom
Silver Screen Scoop
Film Fest Feast
Cine Circuit
Film Frolics
Celluloid Cavalcade
Cinema Chronicles
Magic Movie Moments
Silver Screen Saga
Cine Spectacles
Final Cut Frenzy
Screen Side Stories
Movie Midway
Cinema Circuit
Fab Film Features
Scene Seers
Indie Impressions
Action Angle
Screen Sagas
Film Fondue
Movie Montage
Cinema Courier
Silver Screen Symphonies
Reel Ruminations
Cine Scroll
Silver Screen Serenade
Film Fable Fusion
Picture Perfect Pundits
Cinematic Charm
CineSavvy Lens
Flicks Digest
Cinematic Sequences
The Reel Reviewer
The Reel Rundown
Classic Cinema Chronicles
Cinephile’s Spotlight
Flashback Features
Movie Maestro Musings
Protagonist Pundit
The Flick Whisperer
The Cinematic Cineaste
The Reel Authority
Projector Projections
Auteur’s Avenue
Cinematic Quill
The Auteur Advocate
Filmosphere Chronicles
The Flick Fanatic
Film Noir Nook
Screenplay Savvy
Cinematic Showtime
Popcorn Perspectives
The Filmic Foresight
Cinephile’s Society
Retro Reel Reviews
The Filmlore Foreseer
Lights, Camera, Reaction!
Indie Impressions Insider
The Marquee Master
Cinematic Catharsis
The Movie Buff’s Guide
Scripted Shadows
The Film Philosopher
Screenlife Chronicles
Hollywood Highlights
Marquee Mavens
CinemaScope Lens
On-Set Observations
The Film Cognoscente
The Movie Montage
Cinequill Chronicles
Fade In Film Insight
Cinema Serenade
The Reel Rat
Film Reel Radar
Final Cut Forefront
Flicker Fusion
The Cinema Cicerone
Movieland Musings
Filmic Frontier
Talkies Tribune
FilmVerse Chronicles
Silver Screen Scholar
Cinemania Conversations
Tale of Talkies
Frame-In-Focus
The Framed Fiction
Cinema Curation Chronicles
Silver Screen Synapses
Flicker Feels
TakeTwo Chronicles
Frame Perfect Pundit
The Cinematic Chronicles
Frame by Frame Flicks
Frame Freeze Fables
Panoramic Picturehouse
Stardust Screenplay
Rolling Reels Insider
Scene by Scene Scrutiny
MovieLovers Manifesto
Celluloid Secrets
Cinematic Cadence
The Panoramic Projectionist
Silver Screen Analysis
The WideScreen Wisdom
Cineaste’s Central
Little Big Screen
The Scripted Saga
Celluloid Scribe
Scene Stealer Insights
Film Fanatics Forum
The Epic Film Echo
Classic Chronicle Cinematics
Frame Narrative Navigator
The Spotlight Scribe
Epicenter of Film Enthusiasm
The Luminary Lens
The Premier Prognosticator
Director’s Cut Corner
Sequel Seeker
The Projectionist’s Prophecy
Scene to Screen
Silver Linings Scriptbook
The Feature Framer
Feature Presentation Forecast
Filmstrip Forecaster

Creative Movie Blog Names

Diving into the realm of creativity can set your movie blog miles apart. Why? Because creative names hint at a deeper understanding and appreciation of films.

The Power of Creative Names:

👉 Uniqueness: Stand out in a sea of generic blog names.

👉 Brand Potential: Easier to design logos, themes, and content strategies around.

👉 Conversations: Creative names spark curiosity. “Oh, what’s that blog about?”

And our little secret to creativity? Merge two seemingly unrelated ideas or words. You’d be surprised at the results!

Without further ado, let’s unveil the masterpieces.

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the creative movie blog names spotlight:

Cinematic Cerebration
Filmophile’s Frenzy
Film Frames
Silver Screen Sapiens
Lights Camera Action
Hollywood Herald
Film Flamboyance
Film Flashbacks
Red Carpet Review
Films and Feelings
Director’s Dissection
Screen Scene
Theater Thesaurus
The Dialogue Digest
Cinematic Celebrations
The Movie Mingle
The Film Fable
Director’s Diary
The Premiere Post
Movie Mavens
The Movie Matrix
Pictorial Projections
The Movie Mill
Fantasy Film Files
Movie Marquee
Best Seat Reel Reviews
Star-studded Screens
The Drama Digest
Cinema Seekers
Behind The Scenes
Action Packed Adventures
Silver Screen Studies
Film Fascination
Flick Finesse
Cinephilia Central
The Movie Mosaic
Feature Flick Forum
Screenplay Scoop
Film Buff Forum
On-Screen Ovation
Picture Perfect Reviews
The Movie Mastermind
The Movie Muse
Reel Review Rendezvous
Screen Savor
Film Fervor
Premiere Perspectives
Projector’s Pick
Motion Picture Musings
Cinephile Chronicles
Blockbuster Breakdown
The Popping Popcorn
Cinema Cognizance
Celluloid Cognoscenti
Screening Stories
The Oscar Oracle
Cinematic Chronicles
Film Fantasy
Screenplay Symphony
Filmic Feast
Epic Ensemble
Roll Credits
Classic Cinephiles
Cinematic Symphony
Flick Forecaster
Cinema Connoisseur
Movie Maestros
Flick Finds
Box Office Banter
Silver Screen Secrets
The Flick Files
The Movie Maestro
Picture Palace Perspectives
The Projectionist’s Picks
Silver Screen Smorgasbord
The Film Flaneur
Movie Mantra
Motion Picture Muse
Feature Film Files
Scene By Scene
Cinematic Critic
Projector Prose
Premiere Pundit
Script Scribbler
Epic Epilogues
Protagonist Picks
Box Office Buzz
Shutterbug Scoop
Film Fanfare
Red Carpet Reviews
Silver Lining Screenings
Star Studded Stories
Cinematic Celestial
Talkie Takes
Filmstrip Feed
Iconic Imagery
Celluloid Ciphers
Blockbuster Blog
Premiere Pulse
Screenplay Speak
Reelin Reviews
Technicolor Talks
Panavision Perspectives
Scene Screen
Filmic Feeds
Cinemascope Chats
Flicker Feeds
Rolling Reel Reviews
Take Two Talks
Cinematic Cues
Screen Story
Matinee Musings
Frames Focus
Showtime Shifts
Altered Angles
Lens Lookout
Celluloid Circle
Filmroll Fables
Picture Perfect Pages
Stills Story
Cinemascope Scribes
Vibgyor Views
Filmstrip Fables
Studio Scoop
Cinephile Circle
Screenplay Scribes
Movie Mumble
Flicker Flare
Scene Scribes
Filmic Fusion
Silver Screen Stories
Analog Angles
Feature Flick Facts
Narrative Niche
Scripted Screens
Premiere Pages
Directorial Digest
All About Angles
Cineaste Circle
Flicker Frames
Iconic Imprints
Big Screen Buzz
Feature Lenses
Cinematic Contours
Filmic Footnotes
Rolling Reel Rants
Screen Savants
Showbiz Scoop
The Moving Picture Blog
Silver Screen Scroll
Flicker Folks
Take Two Tales
Picture Perfect Projections
Reel Reality
Cine Sculpt
Reel Radiance

Movie Blog Name Generator

Ah! If you’re someone who’s thinking, “I love movies, not the naming game!” then this section’s for you. A movie blog name generator can be a handy tool to churn out ideas when your creative well seems dry.

Why Use a Movie Blog Name Generator?

👉 Volume: Instantly receive a list of names, giving you plenty of choices.

👉 Inspiration: Even if you don’t choose one of the generated names, they might spark a unique idea.

👉 Time-Saving: Instead of spending hours brainstorming, get a list in seconds.

👉 Customization: Some generators allow you to tweak settings like name length, keywords, or themes.

But remember, while generators are great, they’re not foolproof. Some names may seem robotic or lack the personal touch. Our advice? Use them as a starting point or for inspiration, not the end-all solution.

Using a Name Generator:

👉 Specify Keywords: Most generators ask for a keyword. This could be “film”, “cinema”, or even your favorite movie.

👉 Tweak Settings: Some allow you to set the tone – playful, serious, quirky, etc.

👉 Generate & List: Hit the generate button and list down names that catch your eye.

👉 Personalize: Feel free to mix and match or add your personal touch.

Curious about what a blog name generator can dish out?

Behold, the cinematic ensemble generated by our movie blog name generator:

Popcorn Flix
Cine Chatter
Movie Mania
Cine Flicks
Movie Pulse
Picture Party
Screen Jive
Flick Frenzy
Film Frolic
Flick Tales
Popcorn Chronicle
Showtime Shenanigans
Silver Cine Sightings
The Movie Magnet
Plot Point Pulse
Reel Chatter
Flick Fever
Movie Banter
Flix Galaxy
Cinema Craze
Film Giggle
Playful Flix
Flicks N Chats
Screen Sirens
Movie Munch
Movie Maniax
Screen Sizzle
Popcorn Pulse
Reel Reverie
Picture Playhouse
Reel Vortex
Popcorn Fever
Screen Chirp
Movie Frolic
Flick Vibes
Film Dazzle
Flix Junkie
Flick Pulse
Flick Flair
Reel Playful
Movie Fiesta
Movie Whimsy
Cinema Whimsy
Flix Playground
Flicker Frolic
Cine Dazzle
Screen Cheer
Showbiz Joy
Reel Ruckus
Picture Playful
Flix Giggles
Cine Whimsy
Flix Chatter
Flick Frolic
Cine Giggle
Cine Whisper
Flix Tastic
Cinema Chuckles
Movie Whirl
Film Frenzy
Flicks Fizz
Flix Whimsy
Picture Playground
Flick Squad
Popcorn Fiesta
Flickosphere
Screen Serenade
Cine Frolic
Movie Playpen
Flicks Nook
Picture Playtime

How To Name Your Movie Blog?

So, you’ve seen the names, but perhaps you’re thinking, “How can I craft one myself?”.

Let’s get into the director’s chair and understand the art of naming.

Steps to Name Your Movie Blog:

Define Your Niche: Are you reviewing indie films, blockbusters, or diving deep into film theories?
Know Your Audience: A quirky, young audience? Or a mature group looking for in-depth analysis?
Make it Memorable: Alliteration, rhymes, or puns can be your best friend here.
Check Domain Availability: Before getting too attached, ensure the domain name is available!
Seek Feedback: Share the name with friends, family, or even your social media followers. Their feedback is invaluable.

Just remember, naming is a combination of art and science. It’s about resonance. When it feels right, you’ll know.

Roll credits! 🎥🍿

Conclusion: Movie Blog Names

Choosing the perfect name for your movie blog isn’t just about finding a cool title. It’s about encapsulating your passion for cinema, your blog’s unique perspective, and connecting with your intended audience. Think of it as choosing the perfect title for your own movie. 🍿

A piece of advice? Don’t fret over it too much. Just like in filmmaking, sometimes the first take might be the magic one. But even if it’s not, revisions lead to perfection.

So, next time you watch a movie, and the title captures your heart, let it inspire you. Because if it can leave a lasting impression on you, imagine what the perfect blog name can do for your readers.

Happy naming, future film critics! 🎬

If you enjoyed our article, please remember to share it on social media because sharing is caring 🙂

657 Entertainment Blog Name Ideas For a Scene-Stealing Presence

543 Cool Blog Name Ideas That Will Get Your Blog’s Reel Rolling

Soocial Team

One thought on “ 613 Movie Blog Name Ideas to Direct Your Success Story ”

Thank you so much for sharing all this wonderful info. It is so appreciated!!!

The Best Movie Reviews We’ve Ever Written — IndieWire Critics Survey

David ehrlich.

Share on Facebook
Share to Flipboard
Share on LinkedIn
Show more sharing options
Submit to Reddit
Post to Tumblr
Print This Page
Share on WhatsApp

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)

While this survey typically asks smart critics to direct readers toward good movies, we hope that the reverse is also true, and that these posts help movies (good or bad) direct readers towards smart critics.

In that spirit, we asked our panel of critics to reflect on their favorite piece of film criticism that they’ve ever written (and we encouraged them to put aside any sort of modesty when doing so).

Their responses provide rich and far-reaching insight into contemporary film criticism, and what those who practice it are hoping to achieve with their work.

Siddhant Adlakha (@SidizenKane), Freelance for The Village Voice and /Film

Let’s cut right to the chase. Christopher Nolan is probably my favourite working director, and going five thousand words deep on his career after “Dunkirk” was an itch I’d been waiting to scratch for nearly a decade. “The Dark Knight” was my dorm-room poster movie — I’m part of the generation that explored films through the IMDb Top 250 growing up — though as my cinematic horizons expanded and my understanding of storytelling grew, I didn’t leave Nolan’s work behind as I did the likes of “Scarface” and “The Boondock Saints.” What’s more, each new film by Nolan hits me like a tonne of bricks. I’m waiting, almost eagerly, for him to disappoint me. It hasn’t happened yet, and I needed to finally sit down and figure out why.

In “Convergence At ‘Dunkirk,’” by far the longest piece I’ve ever written, I’d like to think I unpacked a decade worth of my awe and admiration, for a filmmaker who uses the studio canvas to explore human beings through our relationship to time. Tarkovsky referred to cinema as “sculpting in time.” Time disorients. Time connects us. Time travels, at different speeds, depending on one’s relationship to it, whether in dreams or in war or in outer space, and time can be captured, explored and dissected on screen.

What’s more, Nolan’s films manipulate truth as much as time, as another force relative to human perception, determining our trajectories and interpersonal dynamics in fundamental ways. All this is something I think I knew, instinctively, as a teenage viewer, but putting words to these explorations, each from a different time yet connected intrinsically, is the written criticism that I most stand by. It felt like something that I was meant to write, as I interrogated my own evolving emotional responses to art as time went on.

Carlos Aguilar (@Carlos_Film), Freelance for Remezcla

At the 2017 Sundance premiere of Miguel Arteta’s “Beatriz at Dinner,” starring Salma Hayek, I found myself in shock at the reactions I heard from the mostly-white audience at the Eccles Theatre. I was watching a different movie, one that spoke to me as an immigrant, a Latino, and someone who’s felt out of place in spaces dominated by people who’ve never been asked, “Where are you really from?” That night I went back to the condo and wrote a mountain of thoughts and personal anecdotes that mirrored what I saw on screen.

This was a much different piece from what I had usually written up to that point: coverage on the Best Foreign Language Oscar race, pieces on animation, interviews with internationally acclaimed directors, and reviews out of festivals. Those are my intellectual passions, this; however, was an examination on the identity that I had to built as an outsider to navigate a society were people like me rarely get the jobs I want.

My editor at Remezcla, Vanessa Erazo, was aware of the piece from the onset and was immediately supportive, but it would take months for me to mull it over and rework it through multiple drafts until it was ready for publication in time for the film’s theatrical release. In the text, I compared my own encounters with casual racism and ignorance with those Hayek’s character faces throughout the fateful gathering at the center of the film. The reception surpassed all my expectations. The article was shared thousands of times, it was praised, it was criticized, and it truly confronted me with the power that my writing could have.

A few months later in September, when Trump rescinded DACA, I wrote a social media post on my experience as an undocumented person working in the film industry, and how difficult it is to share that struggle in a world were most people don’t understand what it means to live a life in the shadows. The post was picked up by The Wrap and republished in the form of an op-ed, which I hope put a new face on the issue for those who didn’t directly knew anyone affected by it before. Once again that piece on “Beatriz at Dinner” regained meaning as I found myself filled with uncertainty.

Ken Bakely (@kbake_99), Freelance for Film Pulse

Like many writers, I tend to subconsciously disown anything I’ve written more than a few months ago, so I read this question, in practice, as what’s my favorite thing I’ve written recently. On that front, I’d say that the review of “Phantom Thread” that I wrote over at my blog comes the closest to what I most desire to do as a critic. I try to think about a movie from every front: how the experience is the result of each aspect, in unique quantities and qualities, working together. It’s not just that the acting is compelling or the score is enveloping, it’s that each aspect is so tightly wound that it’s almost indistinguishable from within itself. A movie is not an algebra problem. You can’t just plug in a single value and have everything fall into place.

“Phantom Thread” is Paul Thomas Anderson’s dreamy cinematography. It is Jonny Greenwood’s impeccably seductive, baroque music. It is Vicky Krieps’s ability to perfectly shatter our preconceptions at every single turn as we realize that Alma is the movie’s actual main character. We often talk about how good films would be worse-off if some part of it were in any way different. In the case of “Phantom Thread,” you flat-out can’t imagine how it would even exist if these things were changed. When so many hot take thinkpieces try to explain away every ending or take a hammer to delicate illusions, it was a pleasure to try and understand how a movie like this one operates on all fronts to maintain an ongoing sense of mystique.

Christian Blauvelt (@Ctblauvelt), BBC Culture

I don’t know if it’s my best work, but a landmark in my life as a critic was surely a review of Chaplin’s “The Circus,” in time for the release of its restoration in 2010. I cherish this piece , written for Slant Magazine, for a number of reasons. For one, I felt deeply honored to shed more light on probably the least known and least respected of Chaplin’s major features, because it’s a film that demonstrates such technical virtuosity it dispels once and for all any notion that his work is uncinematic. (Yes, but what about the rest of his filmography you ask? My response is that any quibbles about the immobility of Chaplin’s camera suggest an ardent belief that the best directing equals the most directing.) For another, I was happy this review appeared in Slant Magazine, a publication that helped me cut my critical teeth and has done the same for a number of other critics who’ve gone on to write or edit elsewhere. That Slant is now struggling to endure in this financially ferocious landscape for criticism is a shame – the reviews I wrote for them around 2009-10 helped me refine my voice even that much more than my concurrent experience at Entertainment Weekly, where I had my day job. And finally, this particular review will always mean a lot to me because it’s the first one I wrote that I saw posted in its entirety on the bulletin board at Film Forum. For me, there was no surer sign that “I’d made it”.

Richard Brody (@tnyfrontrow), The New Yorker

No way would I dare to recommend any pieces of my own, but I don’t mind mentioning a part of my work that I do with special enthusiasm. Criticism, I think, is more than the three A’s (advocacy, analysis, assessment); it’s prophetic, seeing the future of the art from the movies that are on hand. Yet many of the most forward-looking, possibility-expanding new films are in danger of passing unnoticed (or even being largely dismissed) due to their departure from familiar modes or norms, and it’s one of my gravest (though also most joyful) responsibilities to pay attention to movies that may be generally overlooked despite (or because of) their exceptional qualities. (For that matter, I live in fear of missing a movie that needs such attention.)

But another aspect of that same enthusiasm is the discovery of the unrealized future of the past—of great movies made and seen (or hardly seen) in recent decades that weren’t properly discussed and justly acclaimed in their time.”. Since one of the critical weapons used against the best of the new is an ossified and nostalgic classicism, the reëvaluation of what’s canonical, the acknowledgment of unheralded masterworks—and of filmmakers whose careers have been cavalierly truncated by industry indifference—is indispensable to and inseparable from the thrilling recognition of the authentically new.

Deany Hendrick Cheng (@DeandrickLamar), Freelance for Barber’s Chair Digital

It’s a piece on two of my favorite films of 2017, “Lady Bird” and “Call Me By Your Name”, and about how their very different modes of storytelling speak to the different sorts of stories we tell ourselves. Objectively, I don’t know if this is my best work in terms of pure style and craft, but I do think it’s the most emblematic in terms of what I value in cinema. I think every film is, in some way, a treatise on how certain memories are remembered, and I think cinema matters partly because the best examples of it are prisms through which the human experience is refracted.

Above everything else, every movie has to begin with a good story, and the greatest stories are the ones that mirror not just life, but the ways in which life is distorted and restructured through the process of remembering. Every aspect of a film, from its screenplay on down, must add something to the film’s portrayal of remembering, and “Lady Bird” and “Call Me By Your Name” accomplish this organic unity of theme with such charm yet in such distinct ways, that they were the perfect counterpoints to each other, as well as the perfect stand-ins for cinema as a whole, for me.

Liam Conlon (@Flowtaro), Ms En Scene

My favorite piece of my own work is definitely “The Shape of Water’s” Strickland as the “Ur-American.” I’m proud of it because it required me to really take stock of all the things that Americans are taught from birth to take as given. That meant looking at our history of colonialism, imperialism, racism, anticommunism and really diving into how all Americans, whether they’re liberal or conservative, can internalize these things unless they take the time to self-examine. Just as “Pan’s Labyrinth’s” despotic Captain Vidal was a masterful representation of Francisco Franco’s fascism, Richard Strickland represents a distinctly American kind of fascism. Writers Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor took great care in Strickland’s creation, and my piece was my own way of self-examining to make sure I never become or abide by a person like Strickland ever again.

Robert Daniels (@812filmreviews), Freelance

This is tricky, but “Annihilation” is definitely my favorite piece of film criticism that I’ve written. My writing style is a combination of criticism and gifs, and sometimes the words are better than the gifs, and the gifs are better than the words. With “Annihilation,” I thought the balance was perfect . My favorite portion: “Lena is just an idea, part of an equation that’s been erased from a chalkboard and rewritten with a different solution. The shimmer is part of her, even down to the DNA” is up there as one of my best. It was also a struggle to write because that film had more wild theories than the Aliens in Roswell. Also, the amount of research I had to do, combining Plato’s Ideal Forms, Darwin, the Bible, and Nietzsche, was absurd. However, it did make it easier to find matching gifs. The result made for my most studious, yet lighthearted read.

Alonso Duralde (@ADuralde), The Wrap

I’m the worst judge of my own material; there’s almost nothing I’ve ever written that I don’t want to pick at and re-edit, no matter how much time has passed. But since, for me, the hardest part of film criticism is adequately praising a movie you truly love, then by default my best review would probably be of one of my favorite films of all time, Charlie Kaufman’s “Synecdoche, New York.”

David Ehrlich (@davidehrlich), IndieWire

I can’t summon the strength to re-read it, but I remember thinking that my piece on grief and “Personal Shopper” was emblematic of how I hope to thread individual perspective into arts criticism.

Shelley Farmer (@ShelleyBFarmer), Freelance for RogerEbert.com and Publicist at Film Forum

My favorite piece is a very recent one: For this year’s Women Writers Week on Roger Ebert, I wrote about “Phantom Thread”, “Jane Eyre,” and twisted power dynamics in hetero romance . I loved that it allowed me to dig deep into my personal fixations (19th century literature, gender, romance as power struggle), but – more importantly – it was exciting to be part of a series that highlighted the breadth of criticism by women writers.

Chris Feil (@chrisvfeil), Freelance for The Film Experience, This Had Oscar Buzz Podcast

No Merchandising. Editorial Use Only. No Book Cover Usage.Mandatory Credit: Photo by Denver And Delilah Prods./Ko/REX/Shutterstock (5882868n)Charlize Theron, Jason ReitmanYoung Adult - 2011Director: Jason ReitmanDenver And Delilah ProductionsUSAOn/Off Set

My answer to this would be kind of a cheat, as my favorite work that I do is my weekly column about movie music called Soundtracking that I write over at The Film Experience. Soundtracks and needle drops have been a personal fascination, so the opportunity to explore the deeper meaning and context of a film’s song choices have been a real labor of love. Because of the demands and time constraints of what we do, it can be easy to spend our all of our energy on assignments and chasing freelance opportunities rather than devoting time to a pet project – but I’ve found indulging my own uncommon fascination to be invaluable in developing my point of view. And serve as a constant check-in with my passion. Pushed for a single entry that I would choose as the best, I would choose the piece I wrote on “Young Adult”‘s use of “The Concept” by Teenage Fanclub for how it posits a single song as the key to unlocking both character and narrative.

Candice Frederick (@ReelTalker), Freelance for Shondaland, Harper’s Bazaar

“ Mother ” written for Vice. It’s one of my favorites because it conveys how visceral my experience was watching the movie. It’s truly stifling, uncomfortable, and frantic–and that’s what my review explains in detail. I wanted to have a conversation with the reader about specific aspects of the film that support the thesis, so I did.

Luiz Gustavo (@luizgvt), Cronico de Cinema

Well, I recently wrote a piece for Gazeta do Povo, a major outlet at Paraná state in Brazil, about Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water” (it is not on their site, but they were kind enough to let me replicate on my own website ). I don’t know the extent of the powers of Google Translator from Portugese to english, so you have to rely on my own account: is a text in which I was able to articulate de cinematographic references in the work of Mr. Del Toro, as well his thematic obsessions, the genre bending and social critique. All of this topics were analyzed in a fluid prose. On top of that, it was really fun to write!

This article continues on the next page.

Continue Reading: The Best Movie Reviews We’ve Ever Written — IndieWire Critics Survey Next »

Most Popular

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!

View all posts

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word 🙂

Share on Tumblr

Is Red White And Royal Blue Good? | Feel-Good Escapism But Not The Best Movie

CODA Movie Review | Beautiful Beyond Words

Don’t Worry Darling Harry Styles Accent Explained (it makes sense)

17+ Best Movie Review and Ratings Sites (List)

In this article, we’re going to provide a list of the top, most reliable movie review sites on the internet.

Whether you’re a fan of a certain genre like horror or more into TV reviews than movies, we’re going to bring you a full list of the very best movie review and ratings sites out there in 2024.

First let’s cover some common questions about these movie review sites, film critique, how to make your own reviews, and more.

Let’s dive in!

Everyone’s a critic on everything these days… what’s the best movie review and ratings site out there?

Our list below is meant to be ranked based on credibility, overall popularity, and thoroughness.

Do they have a good ranking system in place to accurately rate movies?

Are they have thorough movie reviews?

Do they cover a wide range of titles?

What do people say about them?

All these questions factor into a site’s credibility.

If the reviews aren’t thorough, then what’s the point in going to that review site? You might as well just go see a movie you’re interested in and get other people’s opinions from your friends, family, and social media instead.

Also, apparently, there are some film critics out there who believe it is their job to tell everyone “how to think” about movies they’ve seen. That’s not always what people want or need from movie reviews sometimes. Each of us has our own individual tastes. We’d like to know which titles we should check out for ourselves! Assuming of course, if we haven’t already seen them.

And while this list isn’t a ranking of which site is the best, it should be pretty clear that our all-around favorite movie review and ratings site would have to be IMDb.

IMDb has it all! They have more titles than anyone else on this list, their rankings are accurate, they have more professional film critics with great credentials who write very thorough movie reviews…

Everybody knows IMDb. Critic or not, if you’re looking for a ton of movie data, IMDb’s got your back!

Who is the best film critic of all time?

Roger Ebert (1942-2013) is probably the most famous film critic of all time.

Most people reading this article have probably heard of his name. On top of that, how many other film critics have you heard of? Probably not a ton.

IMDb has a huge list of professional movie critics who write for them on their site. So, while there are many more great film critics out there… it’s safe to say that Roger Ebert is probably the best ever to do it.

His reviews went beyond just what he thought of a movie but tied it to the bigger picture of where we are in society and other broader perspective matters.

Is there such a thing as a movie reviews app?

There sure is!

Some of the sites below (mainly the big popular ones) have iPhone and Android apps that you can install on your phone and tablet devices for even better movie review access.

Is there anything other than just movie reviews that I can find on these sites?

Many movie review sites contain more than just movies. They cover television , video games , and other related entertainment topics as well.

They also contain movie data like ratings, movie trailers, news articles…

What makes a good movie review?

A good film critique should include all the following:

start with an opening line that draws the reader in and then introduce your thesis statement (or what you’re trying to express)
provide background information relevant to the topic at hand
give examples using quotations from the primary source material (a movie or TV show)
give a conclusion summarizing everything you’ve covered so far

If your goal is to write great movie reviews for any of these sites below, those are some of the elements you’ll want to keep in mind!

I saw a great movie the other day… can I review it?

Lots of movie review sites allow users to chime in and provide their own reviews.

Movies are a subjective thing, so keep your reviews as accurate and unbiased as possible.

Don’t just give it five stars because you loved it! Think about why you would recommend that people see this movie, what the best parts were, and then write up your review based on those points.

Write an honest review to help others decide whether they should see this film or not.

What do an IMDb score and IMDb ranking mean?

IMDb has two different scores for the movies it reviews.

There is the user score, which is the average of every user review.

The official IMDb score is a composite of all professional reviews of a given movie.

Rankings are then generated from the highest to lowest scores of a movie (often within a specific genre), based on the major professional reviews that have been made.

Best Movie Review and Ratings Sites in 2024

Let’s take a look at the best movie review and ratings sites in 2024.

IMDb is the world’s most popular movie review site and one of the best film sites on the web. It was founded on October 17, 1990 and has been going strong ever since.

IMDb is widely considered the foremost expert in the movie review industry online. With more than 1,200 movie critic reviews per day and about 600 million monthly unique visitors, it’s hard to beat IMDb.

What makes them the best movie review site?

Pros : They have a huge selection of films rated by critics with excellent credentials. With a massive database of more than 250 million titles, this website attracts a wide range of viewers looking to learn about movies they haven’t seen before or rediscover old favorites at home. IMDb also provides links to trailers for most movies, which is great if you want to know what all the hype is about!

Cons : IMDb is larger than any other movie review site on this list and can be difficult to navigate sometimes if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

#2 Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes is one of the most well-known movie review and ratings sites on the web and provides thousands of user reviews posted by everyday viewers just like you.

Rotten Tomatoes is possibly second only to IMDb in terms of how many people visit their site each month (around 60-80 million).

The company contains professional film reviews from hundreds of big publications like Rolling Stone, Variety, and The New Yorker.

They also show what’s hot not only in the film world, but when it comes to TV as well.

What makes them one of the best movie review sites?

Pros : They offer both professional and user reviews – a rare find on large movie review sites.

Rotten Tomatoes is incredibly easy to navigate with dozens of filter options to help visitors pinpoint their favorite genres/artists/theatres, etc. You can also check out your local theaters’ upcoming showtimes directly from the site.

Cons : Some of their scores are slightly inflated compared to IMDB because there is no score ceiling (they go up to 100%). Also, it’s not always easy to tell which critics wrote which reviews.

#3 Fandango

Fandano is one of the leading movie ticket retailers. They also have an official movie review website too, which is updated with fresh reviews daily.

Pros : Fandango offers both their own user reviews as well as professional reviews from recognized critics across America.

Cons : Popular, but not as active as IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes.

#4 The Movie Database

The Movie Database is another notable movie review site for movies released in theaters, despite being based in the UK.

Pros : The TMDb site is filled with user reviews and information on films alike, making it easy to find any film you want by just searching for its title.

Cons : Many users opt for larger sites since any site in the movie and TV review niche is going up against IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes.

#5 Letterboxd

Letterboxd is a lesser-known movie review site, but one that gets rave reviews from its users.

Letterboxd is one of the best movie review sites because they’re all about social media – which means that visitors have more opportunities to interact with others here than on most other movie review hubs.

Their slogan is “filmstagram” because the site is centered around generating an Instagram -like filter for your movie watching experience—but this means that only people with accounts on the site can leave reviews.

Pros : The interface is sleek and easy to use. The site also lets you keep track of what movies you’ve watched, in case you wanted to go back through your viewing history later on.

Cons : To write a review on Letterboxd, you have to sign up with an email address or Facebook account first. No anonymous reviews are allowed so some users feel limited by this feature.

#6 Metacritic

Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews for media products (like video games, but also movies and TV shows).

Pros : If you’re interested in finding out what critics across America think about a movie (or game) before you buy it, Metacritic is your best chance at doing so.

Cons : Some users complain that this site puts too much stock into professional reviews compared to user reviews. Also, some movies do not contain enough reviews to generate a quality average score.

#7 IndieWire

IndieWire is more than just a movie review site – it’s also an industry news site.

Pros : The information on IndieWire is continually updated, making it one of the most reliable sources for current movie news. You can access their content free of charge too.

Cons : Most people visit IndieWire looking for the latest industry updates (not reviews), which means that you’re not going to find many (if any) user-generated reviews here like on some other websites. Also, their content is targeted towards professionals or those interested in breaking into showbiz or related fields rather than casual viewers and fans of film/TV alike.

#8 Yahoo! Movies

Yahoo! Movies is one of the most recognizable movie review sites in America.

They provide both their own user reviews as well as professional reviews from credible critics in the industry.

Pros : Yahoo! Movies is easy to navigate and lets you filter search results by type of release (DVD, Blu-ray, etc.). The site also has plenty of trailers for popular upcoming movies that are perfect if you’re trying to get an idea for what’s worth checking out on the big screen soon.

Cons : Like Yahoo in many verticals, it’s not as popular as it once was and is no longer the go-to when it comes to movie reviews.

#9 RogerEbert

RogerEbert is named after possibly the most famous film critic of all time, who wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in April 2013. In 1975, Ebert became the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.

Ebert’s brand continues through a dedicated movie reviews and ratings site.

Pros : The site’s design appears very clean, modern, and easy to navigate. Especially for casual users who just want quick notes on new films before heading off to the theatre.

Cons : This site only provides a few user reviews a day, some days none at all. RogerEbert also received criticism from its own readers when it stopped updating their database with films that had less than three stars (for some people, this meant many films Ebert himself reviewed were no longer considered worth seeing).

#10 SlashFilm

SlashFilm is a movie review site that includes photos, trailers, interviews, and other news about upcoming films.

Pros : SlashFilm has thousands of high-quality images to provide an interactive experience for users when searching for movies they might like. They also write several excellent articles each month detailing compelling topics in film/TV (for example, “The Most Underrated Meryl Streep Roles”).

Cons : There aren’t many user reviews available on this website, which could be disappointing for some visitors looking for that feature. SlashFilm is also not updated nearly as often as it should be. Also, their content isn’t focused on up-to-date info like industry news or blog posts, which makes it a less popular choice for film enthusiasts and critics alike.

#11 Moviefone

Moviefone is owned by AOL and is one of the most recognized movie review sites on the web. Like Yahoo!, the site provides both reviews from critics as well as amateur users.

Pros : The design is simple to use and easy on the eyes, which means you can spend more time reading reviews than trying to figure out how a layout works. Moviefone also has a stellar library of high-quality photos for popular movies that will leave you in the mood to watch some good TV.

Cons : The user reviews are too short sometimes – some only have three sentences before being cut off mid-sentence, leaving readers wondering what they missed out on! Additionally, Moviefone only provides the bare minimum of professional reviews from industry professionals. And, like many other movie review sites, their content is sometimes outdated and they don’t offer enough current-event news about what’s happening in Hollywood right now (e.g., “Why Ben Affleck is a Genius”).

#12 Blue-ray

Blue-ray is one of the most accurate movie review sites on the web thanks to its large database of hundreds of industry professionals and critics from around the world.

Pros : Blue-ray has a very sleek layout that’s easy to navigate, which will make casual users feel at home right away. Visitors can also search for reviews by their favorite stars or directors, which is great if you’re looking for insight from a certain critic who watches all Steven Spielberg films.

Cons : This site does not allow users to write reviews, which means it doesn’t have much content in general compared to Hollywood entertainment news websites like IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes. Blue-ray is simply an aggregator that pulls reviews from other movie review sites without actually providing any new content.

#13 What’s on Netflix

What’s on Netflix is a movie review site that offers both professional and amateur reviews of various films.

Pros : This website is great for finding movies you might like to watch online, whether it’s streaming on Netflix or another platform. It also breaks down categories based on film genre (e.g., comedy, drama) to make browsing more efficient.

Cons : What’s on Netflix has a somewhat unappealing layout, making it difficult to navigate when trying to find specific types of movies to watch. Additionally, their content is quite dated compared to other websites with industry news and new blog posts about what’s happening in Hollywood right now.

#14 MyDramaList

MyDramaList is a movie review site that offers both professional and amateur reviews of various films.

Pros : Visitors can write their own reviews on this website, which is great for users who want to share their own personal experiences with certain movies. It’s also very helpful for finding recommendations for family-friendly films or even animated features that are worth checking out.

Cons : This site has an outdated layout, so it might be difficult for some visitors to find what they’re looking for (e.g., specific genres or categories). Moreover, there aren’t many industry news updates here – most content seems to consist of blog posts about upcoming television series instead. If you want detailed industry news like what’s happening in Hollywood, try a website like Rotten Tomatoes or IMDb instead.

#15 Syfy Wire

Syfy Wire, from the SyFy channel, is a movie review site that offers both professional and amateur reviews of various films.

Pros : The layout on this website is very clean and easy to navigate, which will be comforting for site visitors who are looking for family-friendly films they can enjoy with friends and/or their kids.

Cons : This website is mainly comprised of short blurbs about new television shows or actors instead of detailed industry news like what’s happening in Hollywood right now (e.g., box office sales, film festivals). If you’re looking for more than just promotional content, try a different movie review site with more content. Additionally, most user reviews skew towards positive ratings, which isn’t very helpful if you’re looking for impartial insight.

#16 MovieWeb

MovieWeb is another large movie review site, ranked among the top 5,000 most popular websites in America (around 6 million monthly visitors). They provide movie news, TV show updates, and reviews for all genres and types of films.

Pros : MovieWeb is structured cleanly like a blog and dozens of new articles are pumped out each day.

Cons : There aren’t many movie news updates here, which means you might have to search elsewhere if you’re looking for unbiased film industry insight. For example, there are no articles about what’s happening in Hollywood right now (e.g., box office sales) or even new blog posts about upcoming films in 2024.

#17 Taste of Cinema

Taste of Cinema is a movie review site from Russia that contains both user ratings and critic reviews.

Pros : The film list and actor list pages have a lot going on to help you find films and people quickly and easily.

Cons : Its reviews aren’t updated very frequently.

#18 Crave Online

Crave Online is an entertainment news site that has a movie review section.

Pros : This site is updated regularly with fresh content. The reviews here are also written by professional critics, unlike other user-based online platforms.

Cons : Crave Online looks a little outdated and hasn’t been updated in a while.

#19 MoviGuide

MoviGuide is another large movie review platform with its own official app for Android and iOS devices to make finding local theaters easier.

They also have a community forum where people can discuss movies released in theaters recently—and even vote up/down on different titles to influence future reviews.

Pros : It’s easy to find local theaters here. The app also has a cool flashlight-like locator feature where you can turn your phone’s flash on to light up theaters near your location if they’re not visible in the dark.

Cons : Most movie reviews are based off users’ opinions only here, with no official critics’ ratings included. There aren’t any new user reviews either, so it can be hard finding recent films that people have seen.

Pajiba is another large entertainment news hub with a movie section—but their articles mainly focus on newer films that have been released recently in theaters (or even to rent and buy online).

Pros : Pajiba has a lot of user reviews on their site, which is refreshing. Their film news is also updated daily with fresh content to make sure you don’t miss anything important.

Cons : Bad movies get more attention here than good ones do – so it’s hard to find positive opinions about titles that should be considered great. Additionally, their movie section isn’t very detailed compared to other sites like IMDb or Letterboxd. Not all critics’ scores are included either; only users’ ratings are displayed so you’d have to read through many different reviews before finding one from a professional critic.

#21 Top Documentary Films

Top Documentary Films is a movie review hub that contains user and expert reviews for all kinds of documentaries—not just those released in theaters or on TV.

Pros : Their site is fairly simple to navigate with good options for sorting through content (by year, most popular, etc).

Cons : The design isn’t very original and can be slightly hard on the eyes sometimes. The documentary page itself also looks like it hasn’t been updated in a while (with some titles missing and outdated information).

#22 Rateranker

Raterranker is another lesser-known movie review site whose slogan is “your opinion can make a difference.”

Pros : This site gives you access to both professional and user reviews for all movies.

Cons : User ratings are not displayed on this website, which makes it hard for some users to know what they’re getting into before clicking on a movie. It’s also not always easy to tell which critics wrote the reviews listed here.

#23 The Indie Handbook

The Indie Handbook is a movie review site that offers both professional and amateur reviews of various films.

Pros : The site’s design is very minimalist, making it quick and easy to find most movie categories without scrolling too much. Visitors can write their own reviews on this website, which helps if you’re looking for comments from other regular users who have watched certain movies before. It provides great movie recommendations based on user-generated ratings and reviews, making it helpful when browsing the site for film suggestions to watch.

Cons : Movie ratings are not displayed on this website so you’d have to read through actual reviews before figuring out if a certain film is worth watching or not. This can be hard for some users who want to base their decisions off user ratings instead of just personal opinions.

#24 Box Office Mojo

Box Office Mojo is a movie review site that offers both professional and amateur reviews of various films.

Pros : This website can help you find new titles for streaming on Netflix or Amazon Prime if you’re looking for something to watch. It’s also great for learning more about specific actors, directors, producers, etc., which can be helpful if you want to learn more about certain celebrities who have made their mark in the industry.

This is one of the most comprehensive sites for finding information about movies in general, which is great for making decisions when browsing online or visiting a local theater. It’s also helpful for learning more about specific actors, directors, producers, etc., which can be helpful if you want to learn more about certain celebrities who have made their mark in the industry.

What’s also interesting about this site is they disclose how much a movie has made at the box office worldwide so you can be better informed about what films to check out.

Cons : Visitors can write their own reviews on this website, but not many people take advantage of this feature so you might find yourself digging through old content online. Moreover, Box Office Mojo doesn’t provide many industry news updates. If you want detailed industry news like what’s happening in Hollywood, Rotten Tomatoes or IMDb might be a better fit.

#25 Flickchart

Flickchart is a movie review site that offers both professional and amateur reviews of various films.

Pros : This website has an excellent layout with easy-to-read text, so it’s great for casual users who just want to browse content quickly. Flickchart also takes pride in its user-friendly features, such as the ability to save movies and track their progress while creating lists throughout the year. The challenges page allows visitors to view what other people are watching and create their own film lists based on similar titles or genres.

Cons : There aren’t many reviews on this website, which makes it harder for some users to know whether or not a certain movie is worth watching.

#26 Film Junk Fan Reviews

Film Junk Fan Reviews is a movie review site that offers both professional and amateur reviews of various films. What makes them one of the best movie review sites?

Pros : Visitors can post their own reviews on this website, which helps if you want feedback from other regular users who have watched certain movies before. The layout is designed with casual use in mind, making it easy for anyone to find whatever they’re looking for within minutes.

What’s also great about this website is its detailed rankings and film charts so you can easily see what’s trending worldwide and among specific groups like critics and the public.

Cons : This website doesn’t offer very many reviews or overall content compared to other movie review sites on this list, which can make it hard for some users to browse through the material.

#27 Collider Movie Talk

Collider is a movie review and news website that can be found online at collider.com. It provides in-depth movie coverage from industry experts and critics, with articles about what’s happening in Hollywood right now (e.g., box office sales).

Pros : This website offers detailed analysis of the latest films to hit theaters, which will be helpful for site visitors who want to get up-to-date industry insight before deciding if a film is worth watching or not.

Cons : The layout on this website isn’t very clean, so it might be difficult for some users to find what they’re looking for (e.g., specific genres or categories). Additionally, there aren’t many movie news updates here – most articles consist of blog posts about new TV shows instead. If you want more than just promotional content and industry news updates, try a different movie review site with more content.

#28 Inside The Magic

Inside the Magic is a Disney-focused movie review website that provides detailed analysis from experts and fans alike. This means they provide unbiased insight for superhero movies, family-friendly films, animated features, sci-fi/fantasy flicks, etc.

Pros : This site has detailed information about upcoming Disney film releases, which will be very helpful for site visitors who are planning to see the newest releases to hit theaters. Inside the Magic also has exclusive interviews with members of the cast and crew, so it’s a great resource for people who have an affinity for Disney stars.

Cons : The layout on this website isn’t very clean or easy-to-browse, so casual users might find themselves searching through content without being able to find what they’re looking for. Viewers should look at other movie review websites instead if they want something that looks more modern and accessible.

#29 Field Guide To Evil

Field Guide to Evil is a horror film review site that provides movie news updates as well as industry insight from critics and fans alike. What makes them one of the best movie review sites?

Pros : This website has a unique layout and design so it’s easy for casual users to find what they’re looking for within minutes. There are also lots of content options for visitors, including archives of recent articles and blog posts.

Cons : Since this site is part of a larger horror film blog, you’ll have to go through several pages if you want more than just movie reviews. Viewers should look at other movie review websites instead if they’re only searching for analysis on new films.

#30 Movies In Movies

Movies in Movies is a movie review website that offers both industry insight from critics and fans as well as information about upcoming releases. This means visitors can find news updates about Disney films, superhero movies, crime flicks, family-friendly movies, etc.

Pros : This website has a clean and modern layout so it’s easy for casual users to browse through content and find what they’re looking for. There are also lots of content options that aren’t limited to movie reviews (e.g., TV show recaps/news), which will be helpful if viewers want more than just information on new films.

Cons : Since this site only focuses on Disney releases, it might not have as much industry insight as other websites on this list. Viewers should look at other movie review websites instead if they want something with more variety in its content offerings.

Conclusion: Best Movie Review and Ratings Sites

There are tons of movie review websites out there, but only a handful of them can actually provide unbiased insight to casual users.

The best movie review sites in 2024 will be those with clean and easy-to-use layouts so that site visitors aren’t overwhelmed by advertisements.

Viewers who want more than just information on upcoming releases should also consider other website options because not all movie review websites offer the same industry insights (and vice versa).

If you’re looking for one of the best movie review sites, check out any one of these top 5 choices: Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Fandango, The Movie Database, and Letterboxd.

In our opinion, IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes represent the top two in the movie review industry.

‘Gemini Is Currently on a Break’ – Meaning & What to Do

‘Slash Your Housing Costs’ Book Review (James Kennedy)

7 best comeback movies ever, ranked

Hollywood loves a good comeback. The industry that transforms actors and directors into giant stars will also facilitate their downfall. One mistake, and it’s back to the bottom of the heap. J.J. Abrams, a massively talented writer and director, has not directed a film since the reviled Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker . Taylor Kitsch has not had top billing in a movie since a pair of massive flops from 2012: John Carter and Battleship . The film industry can be ruthless and cutthroat.

7. Birdman (Michael Keaton)

6. john wick (keanu reeves), 5. jackie brown (pam grier), 4. gone baby gone (ben affleck).

3. Pulp Fiction (John Travolta)

2. Everything Everywhere All at Once (Ke Huy Quan)

1. the whale (brendan fraser).

Hollywood rarely offers second chances. However, there are some notable examples of success stories for the actors and directors who receive the opportunity to make a comeback. Several resurgences led to Oscar wins, while others revitalized actors’ status as top stars. We’ve ranked the seven best comeback movies for actors and directors.

Who doesn’t like Michael Keaton? The actor won over audiencesthanks to his charm and comedic timing in the 1980s with roles in Night Shift, Mr. Mom, and Beetlejuice. Keaton’s career reached new heights in 1989 when he starred as Bruce Wayne in Tim Burton’s Batman . Keaton’s stoic interpretation of the titular superhero in Batman and Batman Returns is considered one of the best portrayals of the caped crusader.

7 best sci-fi sequels ever, ranked
7 best Jack Nicholson movies, ranked
10 most popular movies of all time on Letterboxd, ranked

Keaton remained active for the next 20-plus years as he transitioned to supporting roles in the 2000s. Ironically, Keaton experienced a career resurgence in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) as Riggan Thomson, a declining actor who once played a popular superhero and who is hoping for a shot at redemption as the star of a Broadway play. It’s a plot that shares many similarities with Keaton’s career. Unsurprisingly, Keaton gives a career-best performance as Riggan that resulted in an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Rent or buy Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) on Prime Video , YouTube , Google , and Apple .

Keanu Reeves is one of the unlikeliest action stars to come out of the 1990s. At a time when Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Steven Seagal relied on their physicality, Reeves leaned into a quieter, more vulnerable presence. This everyman persona ignited Reeves’s action career in Point Break and Speed before he became an international superstar in The Matrix . Yet, Reeves’s luster wore off post-Matrix trilogy, culminating in 2013’s 47 Ronin, a critical failure and box office bomb.

In 2014, Reeves starred in John Wick as the titular assassin, who returns to the criminal underworld to seek revenge on the thugs who stole his car and killed his dog. Backed by magnificent stunt work, John Wick was instantly beloved by action fans. The character was a return to form for Reeves, who thrives as a no-nonsense protagonist. Three John Wick movies later, Reeves is back on top of the action world, just like he was in 1999.

Stream John Wick on Peacock .

In the 1970s, Pam Grier became a household name for her work in blaxploitation films, including Coffy and Foxy Brown . Grier was relegated to supporting roles in the 1980s, with her biggest hit part coming in 1988’s Above the Law starring Steven Seagal. It was not until 1997’s Jackie Brown that Grier returned to top billing for the first time in over 20 years.

Quentin Tarantino knew Grier was a star; she only needed the right part, similar to how Tarantino felt about John Travolta when casting for Pulp Fiction . Tarantino persuaded Grier to play the title character in Jackie Brown , his homage to blaxploitation films of the 1970s. Grier lights up the screen as the confident and charismatic Jackie Brown. For her excellent work, Grier received a nomination for Best Actress at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards.

Stream Jackie Brown on Tubi and Peacock .

Ben Affleck was destined for stardom from a young age. After winning the Best Original Screenplay Oscar with Matt Damon for Good Will Hunting , Affleck became one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood, with leading roles in Armageddon , Pearl Harbor , and The Sum of All Fears . Because of his relationship with Jennifer Lopez, Affleck became a tabloid sensation with constant attention from the paparazzi. Unfortunately, the increased attention hurt Affleck’s mental well-being and career, with 2003’s Gigli being the movie that sank his status as Hollywood royalty.

With nowhere to go but up, Affleck stepped behind the camera, making a decision that would shape the rest of his career. In 2007, Affleck directed and co-wrote Gone Baby Gone , a Boston crime thriller about a private detective’s (Casey Affleck) search for a missing girl. The film was lauded by critics, who were impressed with Affleck’s terrific direction. Gone Baby Gone became step one of a three-part comeback. Step two was The Town , which proved Affleck could be a commercial director. The third and final step was Argo , the dramatic thriller that won the 2013 Oscar for Best Picture, the cherry on top of Affleck’s remarkable resurgence.

Stream Gone Baby Gone on Pluto TV .

3. Pulp Fiction ( John Travolta)

In the late 1970s, John Travolta was arguably the biggest star on the planet. Travolta starred in Saturday Night Fever and Grease, two gigantic hits that were the two highest-grossing films domestically over the eight-month span in which they were released, a rare feat that no actor matched for over 40 years until Timothée Chalamet accomplished it with Wonka and Dune: Part Two .

Yet, the 1980s were unkind to Travolta because of several critical misfires, including Two of a Kind, Perfect, and Staying Alive. After the success of Look Who’s Talking in the late 1980s, Travolta won the role of Vincent Vega in Quentin Tarantino’s hit Pulp Fiction . Despite his career downturn, Tarantino knew that Travolta was still a superstar. “It’s only stupid Hollywood that doesn’t realize it,” Tarantino said about casting Travolta on the podcast 2 Bears, 1 Cave . Tarantino was right, as Travolta earned some of the best reviews of his career in Pulp Fiction . Travolta received a Best Actor nomination at the 1995 Oscars, catapulting him to a Hollywood upturn for the rest of the decade.

Stream Pulp Fiction on Max .

Does any child actor have a better start to their career than Ke Huy Quan? At age 12, Quan starred as Short Round in 1984’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom . The following year, Quan played the memorable role of Richard “Data” Wang in The Goonies . Yet, over the next 15 years, Quan struggled to book roles, with his most significant appearance coming in 1992’s Encino Man . Quan eventually quit acting in the early 2000s and worked behind the scenes as a stunt choreographer and assistant director for the next two decades.

In 2022, Quan returned triumphantly to acting in Everything Everywhere All at Once , the sci-fi multiversal adventure that changed his life. Quan plays Waymond Wang, the meek, kind husband to Evelyn (Michele Yeoh). Quan’s sympathetic and spirited portrayal of Waymond received universal praise. Quan won nearly every major supporting acting award from critics, highlighted by an emotional victory for Best Supporting Actor at the 2023 Oscars.

Stream Everything Everywhere All at Once on Netflix .

Brendan Fraser became one of Hollywood’s most recognizable leading men in the 1990s and early 2000s. After his breakthrough roles in 1992’s Encino Man and School Ties, Fraser transformed into a global action star with his role as Rick O’Connell in The Mummy trilogy. After 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor failed with critics and audiences, Fraser’s career began to decline, leading to a hiatus in the mid-2010s due to a variety of issues.

After appearing in several supporting roles on television, Fraser received his big break in 2022’s The Whale . Directed by Darren Aronofsky, The Whale stars Fraser as Charlie, a morbidly obese English teacher on his deathbed who attempts to reconcile with his young daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink). Fraser told Digital Trends he hoped The Whale would ” change some hearts and minds.” It did that and more, with Fraser garnering some of the best reviews of his career, culminating with his win for Best Actor at the 2023 Oscars.

Stream The Whale on Paramount+ .

Editors' Recommendations

7 best British comedy movies ever, ranked
7 best Tom Cruise 1990s movies, ranked
10 most Oscar-nominated movies ever, ranked
10 best crime movies ever, ranked
7 best existential movies, ranked

If you're looking to have a quiet, chill New Year's Day (maybe to recover from an abundance of joy on New Year's Eve), there are worse ways to spend the day than by catching up on a movie or two. If you're looking for some movies to check out, though, Prime Video may have exactly what you need.

There are plenty of titles worth checking out on the service, but we've selected three that are particularly great. From a recent Oscar juggernaut to one of the funniest heist movies ever made, these are three movies you should definitely watch on New Year's Day.

Christmas is a wonderful time for people of all ages, but let's face it, kids bring an entirely new level of joy to the occasion. It's in children that the magic of the holiday is most alive, so if you're looking for ways to get into the holiday season, there's often nothing better than finding a great kids Christmas movie to enjoy.

Some of these movies may also be some of the funniest Christmas movies, but what these movies really do well is capture the spirit of a holiday that kids around the world love to celebrate. 7. The Polar Express (2004) The Polar Express (2004) Official Trailer - Tom Hanks, Robert Zemeckis Movie HD

The best sci-fi movies often push the boundaries of what's possible to depict on the big screen by taking on complex fictional concepts that are often rooted in reality. Recent films in the category embrace the intersection between science, philosophy, and humanity, and use mind-blowing visuals and cutting-edge cinematography to bolster filmmakers' ambitious efforts.

From the visually stunning and otherworldly story told in Dune to the mind-bending mix of existentialism and the multiverse in Everything Everywhere All at Once, the greatest science fiction movies from the past five years represent the best that the genre has to offer. With so much to explore in the genre, these are the few standouts that should be considered essential viewing for fans. Ad Astra (2019)

International edition
Australia edition
Europe edition

Spy x Family Code: White review – ingenious espionage antics with special-power family

Popular manga characters receive their first film adaptation as they seek out a villainous colonel and an elusive dessert, brought off with great style by director Takashi Katagiri

A fter a successful TV adaptation, the popular characters of the bestselling manga Spy x Family are ready for their big screen closeups. Directed by Takashi Katagiri from an original story, this highly entertaining film maintains the ingenious blend of espionage escapades and slice-of-life shenanigans that has made the series a smash hit, all while expanding its set pieces to a more spectacular scale. To achieve this delicate balance between comedy, suspense and action thrills is no easy feat and for the most part, the film accomplishes this mission well.

The lovable Forger trio of spy papa Loid, assassin mama Yor, and telepathic daughter Anya, are swiftly reintroduced; this fake family embarks on a hilarious adventure involving an elusive dessert, stolen negatives and a villainous colonel. Brought together by a top-secret assignment, the Forgers must hide their special powers from one another, a conundrum made even more comical by the inclusion of their fluffy pet Bond, a lab dog that has the ability to see the future.

Although modelled after cold war conflicts, any hint of politics is a mere MacGuffin, adding a touch of the pastiche to the film’s universe. From the jazzy score to chic gadgets and disguises, the tactile details are a welcome change from other movies that prioritise action over elegance. Spy × Family Code: White doesn’t always get the balance right; compared with the first half which, like the TV series, sees child-rearing as its own kind of mission impossible, some of the later scenes are bogged down by lengthy showdowns between the Forgers and their foes. The wacky humour, however, re-emerges in a surreal, gorgeously animated daydream dedicated to the god of poop. It is this full-throated commitment to silliness that makes this film, and Spy x Family as a whole, a singularly delightful experience.

Animation in film
Action and adventure films

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

What's the Tomatometer®?
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening this week
Top box office
Coming soon to theaters
Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

Fandango at Home
Netflix streaming
Prime Video
Most popular streaming movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

Challengers Link to Challengers
Abigail Link to Abigail
Arcadian Link to Arcadian

New TV Tonight

The Jinx: Season 2
Knuckles: Season 1
THEM: The Scare: Season 2
Velma: Season 2
The Big Door Prize: Season 2
Secrets of the Octopus: Season 1
Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story: Season 1
We're Here: Season 4

Browse Reviews

The incoherent drama Browse tries to look like a suspenseful horror movie, but there's nothing scary or thrilling about this rambling dud of a film.

Full Review | Jul 30, 2020

A great deal of the movie consists of unfinished ideas, plot points, story threads, and character arcs.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jul 22, 2020

It's a thoughtful, curious piece of work which may not quite be successful in finding its destination but which manages to intrigue along the way.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jul 21, 2020

Skip the film if you need an ending that answers the questions raised throughout. But check it out if you enjoy seeing a psychological thriller that makes you come to your own conclusions.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jul 20, 2020

With such a tangled mess of a film it is hard to put your finger on what went wrong in the bringing it to the screen.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 13, 2020

In a perfect world, this thriller, with its onslaught of stomach-churning "oh no!" moments, would've had a point, something that connected it all together (or at least a conclusion), but it doesn't.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 12, 2020

An identity theft "nightmare" that fails every attempted thrill and chill. Quite possibly one of the most unimaginative and unmemorable films I've ever seen.

Full Review | Original Score: .5/5 | Jul 10, 2020

An everyman's identify theft -- or is he just a deluded creeper? -- is fitfully explored in this underwhelming psychological thriller.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 7, 2020

Browse feels like glimpsing through a problematic story with little context as to why you should care let alone watch it.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/10 | Jul 7, 2020

This thriller doesn't thrill. It occasionally amuses, and it rarely makes any real sense.

Full Review | Original Score: 4 | Jul 6, 2020

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, call me by your name.

Now streaming on:

Luca Guadagnino ’s films are all about the transformative power of nature—the way it allows our true selves to shine through and inspires us to pursue our hidden passions. From the wild, windswept hills of “ I Am Love ” to the chic swimming pool of “ A Bigger Splash ,” Guadagnino vividly portrays the outside world as almost a character in itself—driving the storyline, urging the other characters to be bold, inviting us to feel as if we, too, are a part of this intoxicating atmosphere.

Never has this been more true than in “Call Me By Your Name,” a lush and vibrant masterpiece about first love set amid the warm, sunny skies, gentle breezes and charming, tree-lined roads of northern Italy. Guadagnino takes his time establishing this place and the players within it. He’s patient in his pacing, and you must be, as well. But really, what’s the rush? It’s the summer of 1983, and there’s nothing to do but read, play piano, ponder classic art and pluck peaches and apricots from the abundant fruit trees.

Within this garden of sensual delights, an unexpected yet life-changing romance blossoms between two young men who initially seem completely different on the surface.

17-year-old Elio ( Timothee Chalamet ) is once again visiting his family’s summer home with his parents: his father ( Michael Stuhlbarg ), an esteemed professor of Greco-Roman culture, and his mother ( Amira Casar ), a translator and gracious hostess. Elio has the gangly body of a boy but with an intellect and a quick wit beyond his years, and the worldliness his parents have fostered within him at least allows him to affect the façade of sophistication. But beneath the bravado, a gawky and self-conscious kid sometimes still emerges. By the end of the summer, that kid will be vanquished forever.

An American doctoral student named Oliver ( Armie Hammer ) arrives for the annual internship Elio’s father offers. Oliver is everything Elio isn’t—or at least, that’s our primary perception of him. Tall, gorgeous and supremely confident, he is the archetypal all-American hunk. But as polite as he often can be, Oliver can also breeze out of a room with a glib, “Later,” making him even more of a tantalizing mystery.

Chalamet and Hammer have just ridiculous chemistry from the get-go, even though (or perhaps because) their characters are initially prickly toward each other: testing, pushing, feeling each other out, yet constantly worrying about what the other person thinks. They flirt by trying to one-up each other with knowledge of literature or classical music, but long before they ever have any physical contact, their electric connection is unmistakable. Lazy poolside chats are fraught with tension; spontaneous bike rides into town to run errands feel like nervous first dates.

Writer James Ivory ’s generous, sensitive adaptation of Andre Aciman ’s novel reveals these characters and their ever-evolving dynamic in beautifully steady yet detailed fashion. And so when Elio and Oliver finally dare to reveal their true feelings for each other—a full hour into the film—the moment makes you hold your breath with its intimate power, and the emotions feel completely authentic and earned.

The way Elio and Oliver peel away each other’s layers has both a sweetness and a giddy thrill to it, even though they feel they must keep their romance a secret from Elio’s parents. (Elio also has a kinda-sorta girlfriend in Marzia [ Esther Garrel ], a thoughtful, playful French teen who’s also in town for the summer.) One of the many impressive elements of Chalamet’s beautiful, complex performance is the effortless way he transitions between speaking in English, Italian and French, depending on whom Elio is with at the time. It gives him an air of maturity that’s otherwise still in development; eventually his massive character arc feels satisfying and true.

But Oliver’s evolution is just as crucial, and Hammer finds the tricky balance between the character’s swagger and his vulnerability as he gives himself over to this exciting affair. He’s flirty but tender—the couple’s love scenes are heartbreaking and intensely erotic all at once—and even though he’s the more experienced of the two, he can’t help but diving in headlong.

And yet, the most resonant part of “Call Me By Your Name” may not even be the romance itself, but rather the lingering sensation that it can’t last, which Guadagnino evokes through long takes and expert use of silence. A feeling of melancholy tinges everything, from the choice of a particular shirt to the taste of a perfectly ripe peach. And oh my, that peach scene—Guadagnino was wise when he took a chance and left it in from the novel. It really works, and it’s perhaps the ultimate example of how masterfully the director manipulates and enlivens all of our senses.

There’s a lushness to the visual beauty of this place, but it’s not so perfect as to be off-putting. Quite the opposite. Despite the director’s infamous eye for meticulous detail, cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom ’s 35mm images provide a tactile quality that heightens the sensations, makes them feel almost primal. We see the wind gently rustling through the trees, or streaks of sunlight hitting Elio’s dark curls through an open bedroom window, and while it’s all subtly sensual, an inescapable tension is building underneath.

Guadagnino establishes that raw, immediate energy from the very beginning through his use of music. The piano of contemporary classical composer John Adams’ intricate, insistent “Hallelujah Junction – 1 st Movement” engages us during the elegant title sequence, while Sufjan Stevens’ plaintive, synthy “Visions of Gideon” during the film’s devastating final shot ends the film on an agonizingly sad note. (You’ll want to stay all the way through the closing credits—that long, last image is so transfixing. I seriously don’t know how Chalamet pulled it off, but there is serious craft on display here.)

In between is Guadagnino’s inspired use of the Psychedelic Furs’ “Love My Way,” an iconic ’80s New Wave tune you’ve probably heard a million times before but will never hear the same way again. The first time he plays it, it’s at an outdoor disco where Oliver feels so moved by the bouncy, percussive beat that he can’t help but jump around to it and get lost in the music, lacking all sense of self-consciousness. Watching this towering figure just go for it on the dance floor in his Converse high-tops is a moment of pure joy, but it’s also as if a dam has broken within Elio, being so close to someone who’s feeling so free. The second time he plays it, toward the end of Oliver and Elio’s journey, it feels like the soundtrack to a time capsule as it recaptures a moment of seemingly endless emotional possibility.

They know what they’ve found has to end—we know it has to end. But a beautiful monologue from the always excellent Stuhlbarg as Elio’s warmhearted and open-minded father softens the blow somewhat. It’s a perfectly calibrated scene in a film full of them, and it’s one of a million reasons why “Call Me By Your Name” is far and away the best movie of the year.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

Now playing

Irena's Vow

Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World

Sheila O'Malley

Food, Inc. 2

Glenn kenny.

Girls State

You Can Call Me Bill

Clint worthington, film credits.

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Rated R for sexual content, nudity and some language.

130 minutes

Timothée Chalamet as Elio Perlman

Armie Hammer as Oliver

Michael Stuhlbarg as Lyle Perlman

Amira Casar as Annella Perlman

Esther Garrel as Marzia

Victoire Du Bois as Chiara

Luca Guadagnino

Writer (based on the novel by)

Andre Aciman
James Ivory

Cinematographer

Sayombhu Mukdeeprom
Walter Fasano

Latest blog posts

Sonic the Hedgehog Franchise Moves to Streaming with Entertaining Knuckles

San Francisco Silent Film Festival Highlights Unearthed Treasures of Film History

Ebertfest Film Festival Over the Years

The 2024 Chicago Palestine Film Festival Highlights

Cast & crew
User reviews

Challengers

Tashi, a former tennis prodigy turned coach is married to a champion on a losing streak. Her strategy for her husband's redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against his f... Read all Tashi, a former tennis prodigy turned coach is married to a champion on a losing streak. Her strategy for her husband's redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against his former best friend and Tashi's former boyfriend. Tashi, a former tennis prodigy turned coach is married to a champion on a losing streak. Her strategy for her husband's redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against his former best friend and Tashi's former boyfriend.

Luca Guadagnino
Justin Kuritzkes
Josh O'Connor
14 User reviews
62 Critic reviews
88 Metascore
1 nomination

Tashi Donaldson

Art Donaldson

Patrick Zweig
Umpire (New Rochelle Final)

Art's Physiotherapist

Art's Security Guard
(as a different name)
Tashi's Mother
Line Judge (New Rochelle Final)
TV Sports Commentator (Atlanta 2019)

Leo Du Marier

Woman With Headset (Atlanta 2019)

Motel Front Desk Clerk
Motel Husband

New Rochelle Parking Lot Guard
USTA Official …
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

Trivia To prepare for her role, Zendaya spent three months with pro tennis player-turned-coach, Brad Gilbert .

Tashi Donaldson : I'm taking such good care of my little white boys.

Connections Referenced in OWV Updates: The Seventh OWV Awards - Last Update of 2022 (2022)

User reviews 14

Apr 20, 2024
When will Challengers be released? Powered by Alexa
April 26, 2024 (United States)
United States
Những Kẻ Thách Đấu
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Pascal Pictures
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

Runtime 2 hours 11 minutes
Dolby Digital
Dolby Atmos

More to explore

Taylor Swift Renews Her Vows With Heartbreak in Audacious, Transfixing ‘Tortured Poets Department’: Album Review

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

‘Tortured Poets Department’ Breaks Record for Weekly Vinyl Sales in Just Three Days, as Taylor Swift Sells 700,000 LPs Over a Weekend 2 hours ago
Miranda Lambert Signs With Republic, With Partner Label Big Loud Set to Handle Country Promotion 2 hours ago
Brian Quincy Newcomb, Music Journalist and Key Tastemaker in Christian Alt-Rock Scene of ’80s and ’90s, Dies at 67 24 hours ago

Taylor Swift 'Tortured Poets Department" variant album cover vinyl LP review

Popular on Variety

For where it sits in her catalog musically, it feels like the synth-pop of “Midnights,” with most of the feel-good buzz stripped out; or like the less acoustic based moments of “Folklore” and “Evermore,” with her penchant for pure autobiography stripped back in. It feels bracing, and wounded, and cocky, and — not to be undervalued in this age — handmade, however many times she stacks her own vocals for an ironic or real choral effect. Occasionally the music gets stripped down all the way to a piano, but it has the effect of feeling naked even when she goes for a bop that feels big enough to join the setlist in her stadium tour resumption, like “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”

The first time you listen to the album, you may be stricken by the “Wait, did she really just say that?” moments. (And no, we’re not referring to the already famous Charlie Puth shout-out, though that probably counts, too.) Whatever feeling you might have had hearing “Dear John” for the first time, if you’re old enough to go back that far with her, that may be the feeling you have here listening to the eviscerating “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” or a few other tracks that don’t take much in the way of prisoners. Going back to it, on second, fifth and tenth listens, it’s easier to keep track of the fact that the entire album is not that emotionally intense, and that there are romantic, fun and even silly numbers strewn throughout it, if those aren’t necessarily the most striking ones on first blush. Yes, it’s a pop album as much as a vein-opening album, although it may not produce the biggest number of Top 10 hits of anything in her catalog. It doesn’t seem designed not to produce those, either; returning co-producers Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner aren’t exactly looking to keep her off the radio. But it’s easily among her most lyrics-forward efforts, rife with a language lover’s wordplay, tumults of sequential similes and — her best weapon — moments of sheer bluntness.

Who is the worst man that she delights in writing about through the majority of the album? Perhaps not the one you were guessing, weeks ago. There are archetypal good guy and bad boy figures who have been part of her life, whom everyone will transpose onto this material. Coming into “Tortured Poets,” the joke was that someone should keep Joe Alwyn, publicly identified as her steady for six-plus years, under mental health watch when the album comes out. As it turns out, he will probably be able to sleep just fine. The other bloke, the one everyone assumed might be too inconsequential to trouble her or write about — let’s put another name to that archetype: Matty Healy of the 1975 — might lose a little sleep instead, if the fans decide that the cutting “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” and other lacerating songs are about him, instead. He might also have cause to feel flattered, because there are plenty of songs extolling him as an object of abject passion and the love of her life — in, literally, the song title “LOML” — before the figure who animated all this gets sliced down to size.

The older love, he gets all of one song, as far as can be ascertained: the not so subtly titled “So Long, London,” a dour sequel to 2019’s effusive “London Boy.” Well, he gets a bit more than that: The amusingly titled “Fresh Out the Slammer” devotes some verses to a man she paints as her longtime jailer (“Handcuffed to the spell I was under / For just one hour of sunshine / Years of labor, locks and ceilings / In the shade of how he was feeling.” But ultimately it’s really devoted to the “pretty baby” who’s her first phone call once she’s been sprung from the relationship she considered her prison.

It’s complicated, as they say. For most of the album, Swift seesaws between songs about being in thrall to never-before-experienced passion and personal compatibility with a guy from the wrong side of the tracks. She feels “Guilty as Sin?” for imagining a consummation that at first seems un-actionable, if far from unthinkable; she swears “But Daddy I Love Him” in the face of family disapproval; she thinks “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),” before an epiphany slips out in the song’s hilariously anticlimactic final line: “Woah, maybe I can’t.” Then the most devastating songs about being ghosted pop up in the album’s later going.

Now, that, friends, is a righteous tirade. And it’s one of the most thrilling single moments in Swift’s recorded career. “But Daddy I Love Him” has a joke for a title (it’s a line borrowed from “The Little Mermaid”), but the song is an ecstatic companion piece to “That’s the Way I Loved You,” from her second album, now with Swift running off with the bad choice instead of just mourning him. It’s the rare song from her Antonoff/Dessner period that sounds like it could be out of the more “organic”-sounding, band-focused Nathan Chapman era, but with a much more matured writing now than then… even if the song is about embracing the immature.

The album gets off to a deceptively benign start with “Fortnight,” the collaboration with Post Malone that is its first single. Both he and the record’s other featured artist, Florence of Florence + the Machine , wrote the lyrics for their own sections, but Posty hangs back more, as opposed to the true duet with Florence; he echoes Swift’s leads before finally settling in with his own lines right at the end. Seemingly unconnected to the subject matter of the rest of the record, “Fortnight” seems a little like “Midnights” Lite. It rues a past quickie romance that the singer can’t quite move on from, even as she and her ex spend time with each other’s families. It’s breezy, and a good choice for pop radio, but not much of an indication of the more visceral, obsessive stuff to come.

The title track follows next and stays in the summer-breeze mode. It’s jangly-guitar-pop in the mode of “Mirrorball,” from “Folklore”… and it actually feels completely un-tortured, despite the ironic title. After the lovers bond over Charlie Puth being underrated (let’s watch those “One Call Away” streams soar), and over how “you’re not Dylan Thomas, I’m not Patti Smith,” an inter-artist romance seems firmly in place. “Who’s gonna hold you like me?” she asks aloud. (She later changes it to “troll you.”) She answers herself: “Nofuckinbody.” Sweet, and If you came to this album for any kind of idyll, enjoy this one while it lasts, which isn’t for long.

From here, the album is kind of all over the map, when it comes to whether she’s in the throes of passion or the throes of despair… with that epic poem in the album booklet to let you know how the pieces all fit together. (The album also includes a separate poem from Stevie Nicks, addressing the same love affair that is the main subject of the album, in a protective way.)

There are detours that don’t have to do with the romantic narrative, but not many. The collaboration with Florence + the Machine, “Florida!!!,” is the album’s funniest track, if maybe its least emotionally inconsequential. It’s literally about escape, and it provides some escapism right in the middle of the record, along with some BAM-BAM-BAM power-chord dynamics in an album that often otherwise trends soft. If you don’t laugh out loud the first time that Taylor’s and Florence’s voices come together in harmony to sing the line “Fuck me up, Florida,” this may not be the album for you.

When the album’s track list was first revealed, it almost seemed like one of those clever fakes that people delight in trolling the web with. Except, who would really believe that, instead of song titles like “Maroon,” Swift would suddenly be coming up with “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys,” “Fresh Out the Slammer,” “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” and “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”? This sounded like a Morrissey track list, not one of Swift’s. But she’s loosened up, in some tonal sense, even as she’s as serious as a heart attack on a lot of these songs. There is blood on the tracks, but also a wit in the way she’s employing language and being willing to make declarations that sound a little outlandish before they make you laugh.

Toward the end of the album, she presents three songs that aren’t “about” anybody else… just about, plainly, Taylor Swift. That’s true of “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?,” a song that almost sounds like an outtake from the “Reputation” album, or else a close cousin to “Folklore’s” “Mad Woman,” with Swift embracing the role of vengeful witch, in response to being treated as a circus freak — exact contemporary impetus unknown.

Whatever criticisms anyone will make of “The Tortured Poets Department,” though — not enough bangers? too personal? — “edge”-lessness shouldn’t be one of them. In this album’s most bracing songs, it’s like she brought a knife to a fistfight. There’s blood on the tracks, good blood.

Sure to be one of the most talked-about and replayed tracks, “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” has a touch of a Robyn-style dancing-through-tears ethos to it. But it’s clearly about the parts of the Eras Tour when she was at her lowest, and faking her way through it. “I’m so depressed I act like it’s my birthday — every day,” she sings, in the album’s peppiest number — one that recalls a more dance-oriented version of the previous album’s “Mastermind.” It’s not hard to imagine that when she resumes the tour in Paris next month, and has a new era to tag onto the end of the show, “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” might be the new climax, in place of “Karma.” “You know you’re good when you can do it with a broken heart,” she humble-brags, “and I’m good, ‘cause I’m miserable / And nobody even knows! / Try and come for my job.”

Not many superstars would devote an entire song to confessing that they’ve only pretended to be the super-happy figure fans thought they were seeing pass through their towns, and that they were seeing a illusion. (Presumably she doesn’t have to fake it in the present day, but that’s the story of the next album, maybe.) But that speaks to the dichotomy that has always been Taylor Swift: on record, as good and honest a confessional a singer-songwriter as any who ever passed through the ports of rock credibility; in concert, a great, fulsome entertainer like Cher squared. Fortunately, in Swift, we’ve never had to settle for just one or the other. No one else is coming for either job — our best heartbreak chronicler or our most uplifting popular entertainer. It’s like that woman in the movie theater says: Heartache feels good in a place like that. And it sure feels grand presented in its most distilled, least razzly-dazzly essence in “The Tortured Poets Department.”

More From Our Brands

Brittney griner reveals inhumane conditions and suicidal ideations she faced in russian prison, lvmh sold more bags and perfume in 2023 than france sold wine, infinite reality acquires drone racing league for $250 million, be tough on dirt but gentle on your body with the best soaps for sensitive skin, mila kunis and ashton kutcher not returning for that ’90s show season 2: ‘we did our thing’ (watch), verify it's you, please log in.

Supported by

Critic’s Pick

‘Civil War’ Review: We Have Met the Enemy and It Is Us. Again.

In Alex Garland’s tough new movie, a group of journalists led by Kirsten Dunst, as a photographer, travels a United States at war with itself.

Share full article

‘Civil War’ | Anatomy of a Scene

The writer and director alex garland narrates a sequence from his film..

“My name is Alex Garland and I’m the writer director of ‘Civil War’. So this particular clip is roughly around the halfway point of the movie and it’s these four journalists and they’re trying to get, in a very circuitous route, from New York to DC, and encountering various obstacles on the way. And this is one of those obstacles. What they find themselves stuck in is a battle between two snipers. And they are close to one of the snipers and the other sniper is somewhere unseen, but presumably in a large house that sits over a field and a hill. It’s a surrealist exchange and it’s surrounded by some very surrealist imagery, which is they’re, in broad daylight in broad sunshine, there’s no indication that we’re anywhere near winter in the filming. In fact, you can kind of tell it’s summer. But they’re surrounded by Christmas decorations. And in some ways, the Christmas decorations speak of a country, which is in disrepair, however silly it sounds. If you haven’t put away your Christmas decorations, clearly something isn’t going right.” “What’s going on?” “Someone in that house, they’re stuck. We’re stuck.” “And there’s a bit of imagery. It felt like it hit the right note. But the interesting thing about that imagery was that it was not production designed. We didn’t create it. We actually literally found it. We were driving along and we saw all of these Christmas decorations, basically exactly as they are in the film. They were about 100 yards away, just piled up by the side of the road. And it turned out, it was a guy who’d put on a winter wonderland festival. People had not dug his winter wonderland festival, and he’d gone bankrupt. And he had decided just to leave everything just strewn around on a farmer’s field, who was then absolutely furious. So in a way, there’s a loose parallel, which is the same implication that exists within the film exists within real life.” “You don’t understand a word I say. Yo. What’s over there in that house?” “Someone shooting.” “It’s to do with the fact that when things get extreme, the reasons why things got extreme no longer become relevant and the knife edge of the problem is all that really remains relevant. So it doesn’t actually matter, as it were, in this context, what side they’re fighting for or what the other person’s fighting for. It’s just reduced to a survival.”

By Manohla Dargis

A blunt, gut-twisting work of speculative fiction, “Civil War” opens with the United States at war with itself — literally, not just rhetorically. In Washington, D.C., the president is holed up in the White House; in a spookily depopulated New York, desperate people wait for water rations. It’s the near-future, and rooftop snipers, suicide bombers and wild-eyed randos are in the fight while an opposition faction with a two-star flag called the Western Forces, comprising Texas and California — as I said, this is speculative fiction — is leading the charge against what remains of the federal government. If you’re feeling triggered, you aren’t alone.

It’s mourning again in America, and it’s mesmerizingly, horribly gripping. Filled with bullets, consuming fires and terrific actors like Kirsten Dunst running for cover, the movie is a what-if nightmare stoked by memories of Jan. 6. As in what if the visions of some rioters had been realized, what if the nation was again broken by Civil War, what if the democratic experiment called America had come undone? If that sounds harrowing, you’re right. It’s one thing when a movie taps into childish fears with monsters under the bed; you’re eager to see what happens because you know how it will end (until the sequel). Adult fears are another matter.

In “Civil War,” the British filmmaker Alex Garland explores the unbearable if not the unthinkable, something he likes to do. A pop cultural savant, he made a splashy zeitgeist-ready debut with his 1996 best seller “The Beach,” a novel about a paradise that proves deadly, an evergreen metaphor for life and the basis for a silly film . That things in the world are not what they seem, and are often far worse, is a theme that Garland has continued pursuing in other dark fantasies, first as a screenwriter (“ 28 Days Later ”), and then as a writer-director (“ Ex Machina ”). His résumé is populated with zombies, clones and aliens, though reliably it is his outwardly ordinary characters you need to keep a closer watch on.

By the time “Civil War” opens, the fight has been raging for an undisclosed period yet long enough to have hollowed out cities and people’s faces alike. It’s unclear as to why the war started or who fired the first shot. Garland does scatter some hints; in one ugly scene, a militia type played by a jolting, scarily effective Jesse Plemons asks captives “what kind of American” they are. Yet whatever divisions preceded the conflict are left to your imagination, at least partly because Garland assumes you’ve been paying attention to recent events. Instead, he presents an outwardly and largely post-ideological landscape in which debates over policies, politics and American exceptionalism have been rendered moot by war.

‘Civil War’ Is Designed to Disturb You

A woman with a bulletproof vest that says “Press” stands in a smoky city street.

One thing that remains familiar amid these ruins is the movie’s old-fashioned faith in journalism. Dunst, who’s sensational, plays Lee, a war photographer who works for Reuters alongside her friend, a reporter, Joel (the charismatic Wagner Moura). They’re in New York when you meet them, milling through a crowd anxiously waiting for water rations next to a protected tanker. It’s a fraught scene; the restless crowd is edging into mob panic, and Lee, camera in hand, is on high alert. As Garland’s own camera and Joel skitter about, Lee carves a path through the chaos, as if she knows exactly where she needs to be — and then a bomb goes off. By the time it does, an aspiring photojournalist, Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), is also in the mix.

The streamlined, insistently intimate story takes shape once Lee, Joel, Jessie and a veteran reporter, Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), pile into a van and head to Washington. Joel and Lee are hoping to interview the president (Nick Offerman), and Sammy and Jessie are riding along largely so that Garland can make the trip more interesting. Sammy serves as a stabilizing force (Henderson fills the van with humanizing warmth), while Jessie plays the eager upstart Lee takes under her resentful wing. It’s a tidily balanced sampling that the actors, with Garland’s banter and via some cozy downtime, turn into flesh-and-blood personalities, people whose vulnerability feeds the escalating tension with each mile.

As the miles and hours pass, Garland adds diversions and hurdles, including a pair of playful colleagues, Tony and Bohai (Nelson Lee and Evan Lai), and some spooky dudes guarding a gas station. Garland shrewdly exploits the tense emptiness of the land, turning strangers into potential threats and pretty country roads into ominously ambiguous byways. Smartly, he also recurrently focuses on Lee’s face, a heartbreakingly hard mask that Dunst lets slip brilliantly. As the journey continues, Garland further sketches in the bigger picture — the dollar is near-worthless, the F.B.I. is gone — but for the most part, he focuses on his travelers and the engulfing violence, the smoke and the tracer fire that they often don’t notice until they do.

Despite some much-needed lulls (for you, for the narrative rhythm), “Civil War” is unremittingly brutal or at least it feels that way. Many contemporary thrillers are far more overtly gruesome than this one, partly because violence is one way unimaginative directors can put a distinctive spin on otherwise interchangeable material: Cue the artful fountains of arterial spray. Part of what makes the carnage here feel incessant and palpably realistic is that Garland, whose visual approach is generally unfussy, doesn’t embellish the violence, turning it into an ornament of his virtuosity. Instead, the violence is direct, at times shockingly casual and unsettling, so much so that its unpleasantness almost comes as a surprise.

If the violence feels more intense than in a typical genre shoot ’em up, it’s also because, I think, with “Civil War,” Garland has made the movie that’s long been workshopped in American political discourse and in mass culture, and which entered wider circulation on Jan. 6. The raw power of Garland’s vision unquestionably owes much to the vivid scenes that beamed across the world that day when rioters, some wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “ MAGA civil war ,” swarmed the Capitol. Even so, watching this movie, I also flashed on other times in which Americans have relitigated the Civil War directly and not, on the screen and in the streets.

Movies have played a role in that relitigation for more than a century, at times grotesquely. Two of the most famous films in history — D.W. Griffith’s 1915 racist epic “The Birth of a Nation” (which became a Ku Klux Klan recruitment tool) and the romantic 1939 melodrama “Gone With the Wind” — are monuments to white supremacy and the myth of the Southern Lost Cause. Both were critical and popular hits. In the decades since, filmmakers have returned to the Civil War era to tell other stories in films like “Glory,” “Lincoln” and “Django Unchained” that in addressing the American past inevitably engage with its present.

There are no lofty or reassuring speeches in “Civil War,” and the movie doesn’t speak to the better angels of our nature the way so many films try to. Hollywood’s longstanding, deeply American imperative for happy endings maintains an iron grip on movies, even in ostensibly independent productions. There’s no such possibility for that in “Civil War.” The very premise of Garland’s movie means that — no matter what happens when or if Lee and the rest reach Washington — a happy ending is impossible, which makes this very tough going. Rarely have I seen a movie that made me so acutely uncomfortable or watched an actor’s face that, like Dunst’s, expressed a nation’s soul-sickness so vividly that it felt like an X-ray.

Civil War Rated R for war violence and mass death. Running time: 1 hour 49 minutes. In theaters.

An earlier version of this review misidentified an organization in the Civil War in the movie. It is the Western Forces, not the Western Front.

How we handle corrections

Manohla Dargis is the chief film critic for The Times. More about Manohla Dargis

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

As “Sex and the City” became more widely available on Netflix, younger viewers have watched it with a critical eye . But its longtime millennial and Gen X fans can’t quit.

Hoa Xuande had only one Hollywood credit when he was chosen to lead “The Sympathizer,” the starry HBO adaptation of a prize-winning novel. He needed all the encouragement he could get .

Even before his new film “Civil War” was released, the writer-director Alex Garland faced controversy over his vision of a divided America with Texas and California as allies.

Theda Hammel’s directorial debut, “Stress Positions,” a comedy about millennials weathering the early days of the pandemic , will ask audiences to return to a time that many people would rather forget.

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime and Hulu to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

Tickets & Showtimes
Trending on RT

TV & Streaming Shows
Godzilla & Kong
100 Years, 100 Movies
Best & Popular

TAGGED AS: blockbusters , movies , popular

30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming

Discover the top, most popular movies available now! Across theaters, streaming, and on-demand, these are the movies Rotten Tomatoes users are checking out at this very moment, including Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (see the series ranked ), Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (check out how to watch Godzilla movies in order ), and Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 .

Other notable movies on the chart this week include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare , Abigail , Civil War , Monkey Man , The Beautiful Game (see soccer movies ranked ), and You’ll Never Find Me (on our guide to the year’s best horror movies ).

Check back for latest updates to the charts, and also take a look at the most popular TV shows out right now !)

Civil War (2024) 81%

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) 72%

Abigail (2024) 85%

Rebel Moon: Part Two - The Scargiver (2024) 14%

Challengers (2024) 95%

Monkey Man (2024) 88%

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) 54%

Hundreds of Beavers (2022) 95%

Dune: Part Two (2024) 93%

The First Omen (2024) 81%

Argylle (2024) 33%

Late Night with the Devil (2023) 97%

Immaculate (2024) 71%

One Life (2023) 90%

The Zone of Interest (2023) 93%

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) 43%

Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024) 72%

LaRoy, Texas (2023) 100%

Arcadian (2024) 85%

Back to Black (2024) 39%

Sasquatch Sunset (2024) 71%

The Stranger (2024) 57%

The Bricklayer (2023) 48%

Poor Things (2023) 92%

Spy x Family Code: White (2023) 96%

Scoop (2024) 78%

Sting (2024) 68%

Road House (2024) 60%

What Jennifer Did (2024) 56%

Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire (2023) 21%

More Countdown

Best TV Shows of 2024: Best New Series to Watch Now

Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

The Best TV Seasons Certified Fresh at 100%

April 22, 2024

Top Headlines

The Best TV Seasons Certified Fresh at 100% –
Best TV Shows of 2024: Best New Series to Watch Now –
25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming –
Box Office 2024: Top 10 Movies of the Year –
Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now –
All Guy Ritchie Movies Ranked by Tomatometer –

IMAGES

How To Write A Movie Review? The Complete Guide
How To Write A Movie Review? The Complete Guide
How to Write a Movie Review: Step-by-Step Guide
How to Write a Movie Review: Top Recommendations and Instructions
How to Write a Good Movie Review: Detailed Guideline
How to write a good movie review for an academic essay

COMMENTS

613 Movie Blog Name Ideas to Direct Your Success Story
Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the creative movie blog names spotlight: Cinematic Cerebration. Filmophile's Frenzy. Film Frames. Silver Screen Sapiens. Lights Camera Action. Hollywood Herald. Film Flamboyance. Film Flashbacks.
IMDb Top 250 Movies
Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. ... The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. 1966 2h 58m R. 8.8 (811K) Rate. 11. Forrest Gump. 1994 2h 22m PG-13. 8.8 (2.3M) Rate. ... Your Name. 2016 1h 46m. 8.4 (320K) Rate. 85. Once Upon a Time in America ...
Movie reviews and ratings by Film Critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert.com is the ultimate destination for movie lovers, featuring reviews and ratings by the legendary film critic Roger Ebert and his colleagues. Discover the best films of all genres, eras, and countries, and learn more about the art and craft of cinema.
300 Essential Movies To Watch Now
Do the Right Thing (1989)92%. Critics Consensus: Smart, vibrant, and urgent without being didactic, Do the Right Thing is one of Spike Lee's most fully realized efforts -- and one of the most important films of the 1980s. Synopsis: Salvatore "Sal" Fragione (Danny Aiello) is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn.
Rotten Tomatoes: Movies
Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets
Best Movies 2021
The Power of the Dog. #5. Brought to life by a stellar ensemble led by Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog reaffirms writer-director Jane Campion as one of her generation's finest filmmakers. Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee. Directed By: Jane Campion.
Movie & TV Critics
Tomatometer-approved critics come from all across the U.S., and the world. They publish on a variety of platforms - among them you'll find podcasters, newspaper and magazine writers, bloggers ...
Top Critics
Top Critic is a designation created to distinguish Tomatometer-approved critics who excel at their craft. Critics selected are well-established, influential, and prolific; they are, in a sense ...
The Best Reviewed Movies of 2021
The IGN review scale labels any film scored 8 as "great," 9 as "amazing," 10 as "masterpiece". That said, read on for the best movies of 2021 -- listed in score order -- from The Father, the only ...
The Best Movies of 2020
The True Adventures of Wolfboy78%. #220. Critics Consensus: The True Adventures of Wolfboy can be frustratingly uneven, but a worthy story and compassion for its characters help make this coming-of-age story's flaws easy to forgive. Synopsis: Paul lives an isolated life with his father in upstate New York.
The Best Movie Reviews Ever Written
'The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' Review: Guy Ritchie's Cheeky WWII Caper Is His Best Movie Since 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' Read more June 18, 2018 1:19 pm
10 Movie Review Examples That Will Help You Write Better Reviews
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.".
Wonder movie review & film summary (2017)
He loves " Star Wars " and Minecraft. He has an aptitude for science, a sly sense of humor, and an active imagination that helps him navigate uncomfortable situations. ("Wonder" occasionally dabbles in magical realism, but in ways that are more amusing than distracting.) Advertisement. Uniformly strong performances help ground the story.
Good Boys movie review & film summary (2019)
The good boys of "Good Boys" try very, very hard to be bad. But despite their adult aspirations over the course of a wild couple of days, it's their sweet-natured innocence that ultimately sees them through every misadventure. That's the inherent conflict—and the chief source of humor—in director Gene Stupnitsky 's extremely R ...
Movie Reviews
NYT Critic's Pick. R. Action, Thriller. Directed by Alex Garland. In Alex Garland's tough new movie, a group of journalists led by Kirsten Dunst, as a photographer, travels a United States at ...
17+ Best Movie Review and Ratings Sites (List)
IMDb is the world's most popular movie review site and one of the best film sites on the web. It was founded on October 17, 1990 and has been going strong ever since. IMDb is widely considered the foremost expert in the movie review industry online. With more than 1,200 movie critic reviews per day and about 600 million monthly unique ...
Best Movies of 2021
By A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis. Published Dec. 6, 2021 Updated Dec. 21, 2021. 阅读简体中文版閱讀繁體中文版. Benedict Cumberbatch in "The Power of the Dog," left, Kristen ...
8 New Movies Our Critics Are Talking About This Week
Zack Snyder serves up a chaotic stew of references. Sofia Boutella in "Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver.". Netflix. 'Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver'. The second half of Zack ...
The Best Movies of 2021 Ranked by Tomatometer
Ma Belle, My Beauty76%. #226. Critics Consensus: Flawed but ultimately compelling, Ma Belle, My Beauty uses the aftermath of a polyamorous relationship to explore the intersections of love and ambition. Synopsis: Lane, Bertie and Fred once shared a polyamorous relationship in New Orleans. Lane loved Bertie, Fred loved Bertie, they had...
Ordinary Angels review
Alan Ritchson is impressive as a father who can't pay his desperately sick child's hospital fees, but the good-neighbour plot ignores a bigger question Catherine Bray Tue 23 Apr 2024 04.00 EDT ...
7 best comeback movies ever, ranked
Unsurprisingly, Keaton gives a career-best performance as Riggan that resulted in an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Rent or buy Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) on Prime Video ...
Spy x Family Code: White review
Popular manga characters receive their first film adaptation as they seek out a villainous colonel and an elusive dessert, brought off with great style by director Takashi Katagiri
Good One (2024)
Good One: Directed by India Donaldson. With Lily Collias, Sumaya Bouhbal, Valentine Black, Diana Irvine. During a weekend backpacking trip in the Catskills, 17-year-old Sam navigates the clash of egos between her father and his oldest friend.
Browse
Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 13, 2020. Jeffrey M. Anderson Common Sense Media. In a perfect world, this thriller, with its onslaught of stomach-churning "oh no!" moments, would've had a ...
Call Me by Your Name movie review (2017)
But a beautiful monologue from the always excellent Stuhlbarg as Elio's warmhearted and open-minded father softens the blow somewhat. It's a perfectly calibrated scene in a film full of them, and it's one of a million reasons why "Call Me By Your Name" is far and away the best movie of the year. Romance. Drama.
Challengers (2024)
Challengers: Directed by Luca Guadagnino. With Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O'Connor, Darnell Appling. Tashi, a former tennis prodigy turned coach is married to a champion on a losing streak. Her strategy for her husband's redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against his former best friend and Tashi's former boyfriend.
Netflix's animated 'Good Times' flunks the TV reboot test
Published 3:52 PM EDT, Fri April 12, 2024. Link Copied! "Good Times" returns as an animated Netflix series, loosely connected to the 1970s sitcom. Courtesy of Netflix. CNN —. After the social ...
'The Tortured Poets Department' Is Taylor Swift's Most ...
Now, everyone gets to go back on "Red" alert. " The Tortured Poets Department " gives everyone a full dose of the never-getting-over-it Taylor that no one really wanted to get over. As ...
'Civil War' Review: We Have Met the Enemy and It Is Us. Again
Rarely have I seen a movie that made me so acutely uncomfortable or watched an actor's face that, like Dunst's, expressed a nation's soul-sickness so vividly that it felt like an X-ray ...
30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and
Across theaters, streaming, and on-demand, these are the movies Rotten Tomatoes users are checking out at this very moment, including Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (see the series ranked ), Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (check out how to watch Godzilla movies in order ), and Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.