How Write Movie Or Tv Show Review Young Post

We love getting reviews from you about movies and TV series – from anime, to Marvel films, Netflix shows and more. Most entertainment reviews online are usually written by adults, but Young Post is a place for you to share your thoughts with the world.

If you have a movie or television show you want to review, send us your pitch here. Try to submit your idea as close to its release date as possible - people will not be as interested in reading a review when the show has been out for a month or two!

Once we’ve approved your idea, follow the tips below to draft your review.

How you can be a part of Team YP

1. Take notes as you watch

Note down anything that will give your review flavour (interesting details). Take notes on what sticks with you – great songs, horrible acting, emotional moments, funny moments, confusing scenes, etc

2. What did you think?

Write your opinion of the movie or show in one sentence. This will help you organise your review. It should two answer questions: Did you like it? Why?

Example: Black Widow is a great movie because it has a nice balance of emotions and humour, and because Natasha Romanoff finally gets some well-deserved screen time.

It’s important to take notes, or you might forget what you’ve seen.

3. Outline and organise your main points

Here is a suggested structure you can use:

Introduction: Catch the reader’s attention, and introduce the movie or show.
Background: Is there anything people should know about the director, actors or context of the movie? Is it making history? Did it cause controversy? Is it a sequel?
Storyline: Did the story make sense? Were you ever surprised or bored?
Characters: Which characters were the most or least compelling? Did the main characters grow? Were there side characters who did not get as much attention as they should have? Do not forget to include the names of the actors and actresses who played each character.
Themes: What life lessons could be learned from this show or film?
What could have been better: What would you have wanted to see differently? If there is going to be another season or sequel, what do you hope the writers, directors or actors do differently?
Final recommendation: Should people watch it? Even if you don’t think everyone would enjoy it, who do you think would like it?

Interested in writing a news article? Here’s how to do it

4. How do I avoid giving away spoilers?

If you are writing about a sequel or the second season of a series, it’s fine to spoil previous films or seasons.

Watch the trailer. Whatever is already introduced in the trailer is fair game for your review.

Discuss the set-up and key problems the main characters face. Explain how the story gets exciting, but not how the problems are solved in the end. Avoid writing about any surprising or unexpected turns of events, such as a death, relationship or break up.

5. Write

Use details. Do not just say, “The show talks about perseverance.” Instead, give more information: “In Haikyuu, Hinata acknowledges his shortcomings, from his short stature to his lack of intelligence, but he pushes himself to keep trying. In one episode, even the laid-back Tsuki is inspired by Hinata to do extra training to work on his blocks.”

Avoid writing in the first person (“I thought…”, “I enjoyed”, etc) unless you are talking about your life. For example, you could write, “This scene in The Farewell reminded me of my own family. My grandparents don’t speak English, so my parents sometimes talk in English in front of them so they cannot understand.”

Your guide to using quotes as a journalist

Use present tense to describe what happens in the movie. If you’re giving context about something that happened in the real world, then use past tense. For example, you could write, “The actors in Shang-chi were excited when they were cast for their roles, and in the film, Tony Leung Chiu -wai does a great job bringing the story to life.”

Good luck writing! We look forward to hearing from you.