How I critique films

How does a person critique any one film as “better” or “worse” than another, when everyone has their own opinions of what exactly that means? I would argue that it can’t be done. All that you can really do is to say what are your “favorite” or “least favorite” films. Yes, there is scientifically backed evidence of what makes something enjoyable, emotional, intellectual, or whatever other word you want to plug in there, but there are always exceptions to the rule, and every person has to decide on their own terms what makes a film “good.” With that said, here is a generic look at a list of criteria that, to varying degrees, I use to decide what I think of a film.

• Personal bias– Is this a subject I’m actually interested in? Do I have any moral conflict with what’s happening in the story? Do I have a sentimental attachment to this film for any reason?

• Genre- Do I want to watch someone fall in love, or would I rather watch explosions? Maybe I’d rather laugh. Or in the case of holiday films, maybe the film is meant to watch only at a certain time of year. This falls into personal bias also, but I can also use it to decide if the filmmaker achieved the goal it seems that they set out to achieve, and whether that’s the goal I wanted them to achieve.

• Story and Plot- Just because two movies are in the same genre doesn’t mean they’re the same film. A story can take all sorts of twists and turns. HOW do they fall in love? WHY did he blow up that building? WHAT put these people in hilarious situations? And does any of it make sense at all? Is it believable within the fictional world they’ve created? Or maybe the film is based on a true story. How closely did they stick to the story as I understand it? Or sometimes a movie is a remake of another. You can almost guarantee the story was plotted out differently in each movie. Which one did it better?

• Characters- Do I care about the people I’m watching? Do I care if they fall in love? Am I emotionally invested in their hardships and death or just left cold by them?

• Cinematography- Is the camera work beautiful and sweeping in this epic adventure? Is it claustrophobic and terrifying in a horror film? What is the shot trying to show me? What is it trying to hide? Everything should have a purpose.

• Editing- Similar to cinematography, what did that edit try to show me? There’s a reason we switched from one shot to another. What did it accomplish, if anything? Switching shots at the right time can add to a story by, for example, showing the reaction of a person to what has just happened on the screen. It’s also possible that a cut can be very confusing and completely take me out of a film temporarily. Editing can also relate to plot because the editor technically gets to create the final version of the script. Would the story have had a more emotional impact if events were plotted out in a different order, or maybe if some less important events were cut out entirely?

• Visual and special effects- everything from prosthetics to computer generated explosives is used in films to create characters and environments, and hopefully they look interesting and believable.

• Historical impact/Timelessness- Has this film stood the test of time? Is it as relevant my own personal experiences or to the world at large, or to the film world as it was when it came out? How long have I cared about this film and why?

I could go on for a very long time, I’m sure, but I will stop here for now. Hopefully, as I write more over time, it will bring a clearer picture of how I see films. This is only a foundation.