Introduction: Identification of the film under view. Be sure to provide a citation that includes the film’s producer, director, release date, title, and place of production. What is the subject matter? What is the writer or director’s goal for the film? Who are the people in key roles: writer, executive producer, and director? Who funded the project? When was it first aired?
Brief Summary: Begin the main body of your review with a brief summary describing the content and structure of the film. What is the argument the author is making, what is the main thesis? How is this thesis developed? What evidence is provided? Be specific and provide details. Avoid being abstract or vague. You may wish to add relevant quotations or facts and findings.
Critical assessment: Here you will present your assessment of the work. What is the central argument or thesis? Be sure to address the specific assertion of the film. What is the writer or director’s particular perspective, point of view, or purpose? Do those in key roles have an obvious agenda? What is their background or their place in the mental health or criminal justice fields? What evidence is provided? What is the scholarly or scientific quality of that evidence? Evaluate how the film fits into current public dialogue on the subject as well as how it fits with our assessment of the topic in the current course. What does this film contribute? Is the argument logical, valuable? Does it support or dispel common misconceptions? If research was presented, was the research well conducted? Rigorous?
Like book reviews, scholarly film reviews should be objective and should consider the following:
The intended audience for the film and who would find it useful
The main ideas and major objectives of the film and how effectively these are accomplished
The soundness of methods and information sources used
The context or impetus for the film—review, research, or policy, etc.
Constructive comments about the strength and weaknesses of the film
Conclusion: Assess your interpretation of the work and your perception of its overall value.
Make sure to write your review in an objective manner with an academic or scholarly perspective. You may not agree with the filmmakers’ assertions, and it is okay to provide a critical examination. However, do so in a professional tone. Additionally, film reviews should be fair to the authors or artists, particularly to the writer and the director. Rather than simply pointing out flaws, you should provide your interpretation and analysis (critical or otherwise) using specific examples and expertise gathered from the materials in this course.
