How to Choose a Good Movie to Watch

Half of the fun of watching a movie is choosing what you are going to watch. But where do you begin? Due to the sheer amount of choices available, it can be quite difficult to pick one movie to watch. Choosing a small group of movies makes...

Part 1 of 2:

Curating a Selection

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Read film criticism. Film reviews provide a useful service. They inform you about the plots of films and give you a judgment about their quality. They aren't hard to find either. Not only are there sites dedicated to film reviews, but there are also general pop culture sites that contain film reviews. These websites don't just tell you which films are worth watching and which aren't. They also give recommendations as well. For example, The AV Club has a Watch This! film recommendation every week where they highlight a particular film and talk about its merits.
1. Be sure to browse newspaper film review sections. Most major newspapers have sections where they cover films. These sections usually feature a selection of contemporary film reviews each week.
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Check out a review aggregator. You might have a film in mind, but want to know what the general consensus about that film is. This is where a review aggregator comes in. A site like Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic collects reviews from different sources both offline and online.^{[1] X Research source} Usually they will give you a pretty good idea of what the general opinion of a film is.
1. Use an aggregator as a guide. Review aggregators are like a thermometer which gives you a read on how the public viewed a film. This means that films that starkly divide audiences will seem like they received a lukewarm reception. Don't take the aggregator's grade as a final judgment about a film's quality.
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Check out online film community sites. With the advent of the internet, now every film buff can talk about what they think about classic and contemporary pictures. These places exist so that like-minded people can debate classic flicks and modern favorites. Sites like Letterboxd and IMDb allow users to talk about their favorite films. These are great places to find out about obscurities and classics.
1. You might try searching for your favorite film, then looking to see if there are any lists that contain that film. When you find a list that contains your film, see if there are any other films on the list that interest you. Add those movies to your to-watch list.
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Check out lists. It can be difficult to figure out what films to watch due to the sheer amount of films that have been produced. Thankfully, there are lists of film classics that are available online and offline. For example, you might peruse Roger Ebert's list of great movies on his website.^{[2] X Research source}
1. Browse DVD collections. There are companies that release DVDs of important films. The Masters of Cinema and Criterion Collection often release films that are of significance and value.^{[3] X Research source}^{[4] X Research source}You can find both interesting and entertaining fare by looking through the different films they have released.
2. Look through film magazines. Sight and Sound maintains a list of the best two hundred and fifty films ever made with input from directors, critics, and academics from around the world. The Cahiers du Cinema has top ten lists from every year that it has been in operation.^{[5] X Research source} These are good starting points for when you are trying to find an excellent film.
3. Go through the filmographies of great directors. There are directors who have, in the short time that this medium has existed, managed to make unforgettable films. These directors generally have made several fantastic films. Usually, you can find the names of these directors by looking at lists of classic films. Pick a director that you like, and try to watch as many films by them as you can.
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Take notes. If you see a film mentioned that you think you will enjoy, you may want to remember the name so you can find it later. The best way to do this is to jot down a note about its title and when it was made.
1. Keep a film diary. Sometimes you've seen a film that you want to show to someone, but you have completely forgotten what it was called. To avoid this, create a diary for the films that you watch. Every time you see a movie, good or bad, make sure that you mark down its name and who directed it for further reference.

Part 2 of 2:

Choosing a Film

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Gauge the mood. This is incredibly important. How people in the room feel will determine how the movie will be received. For example, you probably don't want to show your favorite comedy to a room of depressed people. Therefore, you should try to figure out how people are feeling before you come to a final decision about the movie that you are going to choose.
1. You can do this by suggesting different movies to the people in your group. Choose your movie based on what they seem to be receptive to.
2. For example, if everyone you ask seems to be in the mood for a scary film, then you can show them Halloween directed by John Carpenter.
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Think of the setting. A movie's effect depends on several factors. Location is definitely one of them. Watching a film at home is simply different from watching a film at the movie theater. When you are figuring out what to watch, think about where you are going to watch it. For example, when you're on the plane home, you may not want to watch that latest blockbuster because you are staring at such a tiny screen. Or, if you are going to be projecting a film outdoors in the summer, then you may want to pick a film that fits that atmosphere.
1. If you are projecting a film outside, you should try a funny screwball comedy from the 1940s. For example, you can show Bringing Up Baby, which is a hilarious comedy starring Cary Grant as a repressed paleontologist and Katherine Hepburn as a zany socialite. Not only is the film funny, but it can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
2. For a movie night at a home theater, you could try Edge of Tomorrow, which stars Tom Cruise as a military publicist who repeatedly has to learn how to be a hero.^{[6] X Research source}
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Consider the audience. Film-watching is a collaborative experience. Therefore, you are going to be choosing a film with other people. You need to think about what they want to see. This means you may have to compromise. For example, if your friend wants to watch a drama, and you want to watch a comedy, then it may be best to watch a drama with comic elements.
1. For example, you could watch The Royal Tenenbaums, an ensemble family drama with light moments of humor, directed by Wes Anderson.^{[7] X Research source}
2. Perhaps you are selecting a movie for children. Then, you need to figure out not only what they want to watch, but also what is appropriate for them to see. This is when movie ratings can be helpful.
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Narrow it down. Make a list of five to ten movies that you feel are appropriate for your situation, audience, and mood. Then, you should talk to the other people that you are going to watch the movie with. Ask them how they feel about each movie. After noting their responses, you can pick a film that you know you all will enjoy.
1. Of course, you won't always please everybody. However, they will be glad that you took their input into account.

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Marvin Fry

Update 24 March 2020

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