How to Choose a Good Movie to Watch

Curating a Selection

1. 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.

2. 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] 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.

3. 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.

4. 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]

   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][4]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] 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.

5. 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.