How to Talk about Movies in English

Movies are one of the topics that people like to talk about.

One of my favorite movies is GoodFellas,  a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese.  

The film narrates the rise and fall of mob associate Henry Hill and his friends and family from 1955 to 1980.

Learn How to Talk about Movies with this helpful guide.

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Type of Films

If you want to Talk about Movies, you need to learn more about the basic movie genres

Type of Film	Characteristics
Horror Films	Movies with monsters
Action Films	Movies with battle, fights and stunts
Sci-Fi Movies	Stories set in the future or out of space
Family Movies	Films for children and adults
Martial Arts Films	Movies about MMA fighters
Adventure Films	Movies that take place in exotic places
Comedies	Movies intended to make laugh
Romantic Films	Movies about love stories
Documentaries	Films about real life stories
Animated Films	These are usually cartoons
Super Hero Movies	Films about heroes from comic books
Drama	Movies about sad and difficult situations

Movie Terms

These are some movie that will help you go deeper in this topic.

1. Script: something written by hand
2. Stunt Man:  a stand-in for movie stars to perform dangerous stunts
3. Soundtrack: songs included in a film
4. Actor: a performer in theater, television, or film
5. Producer: someone who finances and supervises the making of a show
6. Director: The person who directs the making of a film
7. Special effect: an effect used to produce scenes that cannot be achieved by normal techniques
8. Blooper: an embarrassing mistake
9. Box office: the office where tickets of admission are sold
10. Cast: assign the roles of (a movie or a play) to actors
11. Critic: a person engaged in the analysis and interpretation of art
12. Flashback: a transition in a story to an earlier event or scene
13.  Sequel: a part added to a book or film that continues and extends it
14. Cameraman: a photographer who operates a movie camera
15. Premiere: the first public performance of a play or movie

Questions to Talk about Movies

These are some common questions that you can ask when you are talking about movies.

Movies in General

1. What’s your favorite movie?
2. What’s your favorite horror movie?
3. What kind of movies do you like?
4. What’s your favorite drama film?
5. What do you think about super hero movies?
6. What’s your favorite actor or actress?
7. Which horror movie is the scariest? Why?
8. Do you like independent films?
9. What movies are you looking forward to watching?

A Movie in Specific

1. What do you think about the main character?
2. Did you like the ending? What would you change?
3. Would you recommend that movie?

Where to Watch Movies

1. Do you have Netflix or any other streaming app?
2. Have you ever tried HBO go?
3. How often do you go to the movie theater?
4. When was the last time that you went to movie theater?

For more English conversation questions about movies, check this post

Phrases to Use When you Like a movie

One of the most common questions asked after you watch a movie is how the movie was:

These are some of the phrases that people use when they consider a movie live up to their expectation

1. There are great things about this film.
2. Perhaps the best special effects I’ve ever seen in a movie.
3. The sound effects complement the action perfectly.
4. The movie is funnier than most good comedies
5. I was totally blown away by this film.
6. This horror movie is a masterpiece.
7. Without a doubt one of the most influential films of all time
8. This film should be remembered throughout history
9. The movie is full of twists and surprises
10. The documentary was informative
11. I love how the film explores controversial topics.

Phrases to Use When you don’t like a movie

1. The dialogue is terrible.
2. The film is overrated
3. The movie was boring.
4. This movie adaptation was a real letdown.
5. The plot is very complex.
6. The movie is quite predictable.
7. No part of this movie made sense.
8. One of the most stupid, senseless and ridiculous movies I have ever watched

What was the movie about?

When you are asked what a film is about, you are not supposed to explain the whole plot.

This question usually requires a short  explanation:

1. The life of Mason, from early childhood to his arrival at college (Boyhood)
2. An ancient struggle between two Cybertronian races, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, comes to Earth, with a clue to the ultimate power held by a teenager. (Transformers)
3. Amélie is an innocent and naive girl in Paris with her own sense of justice. She decides to help those around her and, along the way, discovers love (Amélie)

Teaching with Films: Logorama

Logorama is a 16-minute French animated film written and directed by H5/François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy and Ludovic Houplain, and produced by Autour de Minuit.

The film depicts events in a stylized Los Angeles, and is told entirely through the use of more than 2,500 contemporary and historical logos and mascots.

The film won the Prix Kodak at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 82nd Academy Awards

Task after Watching the Film

1. Watch the short animated film Logorama and enjoy it.
2. Write in a sheet of paper what you think about the film.
3. Watch Logorama Again and take notes about the logos that you were able to recognize and the specific scenes where you saw them.
4. Record yourself for five minutes talking about the film and the logos you recognize.

Now that you have watched it , tell us how much you like or hate it, support your answer with details.

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How to Talk about Movies in English

This is a great video to learn more expressions to talk about movies in English

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