How do you determine if a movie is good?
If there's one aspect of a movie that you feel is most prominent in determining if a movie is good, what is it?
share
Usually, I ask a Magic 8 Ball.
MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > How do you determine if a movie is good?
For starters I don't keep looking at the clock to see how much longer 'til it ends.
shareThat makes sense. As for capuchin and the answer they gave, I'm not sure what their on. But one thing I think that proves a movie good, is if afterwards (by movies end), if you play the movie forward in your head. Meaning that if you contemplate what could follow the movies conclusion, or ponder other parts of the movie and the "what if's". Anyone agree?
shareI generally don't think about what might happen beyond the conclusion unless I know there will be a sequel.
shareFor me, not one but several. Watched this today and it fits my personal criteria: a non-stop thrill ride, excellent acting and a great ending. https://moviechat.org/tt2261331/Black-Sea One of the best movies I've seen in awhile.
shareDoes it pull you in. Are you interested/engaged with what's going on, or is there promise of same.
I can be easily put off if something strikes me as stupid, ill-considered, cartoonish, heavy-handed, etc.
If it's re-watchable multiple times.
shareMy own habit of watching it.
I tend to skip forward in a movie when a scene either is boring or I don't like it and the more of such scenes I find the faster I keep skipping forward, in bad movies I usually reach the end of it in under 10 minutes.
In a good movie I maybe skip forward once or twice, but just to skip back because the scene I skip into is interesting and there's something I must have missed in the part I skipped over.
In short, a good movie is when the time it takes me watching it is over 90% of it's runtime, a very good movie is when I'm watching 100% of it and an outstanding movie is when I after the end of the movie go back into the movie to rewatch some scenes.
If it keeps you focused on the screen.
The title. A good one will grab your attention and sum up the tone of the film, piquing your interest before you've even seen one frame of it.
Poster. Good cover art will sum up the film in one image, letting you know if it's a depressing film, a scary film or a shit film.
Storyline. The film needs to have a purpose, a reason, a plot. A good film with flow from one scene to the next, picking up momentum as it goes along while the story unfolds to its conclusion, holding your attention all the way. You can gauge this from simply reading a tagline or paragraph-long synopsis on the back cover of the video. No storyline = no movie.
Main actor. A good leading actor, with the face or name on the poster art, will draw you in since a good actor's face will have character and will be emotive, you will live the film through that actor's performance and if you don't connect with him/her, the movie doesn't work. Good actors make good films, crap actors make crap films.