how to get a job as a movie reviewer

9 Legit Ways to Get Paid to Review Movies in 2023

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If you watch a lot of TV, you’re not alone.

According to the latest Nielsen Total Audience survey, the average American spends a little over four hours each day glued to the television.

And while watching movies and shows is undoubtedly a great way to unwind after a hard day at work, wouldn’t it be nice if you could get paid for it?

Well, if you also enjoy writing, you can. All you need to do is share your thoughts with the world.

Here are the top ways to get paid to review movies.

If you consider yourself a good writer, you can become a paid contributor at a movie review or entertainment website.

Generally speaking, you’ll need to have excellent grammar, writing samples, and the ability to develop article ideas, to land one of these roles. Since these are freelance positions, you can apply to as many of these jobs as you’d like, depending on your availability and income goals.

Here are a few places to check out.

Ways To Get Paid To Review Movies

1. Animation Arena 2. Taste of Cinema 3. ScreenRant 4. Bustle 5. Cineaste 6. Cracked 7. Hubpages 8. Medium

1. Animation Arena

Animation Arena, a website dedicated to animation of all sorts, hires writers to create movies, video games, and comic book reviews.

Each review needs to be about 550 words long. The pay is $15 per review, and as one of their writers, you can write up to 10 reviews per month.

You don’t need to be a professional writer for this gig, but you need good grammar and must submit two writing samples with your query.

You can learn more about becoming an animated movie reviewer with Animation Arena here.

2. Taste of Cinema

Taste of Cinema brings in millions of page views per month by specializing in “list” articles. They are currently looking for contributors to write movie reviews and classic move lists.

For reference, some of their most popular move lists include topics like:

• The 30 Best Movies of 2018
• The 10 Most Overrated Actors Working Today
• The 18 Best Philosophical Movies of All Time

As a contributor for Taste of Cinema, you’ll need to come up with your own movie-related article ideas. Then, once you write your article, you can pitch it to their editor.  If accepted, you’ll be paid depending on the number of views or clicks your article receives.

 (This means there’s no guaranteed pay. Still, if you’re a new movie reviewer, having an article published can help you build your portfolio.)

If accepted as a contributor, you can write as much or as little as you like.

If you want to get paid to review movies, you can see the full application instructions here.

3. ScreenRant

ScreenRant was started in 2003 and is now one of today’s top entertainment news websites. They focus on movie and TV news, reviews, interviews, and more.

Right now, ScreenRant is hiring contributors to write for one or more of their top categories. If you land a contributor spot, you’ll be paid for your articles and receive a byline.

While ScreenRant doesn’t list writer pay on their website, a Reddit user reports that pay is a combination of a flat fee + incentives for how well the content performs.

You can fill out the application here if you want to get paid to review movies . To do so, you’ll need to submit three writing samples and describe your previous experience.

Bustle is a popular website geared toward women. Some of their top subjects are entertainment, wellness, style, and life.

From time to time, Bustle hires new contributors. If you want to find a writing position in their entertainment category, you can check for job openings here.

For this position, you should be prepared to provide previous writing samples with your application.

5. Cineaste

Cineaste is a quarterly publication founded in 1967. Their subtitle is  “America’s leading magazine on the art and politics of the cinema.”

Cineaste accepts pitches for feature articles, interviews, film reviews, DVD reviews, and book reviews. To increase the chance of an editor accepting your pitch, you’ll need to stick to the recommended word count and style guide listed on the Cineaste website.

The pay is dependent upon the type of article. If your article is accepted, payment will be:

• Short take reviews: $18
• Book & DVD reviews: $36
• Film reviews: $45
• Feature articles: $90

Cracked is a comedy-based website that has articles on all kinds of subjects, including movies.

Anyone can sign up to be a contributor with Cracked . However, that doesn’t automatically mean they’ll publish your articles. 

Cracked has high standards, so it may take a pitch or two before you’re published. If you are published, though, they’ll pay you $100. Then, after you have four articles accepted, they’ll bump you up to $200 per article.

To give you an idea of what kind of movie content they’re looking for, some of their recent posts include titles such as:

• 5 Ways Movies Screw Up Exciting and Emotional Scenes
• Sorry, But ‘Ted Lasso’s’ Theme Song Sucks
• How Costume Designers Hack Our Brains

Start Your Own Movie Review Blog or YouTube Channel

If you want to control the content you produce, you can start a movie review blog or YouTube channel.

In complete transparency, it will take a lot of time and effort before either of these become profitable. However, if you stick with it, you can create a movie review empire that could eventually become a full-time gig.

The beauty of starting your own content channel is that you can choose how you’d like to niche down. For example, you could review only horror movies, lifetime movies, Netflix movies, etc.

You can learn more about starting and monetizing a blog here.

Write for Revenue Share Websites

If you don’t like the idea of starting your own blog but are still looking for complete control over the content you produce, you can write for revenue-share websites.

These websites work by allowing you (or anyone) to sign up to become a writer. Then, as a writer, when your content becomes popular, it generates revenue through ad networks, product sales, or affiliate links. 

That revenue gets split between you and the site you’re writing for.

Here are some of the most popular revenue-sharing websites to sign up with.

7. Hubpages

Hubpages is one of the oldest revenue-sharing sites on the internet.

To get started with Hubpages, simply sign up and create your profile. You’ll then be able to join the ad program or Amazon program to monetize your articles.

Once you complete those steps, you can begin writing.

After writing, your next step is to publish the article. Once you do, HubPages will put it through a quality assessment check. If it passes, your movie review will become searchable on popular search engines and may land on the featured page.

This will help improve the odds of you receiving traffic and, therefore, making money from your review.

The more articles you write, the higher your chances of making money.

Medium is where authors and storytellers come to share their knowledge and experiences. It’s an open-source content platform where anyone can write.

However, to make money writing movie reviews on Medium, you’ll need to be approved for the partner program.

To become eligible to apply, you must have at least one story published and over 100 followers.

Once accepted, you can begin writing.

There are two ways to earn. 

The first is dependent on how long Medium members spend reading your articles. The more time spent, the more you make. The second happens when a reader upgrades to a paid membership after reading one of your stories. If they do so,  you’ll receive half the membership cost they paid.

How Much Do Movie Reviewers Get Paid?

Film critics work as freelance writers or journalists, getting paid to publish opinions in the form of articles. Since pay varies by publication and a yearly salary is dependent on how many hours a film critic chooses to work, it’s hard to pin down an exact pay range.

However, for reference, the average journalist’s salary is $42,062 per year, according to Payscale.

If you’re a new movie reviewer and are interested in writing reviews in your spare time, you’ll typically earn between $15-$200 depending on the length of the review and the publication.

Other Side Hustle Ideas Worth Checking Out

Here are a few more  side hustles  you can check out:

• Get paid to type
• Make money watching videos online
• Get paid to listen to music

Ways to Get Paid to Review Movies – Final Thoughts

If you love watching movies and have strong opinions about what you watch, you can make a decent side hustle income reviewing movies.

To find success, you’ll need solid grammar skills and the willingness to learn how to format and perfect articles. If you have those skills, you can get started by sending in applications or article pitches to the sites listed above.

Alternatively, you can start building out a blog or YouTube channel with your movie reviews if you prefer complete editorial control.

Looking for more ways to earn money?

Check out the video below to learn how I went from $0 to $3,000,000:

Affiliate Disclaimer: I may (and probably do) receive affiliate commissions from any products I recommend or links I put on this page. My opinions are my own but they are truthful and I do my best to recommend products that I have vetted and/or purchased myself.

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8 Ways To Get Paid To Review Movies & Films

Updated: March 20, 2024 by Bonnie (Ling) Thich Leave a Comment

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Did you know that people will spend around 78,000 hours of their lives in front of a screen ? A good chunk of those 78,000 hours are dedicated to watching movies.

I’m honestly not surprised. It’s no secret that movies give us joy and reduce stress, so it’s easy to turn to them when we’re not feeling great. However, for me, sharing your thoughts with others makes that hobby more meaningful and enjoyable.

But what if I told you that you could get paid to watch and review movies ? Yes, instead of just watching for hours, you can get paid to share your thoughts on those movies.

I know, I know! It’s unbelievable, but I researched, so you don’t have to. I discovered many fun and well-paying jobs focused on writing movie reviews, such as being a Netflix Tagger, launching a review channel, or starting your own podcast.

To give you an idea of how you can turn a fun hobby into a source of income, I’ve compiled a list of ways you can get paid to review movies. The best part is that you can do most of these side hustles from home !

PIN THIS: I’ll be updating this post so make sure to pin this image here and save it to your Pinterest board . That way you’ll be able to come back to this page and learn how to get paid to watch movies!

1. Start A Movie Review Blog

When I started this blog, I considered it a hobby. I enjoyed writing and had a great passion for personal finance. I wanted to share everything I’ve learned about money throughout my journey so others could learn from my right decisions and mistakes.

Although it was my goal, I was surprised to find out that this hobby could make money – enough that I was able to quit my job. Starting a movie review blog is a great way to turn hours watching movies into hours earning money. Having a blog means you have your own space to express your thoughts about the movies you watch.

The exciting part is that you can monetize your blog in a lot of ways so you’re not limited to just one revenue stream. You can have ads, sponsorships from movie studios or streaming services, and even affiliate marketing.

With a blog, there aren’t any strict rules or schedules. You can post your unfiltered thoughts at any pace you want. But if you really want to turn your hobby into a full-time job, you should be consistent with creating high-quality content that your audience can identify with.

When you start a movie review blog, you don’t have to focus on just reviewing the movies you watch. Your blog can have a specific focus, such as:

• A Harry Potter movie blog that goes deep into the plot and stories of each character.
• A horror movie blog that focuses on franchises like Scream and Insidious. You can talk about how each film in a franchise relates to another.
• A movie review blog that only focuses on independent films like Parasite, The Blair Witch Project, and Whiplash.

I didn’t earn right away when I started this blog, so don’t expect to make a big fortune immediately. Yet, with consistent content creation, I’m now able to earn over six figures in a year – and you can, too!

2. Launch a YouTube Channel

I’m not the kind of person who goes into movies without knowing anything about it. I want to know what to expect, so I watch movie trailers and commentary from YouTubers before deciding whether to watch a movie or not.

I know there are many like me because these YouTube channels have a lot of subscribers and engagement. Just take a look at one of my favorites, Screen Rant !

Think about it, though. What if you were behind these movie review channels? You can create a YouTube channel for free and talk about the movies you watch so you can give viewers a taste of the film before they go for it.

With YouTube, you’re the director and call the shots. You’re not dictated by a boss or client. You can even opt not to show your face if you prefer to be anonymous. Being a movie review YouTuber is one of the most stress-free jobs out there. Unlike other social media platforms, there isn’t even a need to churn out content daily.

With a movie review channel, you practically get paid to watch movies , especially because there are many ways to make money on YouTube once you already have a solid audience.

3. Taste Of Cinema

Running your own blog can be a bit challenging and demanding, so it’s not a route that fits every single person. Don’t worry, though, because you can still earn as a movie reviewer from online movie review jobs .

Thanks to platforms like Taste of Cinema , you can get paid to write movie reviews for a large audience. Taste of Cinema is a website focusing on essential film lists for new and old moviegoers. They are constantly looking for freelance writers  to contribute fresh movie review perspectives and put together lists that readers will love.

When you sign up as a contributor , you have to come up with your own ideas that fit the website’s vision. Once you write your article, you have to pitch it to their editor. That means that not everything you write will go through.

If your output does get accepted, you’ll be paid depending on the number of clicks your article gets. The more clicks you get, the more money you earn. With that in mind, the more your piece stands out, the higher your earning potential will be.

Your articles need to be the same as a blockbuster movie. They should grab the audience’s attention from the opening scene and hold it until the credits roll. It also doesn’t hurt to share the link to your articles on your socials to get more hits.

Being a contributor on the platform means you can write as much or as little as you want, all from the comfort of your own home . You can also promote your website, social media, or products!

4. Become a Netflix Tagger

Did you know that there’s a way to get paid to review movies on Netflix ? Yes, as surprising as that sounds, you can actually be a Netflix Tagger.

I agree that this job doesn’t sound real at all! You’ll even see some people on the internet calling it a scam. But Netflix Taggers exist, and they are the ones in charge of categorizing and tagging Netflix movies in the correct categories. Those tags are the words that we see under the movie’s descriptions, such as family-friendly, animated, and horror.

Without the Tagger, we won’t be able to find the right type of movies and shows for us from the neverending Netflix library. To correctly categorize the movies, you have to watch and review them. Being a Netflix Tagger is the ultimate dream job for a movie geek because you don’t only watch Netflix movies for a living , but you also get to help other people improve their viewing experience.

Before you get excited about this job, though, you have to know what to expect. They pay a fair salary, but they do have strict requirements . These positions are also very few and elusive, so once you see an opening from Netflix, don’t let the opportunity pass! You never know when you might see it again.

5. Freelance for Local Newspapers or Magazines

If handling your own channel or website is too much for you, and being an employee isn’t appealing, you can always be a freelance writer specializing in movie reviews. You don’t even have to look far for clients.

There is a great chance that there’s a local newspaper or magazine in your area that is looking for movie reviewers. Look for such publications and send out cold pitches offering your services.

Choosing this path lets you set your own rates depending on your experience, so the earning potential is really up to you. The more experience you have and the more you can produce, the higher you can charge. It’s a great way to earn extra money while doing something you’re passionate about. The key here is standing out from other freelance movie reviewers through a solid portfolio.

As a freelance movie review writer, your reviews aren’t just words on paper. Your outputs can shape opinions and guide choices. In short, you’re influencing your local film scene, which is a big deal for any movie lover.

6. Podcasting About Movies

There are many work from home side hustles that focus on writing movie reviews, but there isn’t a lot that lets you work with your friends. Launching your own podcast allows you to speak your mind about the movies you watch and discuss them with your friends. The more natural your conversations are, the better!

A podcast about movies is more than just talking because you can create an intimate experience for your listeners where you can dive deep into any detail. Above all, once you get a solid audience, there will be a sense of community with others who share your love for movies. Just look at successful film review podcasts like Filmspotting , which focuses on reviewing and analyzing new and classic movies, and The Weekly Planet , which covers everything about movies, but they do discuss TV shows and comics, too. They both have created a dedicated following by having engaging discussions.

It’s hard to believe that a podcast can be your way to make money fast , but you can monetize your podcasts. You can earn money through sponsorships or brand placements in your podcasts.

But of course, like any other side hustle, you need to be consistent and gain enough listeners to start earning money. It’s not something that happens overnight.

7. Work as a Mystery Shopper

Not everyone enjoys watching movies on the television or a laptop screen, but is it even possible to get paid to watch movies on the big screen? The simple answer is yes, you can do it as a mystery shopper .

Being a mystery shopper might feel like you’re a secret agent in your own movie because you can go to the cinemas as an undercover evaluator. You have to go to the theater and provide them with feedback on the conditions of the place, from the exterior to the staff to the equipment.

As fun as it may be to be undercover, you’re not reviewing the movie of your choice for entertainment. You’re technically watching the film to see that the theatre is up to standards or that the sound system of the movie is high-quality.

You don’t have to leave the comfort of your home to look for opportunities to help cinemas improve. There are online sites like BestMark that pay you per movie experience after you complete a feedback form.

8. Become a Film Critic

Well, it doesn’t get more straightforward than this. If you really breathe and eat movies, I believe there’s no other path to take but to become a movie critic.

It’s definitely not an easy feat to become a film critic, but the skills and recognition you can gain are more than worth the effort. Some critics even become famous and gain fans of their own.

The most rewarding part of being a film critic, aside from the lucrative salary , of course, is that your inputs become more than just reviews. They become part of the conversation in the movie industry. Your insights can influence other people’s views, and you can help attract more people to the cinemas.

I believe that more than getting paid to review movies, improving your craft and sharing your love for movies with the world are the best parts of becoming a film critic.

How Much Money Can You Make Writing Movie Reviews?

Income from paid movie review jobs depends on so many factors, so there’s no one answer to how much you can make. What you earn can range from an acceptable side hustle income to a significant full-time salary. Typically, it’s around $300 to $70,000 a month.

But honestly, the sky’s your limit. There are lots of ways to boost your earnings from writing reviews, like selling your merch on a YouTube channel or using a paid subscription model on Spotify. You can even do them all at the same time. As long as you’re diversifying your income streams and you’re consistently giving high-quality outputs, you can earn as much as you put your mind to it.

Enjoyed this post? Don’t forget to pin the image below! Also, don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest over here ! 🙂

About Bonnie (Ling) Thich

I am passionate about finding ways to save, budget, and earn more. I always dreaded the traditional 9-5 job, and that pain really motivated me to start building a better relationship with my money so I could achieve financial freedom sooner. I woke up one day, and randomly started FinSavvyPanda.com (with no knowledge about blogs, websites, or whatsoever) where I share my financial and blogging journey to help you save, budget, and earn more. Fast forward 12 months, I was so surprised about earning a full-time income with my small blog , which allowed me to quit my job! I'd love to help you start your blog too, so you can do what you love and live on your own terms! You can click here to learn how you can start a profitable blog for beginners .

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What Does a Movie Critic Do — And How to Become One

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C hances are, if you’ve shelled out money to go to the movies in the last year, you’ve done so because of a positive word-of-mouth for the movie you’re about to see, or that it’s simply deemed “critically acclaimed”. Movie critics are that “critic” that often shapes the public discourse, sometimes propelling a relatively unknown indie into a buzzworthy future Oscar winner. But what does a movie critic in this modern era actually do ? In this article, we’ll take a deeper look at these professional film reviewer’s day-to-day.

INSIDE THE MOVIE CRITIC JOB

First, let’s define movie critic.

A film critic’s job isn’t just to watch non-stop movies. Movie reviewers must approach each review from an objective, journalistic standpoint that isn’t shaped by bias. Here's a quick definition of the job.

Movie Critic DEFINITION

What is a movie critic.

A movie critic  is a writer who publishes their opinions on newly released movies (and occasionally, due to the new streaming model) straight-to-streaming films and special event programming. It’s important to note that many movie critics also review TV shows and other media. Movie critics typically review new releases with the angle of whether or not the film is worthy to see based on the genre, story, directing, acting, and more.  

Movie critic jobs in the modern age:

• Writing for a print or online publication
• Hosting or writing a movie-themed podcast
• Self-publishing reviews to a blog or personal website

THE SPECIFICS OF A MOVIE REVIEWER JOB

Film reviewing vs. film criticism.

You may be interested in becoming a movie critic and eyeing a “Film Studies” program at a local university. Though many professionals come from these programs, it’s important to note the style of writing required for a film critic job hinges on the review . 

A guide to a film critic job

A movie reviewer’s job is to deem whether or not the film is entertaining enough to be seen by a widespread audience, not whether or not the film itself was “artful.” 

Film analysis is different than what’s typically required of movie critic jobs

The day-to-day of a movie critic job, what’s a typical day for a movie critic.

Similar to many other writing-centric jobs, no two days often look the same. Movie critics are often invited to “Sneak Preview Screenings” where they’re able to watch a movie well before it premieres, or are sent an online link to stream the movie at home. 

Sometimes, they attend film festivals like Sundance and Cannes, where they’re able to review both future blockbusters and independent films. Sometimes, they can be called on as a go-to film critic “guest” on popular radio stations like NPR and KCRW.

In the modern tech age, a lot of movie critics supplement their work for major publishers with their own personal movie-centric podcasts or blogs. Amy Nicholson is a full-time critic but she also co-hosts a movie podcast with comedian Paul Scheer called Unspooled where they reexamine older films.

Paul Scheer and Amy Nicholson co-host a film-themed podcast called “Unspooled”

Movie critic salary, how do movie critics get paid.

Figuring out the typical income of a professional movie critic is reliant on a number of factors: level of experience, the publication that they work for, and their geographical location. 

For example, a movie critic living in New York City or Los Angeles where attending press events in person may be pertinent to their job success may net a higher income than a movie critic living in Columbus, OH.

HOW TO BECOME A MOVIE CRITIC

So how much do movie critics make.

According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly rate for a movie critic is $26/hour, with the lowest being $7.93/hour and the highest being $47.60. 

Top earners might expect $75,000/year while the average is around $53,000/year.

HOW TO GET STARTED

How to become a movie critic.

Becoming a movie critic does not focus on one specific path. As mentioned earlier, some movie critics start their career path by obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Film Studies, Journalism, Communications, or a related field.

Regardless of where you start, learning about the history of cinema and studying the nuances between film reviewing and film analysis will strengthen your chances of being successful.

What does a movie critic do and how do they write a review?

Often, recruiters for this type of job consider an applicant’s portfolio of previously written work. Gain experience and establish your voice as a movie critic by writing film reviews for publications such as school newspapers, personal blogs, or recording your own podcast. 

If eligible, seek out internships at places like media outlets or film festivals to not only get a sense of the next wave of filmmaking, but to sharpen your skills in how you discuss these works.

The History of Film, Explained

From photographic techniques to the Pre-Code era to Film Noir. What does a movie critic do? Become an encyclopedia for film history, styles, and more. Brush up on our comprehensive history of film eras below.

Up Next: Film History 101 →

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Side Hustles

Side Hustles For All

Home Writing & Editing Gigs Get Paid to Review Movies

4 Ways to Get Paid to Review Movies (Plus Tips to Get Started)

November 11, 2023

Written by:

Jessica Norris

Jessica is a writer for SideHustles.com. Her side hustles include freelance academic writing and editing, which she's done for...

Startup Time

Startup Costs

Remote-Friendly

College Required

Certification Required

Watching movies is a great way to unwind after a long day at work. But what if you could also make money while indulging in your film habit?

If you have strong feelings about the Ghostbusters reboot or the latest Tarantino film, your movie-related opinions could make you money. Read on to find out how to turn reviewing movies into a profitable side hustle.

01. The 4 best strategies to make money reviewing movies

We look at four ways to get paid for publishing movie reviews across different outlets and platforms

You can get a movie-reviewing side hustle going with one of these four strategies:

1. Submit movie reviews to websites

There are a lot of sites that allow freelancers to write movie reviews for them. As with most of the other ways to make money writing , you don’t need any special qualifications to do this; you just need writing talent and something to say.

To get your start, you’ll want to have a writing portfolio. If you’ve never written professionally before, whip up a couple of sample pieces to showcase. Selling your first review may be difficult, but the more you publish, the easier it will become to get gigs as you gain recognition among editors and media outlets.

You can try pitching to any of these websites, all of which work with freelancers:

Screen Rant

What it is: Screen Rant is an entertainment website that publishes reviews of movies, TV shows, video games, and more.

How to apply: You can apply on the Screen Rant site to join their ranks of freelance writers for TV and movie features (including movie reviews).

Pay: Screen Rant doesn’t specify their rate per article, but online reports cite rates of $5–$20 .

What it is: Cineaste is a quarterly magazine that’s all about the art and politics of cinema. It publishes various types of film-related content, including movie reviews and DVD and Blu-ray reviews (both of new and vintage/classic films).

How to apply: The Cineaste website gives detailed guidelines on how to write your review, along with instructions on how to submit it .

Pay: Cineaste pays $18–$45 per piece (depending on the type of review you submit).

Cultured Vultures

What it is: Cultured Vultures is a British pop culture website. It features content about movies as well as TV, gaming, and more.

How to apply: Film reviews are among the types of content writers can submit; you can find instructions on how to submit your writing on the Cultured Vultures website.

Pay: The pay starts from a base rate of £5 (approximately $6 ) per article with bonuses for every 200 views you get.

Taste of Cinema

What it is: Taste of Cinema is a website for movie lists and reviews, with a focus on world cinema and classics.

How to apply: To indicate that you’re interested in writing for Taste of Cinema, follow the instructions on the website (which tell you who to email and what information to include in your message).

Pay: Unfortunately, Taste of Cinema doesn’t specify how much it pays. You can ask for more details about their rates when you apply.

What it is: HubPages is an online platform where you can publish articles and create your own pages on various topics—including movies.

How to apply: It’s free to sign up for HubPages. You can then earn money from ads that appear in your content.

Pay: Regarding pay, HubPages says, “ You are not likely to see significant earnings from your articles for up to two years (and that’s two years spent writing high-quality articles on HubPages). When you do begin to see regular payouts, they are likely to be in a range of $50 to $100 a month .”

What it is: Bustle is an online women’s magazine. It publishes TV and movie reviews, as well as other articles on many different topics, such as books, celebrities, music, wellness, fashion, and so on.

How to apply: The Bustle website has specific guidelines on how to write a pitch for the publication. You can send movie review pitches to [email protected] .

Pay: Bustle doesn’t specify how much it pays freelancers. Anecdotal reports cite rates of $50–$200 per article .

Animation Arena

What it is: Animation Arena is a site for people who want to work in the animation, video game, and visual effects industries. The site publishes reviews of movies, video games, comic books, and animation books.

How to apply: The Animation Arena site provides detailed instructions on how to apply , including the email you can use to send them your pitch ( [email protected] ).

Pay: The pay per review is $15 (and you can only publish up to 10 reviews per month).

Cracked.com

What it is: Cracked is a website featuring funny videos, pictures, articles, and more. They have a section on movies and TV, which includes movie reviews.

How to apply: You can send a pitch to [email protected] .

Pay: Articles pay between $100 and $250 , based on length and the number of pieces you’ve written.

What it is: Medium is an open platform where anyone can publish articles, personal essays, stories, opinions, and (of course) movie reviews.

How to apply: To write for Medium, you don’t have to apply or go through a vetting process; you can just sign up and start writing.

Pay: Medium doesn’t pay per article, but has a “partner program” that pays you according to the time people spend reading your stories. Reports suggest that on average, you’ll get paid around $5 per thousand views on your articles, but this heavily depends on how much people engage with them (if they get bored quickly and hit the back button, you won’t make much at all).

2. Write for a newspaper

Instead of writing for an online publication, you can apply to be a movie reviewer for a local or regional newspaper. To land this type of work, follow these steps:

• Research newspapers: First, look for local newspapers (ideally in your city or state) that have a regular movie review section or a dedicated arts and entertainment section.
• Read existing reviews: Study the style and format of movie reviews published in the newspapers you’re interested in writing for. Pay attention to their tone, length, and content.
• Find contact information: Get the contact information for the entertainment or arts editor of the newspapers you’re interested in. This information should be available on the paper’s website or in the print edition.
• Prepare your pitch: Write a concise and compelling pitch expressing your interest in writing movie reviews for the newspaper. Mention your relevant experience and passion for cinema.
• Submit a portfolio: If you have any previous experience writing movie reviews (or other similar work), compile your pieces into a portfolio and include it with your pitch.

In theory, you can also use this approach to apply to work for national papers (like The New York Times or the Washington Post), but you’ll have a tough road ahead of you. Major newspapers usually only hire established movie reviewers with very strong portfolios. If that’s your goal, it isn’t impossible, but you’ll probably have to spend a long time working your way up.

3. Start a movie review blog

Another way to make money from your movie reviews is to start your own blog. This will give you more creative freedom than writing for another publication.

Blogging is also a good way to build your reputation as a movie reviewer. Even if you don’t actually plan to use your blog to make money, you can bulk up your portfolio substantially.

How to set up a movie review blog

It’s possible to start a blog for free, but if you want a domain name, you’ll need to spend a bit of money to get one. Many platforms provide all-in-one services, including a hosting account and domain name registration, along with website-building tools.

• Squarespace

Once you have your blog set up, you’ll have to do the following:

• Attract readers: To make money from your blog, you’ll need an audience. You can do this by using search engine optimization (SEO), which makes it easier for people to find and visit your website, by promoting your blog on social media, and by producing high-quality content.
• Monetize your posts: There are various ways to monetize your blog , such as selling advertising space (e.g., using Google Ads or Media.net ) or asking for donations, which you can set up by using a donation button or a crowdfunding platform like Patreon .

4. Start a movie review YouTube channel

As mentioned, not all movie reviews are written down. If you have a good voice or a compelling camera presence, you can always film them instead.

For inspiration, you can look at some of the many popular YouTube channels that feature movie reviews, such as:

• Jeremy Jahns
• Chris Stuckmann
• Mr Sunday Movies
• Jack’s Movie Reviews
• kermodeandmayo

You can use a YouTube channel to make money in much the same way you’d use a blog—by featuring advertisements, using affiliate links, or seeking sponsorship. These options will allow you to generate passive income from your YouTube videos.

02. How much do movie reviewers make?

Learn how much you can make as a movie reviewer and which factors might affect your earnings

As a movie reviewer or movie critic, you won’t usually be paid an hourly wage or monthly salary. You might be paid by the word or per article, per view (if you’re working with online platforms that track viewership), or per click (if you’re using affiliate marketing).

To give you a rough idea of how much you can earn, the rates paid by the online publications we listed above range from about $5 to $200 per article . They’ll usually pay at the lower end of the scale if you have little or no experience.

If you choose to work for yourself (by starting a blog or a YouTube channel), your earnings will entirely depend on how popular your content is. In the beginning, you shouldn’t expect to make any money at all, but if your site takes off, you may eventually be able to earn thousands of dollars per month.

03. Tips to help you make money reviewing movies

Find out which skills and resources you can use to make money from your movie reviews

If you’re starting your own blog or YouTube channel, you may need to use only some of these ideas. If you want to submit your movie reviews to magazines, film websites, or other publications, all of the following tips will be helpful.

Study the film industry

An understanding of the film industry and the filmmaking process will provide context and background for your movie reviews, helping you to craft more informed and thoughtful pieces.

You can learn how to analyze and rate movies by studying the industry, how movies are made, what role filmmakers play, and other aspects of the filmmaking process.

Cultivate movie-reviewing skills

As we’ve mentioned, you would once have needed great writing skills to be good at reviewing movies. However, you can now just as easily deliver your reviews in video format.

To make videos, you’ll need good verbal communication skills (and video editing skills, unless you plan on hiring someone to help you with that).

You’ll also need other soft skills to get good at reviewing movies. For example, you’ll need attention to detail to analyze all of the different aspects of a movie critically (e.g., the plot, character development, and cinematography).

The more you practice all of these skills, the better you’ll get. As you might expect, the best way to improve is to:

• Watch different types of movies
• Discuss the movies you watch with others
• Read and watch other people’s movie reviews and critiques
• Write or record your own reviews
• Stay up to date on the latest releases and trends in the film industry

Establish an online presence

If you’re planning to share your reviews mainly through your blog or YouTube channel (or if you plan on writing for Medium, which will pay you based on the popularity of your content), your online presence will be key for your income.

You can use social media platforms to amplify your online presence, share your reviews, and engage with your audience. In addition to the main social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, you can also look for more niche sites that focus specifically on film. In particular, check out Letterboxd , which is a social media platform that bills itself as being specifically for film lovers.

Build a great portfolio

As you’ve probably gathered, your portfolio is one of the most important tools you have for showcasing your talents to potential clients and employers.

Your portfolio should include a carefully curated selection of your best movie reviews, covering a diverse range of films from various genres, eras, and styles. It should also feature:

• A personal bio
• Social media and blog links
• Contact details

As we’ve mentioned, a film review blog can be a great addition to a portfolio, even if your main ambition is to write for established publications like film websites and magazines. Naturally, if you have any published work under your belt, link to that as well.

Use job sites to look for gigs

We’ve already mentioned a few publications that you can scope out for opportunities. You can also look for gigs on freelancer sites like:

You may be able to find clients on there who are looking to start film-related publications of their own and need content from writers like you.

You can also check out regular job sites like FlexJobs , Indeed , and ZipRecruiter . Keep an eye out to see if any newspapers or magazines put out a call for film reviewers.

You can often find opportunities by networking with people in the same field. When you’re starting out as a movie reviewer, look to network with:

• Established reviewers
• Movie critics
• Editors of movie-related publications
• Other people in the film industry

You can connect with these people through social media and also by attending film festivals, screenings, film clubs, or other events.

04. Other ways to get paid to watch movies

Mystery shopper sites and movie focus groups will sometimes pay you to watch movies in the theater or at home

The following opportunities won’t pay you to produce reviews per se. However, they might pay you (or offer other incentives such as free movie tickets) to watch movies and then complete questionnaires or participate in discussions about your experience.

Mystery shopper sites

Mystery shopper sites like the ones below sometimes feature opportunities to get paid for going to the theater:

• Amusement Advantage

For this type of gig, you’ll usually have to watch the movie and then complete a questionnaire on your experience, sharing your thoughts on the comfort of the theater and the customer service provided by the staff.

Movie focus groups

A movie focus group is a group of people from the general public who watch a movie in advance of the official release and provide feedback on whether they enjoyed it. These groups are usually recruited by movie studios, streaming platforms, or market research companies.

If you join a movie focus group, you may have the chance to attend in-person screenings, but you might also have to watch movies at home (online). Each screening will usually be followed by a discussion, interview, or questionnaire.

Note that movie focus groups don’t always pay. For example, the Netflix Preview Club doesn’t offer any incentives other than the opportunity to watch new Netflix content before the general public gets to. You also can’t join this group without an invitation from Netflix (which they extend to people based on their viewing behavior and other factors).

However, paid opportunities do exist. Here are some sites that sometimes post opportunities to join movie focus groups:

• Survey Junkie
• Focus Group
• FocusGroups.org

This type of side hustle isn’t mutually exclusive with an actual reviewing gig, of course. You can always use it to make a bit of extra money and see more films while waiting for a publication to hire you as a critic (or for your movie review blog to get off the ground).

Robert Jellison

Managing Editor

Robert is a writer and editor for SideHustles.com. He has 7+ years of experience in freelance writing and previously worked as the in-house editor for Compose.ly, a platform for remote and part-time writers.

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6 Ways to Launch a Career as a Film Critic — Ask IndieWire

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This is the first installment of Ask IndieWire, in which our team of writers and editors address reader questions related to filmmaking, movies and television. If you have a question you’d like us to answer, write us at [email protected] . 

Within a matter of hours of advertising the [email protected] email, we received several variations of the same question. 

“I’m graduating soon with a degree in film and television studies and am mostly interested in film and television journalism/criticism,” wrote Morgan Picton-James. “What advice would you have for following that career path?”

Farida Ezzat, a fourth-year medical student, had a similar question. “I’m interested in a career in film criticism ,” she wrote. “What do you recommend I study after graduating from med school: filmmaking or journalism?” Jessie Rodriguez just cut to the chase: “How does one become a David Ehrlich?” 

Related Stories Essential Film Criticism Books for Any Film Lover’s Shelf With the Passing of James Harvey, the Film Critic Generation of Kael and Sarris Is Truly Gone

Every one of these questions — yes, even the last one — reflects a legitimate challenge facing many young writers keen on covering movies. Although there are numerous opportunities on this career path, the media landscape is in constant flux. And while it would be unrealistic to assume that every talented young cinephile could land a gig as the next Roger Ebert (or the next David Ehrlich), there are several practical ways in which a serious, talented journalist can take steps toward doing just that. 

I’ve spent the last few years working with aspiring critics and reporters at workshops around the world , and teaching them at NYU. Many of them have found rewarding paths into the film community, either by landing full-time jobs in media or developing those skills on the side. Here are some of the key guidelines to keep in mind if you’re keen on breaking into the field.  

Find deadlines. Stick to them. 

Writers who regularly blow deadlines have a rough time finding work and keeping it. Even the really talented ones. Discipline is essential to a developing critic or reporter, and discipline also creates productivity — and productivity goes toward those 10,000 hours everyone likes to talk about . (Whether or not you buy Malcolm Gladwell’s theory, the ethos of “practice makes perfect” still holds water.)

This is especially valuable for budding critics who need to produce distinctive work. Imitating other critics is deadly; so is falling back on clichés. That means developing voice, and the fastest way to do that is get a deadline, hit it, and then do it again.

Finding deadlines depends on your starting point. Students can write for the college newspaper, or intern at an admired publication — or even one they don’t like. The point is to get in the vicinity of writers and editors, with the potential opportunity for bylines. Every story creates a clip, and every clip is one more piece of evidence that you can do the job when pitching publications.

First-rate film publications like Reverse Shot and Slant have been wonderful resources for budding writers; the editors provide smart, insightful, and honest feedback (essential for developing a thick skin). It also makes your byline familiar to publicists and other members of the film community. 

Get to know the scene. 

Big cities like Los Angeles or New York have a complex network of filmmakers, programmers, publicists, distributors, agents, and journalists. The more effort you make to become a part of this ecosystem, the better. Work the film parties, go to the big screening series and festivals, don’t hesitate to introduce yourself to the room, and build a network of contacts. This will provide screening access, potential stories, and productive work. 

If you live outside a big city, you have a chance to be a big fish in a smaller pond. Get to know who runs the big art house theater or local film festival. Being an active critic and reporter means they will see you as a key resource, which could lead to more work. 

Find your strengths. Then go beyond them.

Young writers are often keen on covering the films and filmmakers that appeal to them and leave everything else on the sidelines. That’s a mistake: You’re more valuable if can cover an Agnes Varda retrospective as well as the new “Transformers” movie.

This logic also applies to the work: Too many aspiring critics saw Roger Ebert or Leonard Maltin on TV and decided that being a movie reviewer is the one and only career. There’s too many other possibilities, and very few publications hiring full-time critics. 

Become a good interviewer, with angles that stand out (your story will almost always be one among many). Become a good reporter, paying attention to hard-news coverage of the entertainment industry. Both force you to interact with people outside the ivory tower of criticism, give you insight into how movies work, and inevitably deepen your well of contacts.

And, since we’re in 2017: Write about television.  Not only does every outlet want to cover TV, but also the overlap between film and TV has never been more pronounced.

Finally, pay close attention to the way publications package information. Something that might seem crass or clickbaity — think clever headlines and lists (like this one) — is how outlets reach the widest readership possible. Pitch stories in these terms, and you advance the odds of finding work.

Find a strong angle for everything you write.

The only thing worse than a poorly written story is a boring one. Before you conjure clever one-liners, ask yourself what you really want to say. Does this loud blockbuster illustrate Hollywood’s worst tendencies? Why does this filmmaker do such a bad job of representing women? Did you just watch the best horror movie of the year? Construct real arguments that will pull your readers into your work.

A good editor will tell you if you need to pull back on the prose. Some of my favorite critics, including Manohla Dargis, Wesley Morris, B. Ruby Rich, and Amy Taubin, all have distinctive perspectives that come through both in the specificity of their voices and their specific sensibilities; agreeing with them is irrelevant. Tastes should be transparent: Writers like Glenn Kenny, Nick Pinkerton, and IndieWire’s own David Ehrlich are strong, entertaining writers no matter what they tackle ( or where ). Nothing can boost your profile faster. 

What are your priorities?

Is your agenda to find a stable paycheck, with a good health insurance plan and reasonable hours? Don’t jump headfirst into the freelance lifestyle. Even if you’re overwhelmed with assignments, it can be tricky to maintain that momentum. But don’t let anyone stop you from pursuing your dream; there are ways to produce work on the side. Which leads me to a final point…

Look beyond journalism and criticism.

If movies are your passion, there are many different ways put it to work. Careers in distribution, publicity, and programming all let you watch a lot of movies, engage with filmmakers, travel to festivals, or work at studios. (And: Get paid more.) 

I’m a big fan of Andrea Picard’s Film/Art column in Cinema Scope; she’s one of the best writers covering experimental film. She’s also a programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival’s avant-garde Wavelengths section, which gives her an incredible degree of influence beyond the stories she writes.

Before you get carried away about being the next David Ehrlich, think about how that ambition might be expressed with other opportunities. A world of possibilities await.

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How to Write a Movie Review Online and Earn Money Doing It

Love watching movies and making recommendations? Consider writing movie reviews online and getting paid for it.

Do you love watching movies, picking them apart, and making recommendations to your friends? Then, you may have already wondered about getting paid to write movie reviews. For many people, it's a dream job, which makes it a competitive field to get started in.

But we're here to show you the ropes. We'll start by showing you how to write a decent movie review. Then we'll explain all the ways you can start writing movie reviews for money.

Learning How to Write a Movie Review Online

When it comes to writing and publishing online, movie reviews couldn't be much simpler. There's some general advice you probably want to follow, which we'll get into below. But so long as you approach each review as one friend advising another, it should come out well.

It's good to open with a brief summary of the plot, before outlining what does and doesn't work about the movie. Keep everything vague to avoid spoilers and try to build a strong argument for why that movie is or isn't worth watching

Since you're writing for the web, name-drop any major cast and crew members involved in the production to help your review appear in search results . Just be sure to insert those names and titles as organically as you can.

Tie everything up with a summary of your thoughts and a recommendation to the reader. You might say the movie is a "blast for action-lovers" or "not worth it for anyone who doesn't enjoy the genre." Anything that lets the reader know if you think it's good for them or not.

Finally, give the movie a rating based on the system your website or publisher uses. This might be stars, letters, numbers, or anything else.

Now, let's get stuck into how you become a movie reviewer online and earn some money.

1. Write Movie Reviews for Royalties

One of the easiest ways to get paid writing movie reviews online is to submit to websites that pay royalties for your content. The money you get paid depends on how many people read your review. It might come from subscription fees or ad revenue.

You might also hear these sites referred to as revenue sharing or pay-per-view sites.

There's a range of different sites to which you can submit your movie reviews and earn royalties. They seem to change all the time, but the most popular ones now include:

• Cultured Vultures

All you need to do is sign up and start publishing your reviews. HubPages even has a movie reviews category you can publish to.

We want to highlight Cultured Vultures , a website that specializes in content like movie reviews. Cultured Vultures built its site with amateur writers in mind and strives to pay as much as it can for all its content, offering around $2.50 for every 200 views during the first week of publication.

Once your review is online, other folks can read or comment on it and you should receive royalty payments for the traffic it receives. It won't be a fortune since it's difficult getting noticed on these sites, but it's better than writing for free.

What's more, revenue sharing sites are a great place to start building a portfolio of your work. This is particularly important if you want to go freelance.

2. Become a Freelance Movie Review Writer

Most people can't expect to earn a living off the revenue sharing sites above. But it is possible to build up a full-time income if you find out how to become a freelance movie reviewer online. When you've got a portfolio of high-quality reviews, all you need to do is start answering the calls for writers across the web.

Do a quick Google search for "write movie reviews for us" to turn up all the latest websites looking for a freelance movie reviewer. Of course, these results are bound to change all the time, but we found the following sites looking to hire writers:

• Taste of Cinema
• Cinema Escapist

There are plenty of other useful Google searches to try as well, for instance, "looking for movie writers" or "paid to write movie reviews." Any of these are likely to turn up different writing opportunities. You can also set up Google Alerts with these keywords.

Another approach is to visit the websites and blogs devoted to movies to see if they're hiring writers. Even if there isn't an explicit ad, it's worth your time to send an email of inquiry. Let them know you exist, then keep returning to the site to see if things change in the future.

And finally, don't neglect the plethora of job boards and project sites devoted to helping freelancers find work. We're talking about sites like Upwork and Fiverr or job boards like ProBlogger .

These sites run the entire gamut of subject matter, but there are clients out there looking to hire movie reviewers. Of course, you could always write for yourself instead.

Related: Sites Like Rotten Tomatoes to Find Average Ratings and Reviews for Anything

3. Monetize Your Own Website

There's nothing to stop you from building a new website to host your own movie reviews, then earning money from it through monetization schemes. This has proven to be an effective way for lots of people to earn a living across a range of different subjects.

Although that's not to say it's easy.

In fact, going down this route demands a lot of other skills alongside your writing ability, particularly marketing and research. It isn't always easy finding out how to make money with a movie blog.

You can build a website at little-to-no-cost with services WordPress or Squarespace . Once you get up and running, find a way to drive people to your site through ads, word of mouth, or search engine optimization.

One of the most common approaches to creating revenue from your audience is by converting visitors into sales. This is a popular approach for any kind of review because you can use an Amazon affiliate link to encourage your readers to buy the product you're writing about. All you need to do is sign up for the Amazon Affiliate Program and link your reviews to the Blu-Ray, DVD, or digital download for that movie.

Another great way to get paid for the movie reviews you write is to use Google Adsense on your website. These widgets work with Google's enormous network of advertisers to serve up the most relevant ads to your readers. You can block ads you don't like, choose where they appear, and pick the types of ads that work best with your site.

If you don't want to go down the advertising route, you could always set up a Patreon account and ask readers to support you directly. A lot of writers feel more comfortable with this form of monetization.

Consider Starting a YouTube Channel Instead

Getting paid to write movie reviews is an exciting way to make a living. But remember that written reviews only account for a small part of the market, hundreds of thousands of people watch movie reviews on YouTube instead.

Consider starting your own YouTube channel to share video movie reviews. You could do this alongside the ones you write. YouTube is a great way to build your personal brand, earn some extra money, and find a passionate audience for your work.

Is Career Training in Film Right for You?

How To Become A Movie Critic? Everything You Need To Know

Becoming a movie critic is a journey through the heart of the entertainment industry, a path that invites you to dissect, analyze, and celebrate the cinematic wonders that shape our culture. The audience wanting to watch a movie relies on the advice of their friends and other mediums when selecting one. But has anyone ever wondered why people recommend movies, though, and on what basis? The difference between simply enjoying a movie, watching it intently, and recommending it to someone else is not just not a thing but requires attention and passion together. If you enjoy writing, speaking, and watching movies and have strong analytical abilities, a job as a movie critic might be the ideal fit. However, before considering whether or not being a movie critic is the perfect profession for you, you need to consider what it entails to do that job. Let us unlock the path to becoming a movie critic.

What is Movie Criticism?

Analyzing and evaluating are all about movie criticism and critics. Movie criticism can be divided into two categories.

• Journalistic criticism includes newspapers, magazines, and other mass media; academic criticism includes theories published in academic journals.
• Amateur movie criticism is a hobby where film enthusiasts analyze and review movies, expressing their opinions and insights, often without formal training or professional affiliation. 
• Academic film criticism is not reviewing but analyzing the movie and where it stands among its genre in the movie industry’s history.

What Do Movie Critics Do?

A movie critic sees new movies and then carefully analyzes each one’s many elements, including acting, pacing, narrative, and character chemistry. He/she must create a well-written, candid review that will be published in one or more newspapers after interpreting the movie. While some critics exclusively write for one particular magazine or newspaper, others do it for multiple publications. A critic may also discuss films on a website, television show, or professional journal. A movie critic needs to have the ability to write. The reviewer may frequently have to watch numerous films in a single day while collecting notes and producing an accurate assessment of particular movie parts. It can be mentally taxing for critics to meet the rigorous deadlines they frequently have to meet for multiple publications. The interesting part is that it can occasionally be very challenging or impossible to remain objective while seeing a movie, especially when the film critic must write a review of a film with a writer, director , or actor they don’t particularly like.

How to Become a Movie Critic?

Movie critics research films, offer insightful criticism, and tell us whether a film is a hit or a dud. You must first have a passion for movies to be a professional or hobbyist film critic. The two things that can help you develop as a film critic are watching as many movies as possible and reading other critics’ writing. Always remember that practice is the key. Keep Writing a lot and possibly movie reviews as frequently as you can.

Cultivate a passion for film criticism

To become a movie critic requires a passion for both writing and movies. Most critics started writing as a hobby and eventually created a career. 

Watch a variety of quality films

Watch movies of all genres and all varieties. Never choose a movie to choose. Trying movies from other cultures and languages can help develop insightful knowledge. Includes all types, such as classic films, indie films, foreign films, short films, animated films, comedies, and dramas.

Read the work of other film critics

Reading is another key to becoming an expert. Just like writing, reading also requires practice. Read the work of other critics and learn their style. It helps a critic to develop a style of their own.

Make some films of your own

Making a film with a smartphone is no big deal today. You can also try to make a short movie with the available gadgets. This helps to learn the nuances of filmmaking.

Study journalism

Although there is no degree, certification, or degree for becoming a movie critic, enrolling in a course in journalism will benefit one to get groomed as a movie critic.

Take some movie classes

Along with having a degree in journalism, taking a course in filmmaking or acting will help to have technical knowledge of movies.

Start a movie blog

Another great way is to start a blog and write about the movies you watch. A blog is also a good way to practice writing and create a network on social media.

Apply for jobs as a film critic

Once you have your samples ready, start applying for jobs as a movie critic. 

Analyze the film

A movie critic should be able to examine these components and explain the story, scenes, music, and aesthetic of the movie they are reviewing. To examine a movie, you should know about the different elements involved in a movie.

Steps to Become a Professional Movie Critic

To become a professional movie critic, one has to be able to think like a critic, and it requires a few steps to be followed. Let us have a look:

• Learn the different forms of criticism and write accordingly. Learn the differences between reviews, academic articles, and critical essays.
• Analyze the movie in every aspect and angle, and don’t merely describe the plot, scenes, and music.
• Know how to interpret the movie and understand what the director is trying to convey through the story.
• Evaluating a movie, whether good or bad, is an important step toward becoming a movie critic.
• Be aware of the difference between your personal choices and judgments. Never write a review based on what you like or don’t like.
• Have a strong understanding of writing skills such as grammar and style. Keep practicing how to write like a pro. Also, read the works of other writers and movie critics to know their style and vocabulary.
• Use simple, readable language while writing about a movie. 
• Ensure to be honest about the movie, whether it be a positive review or negative. 

How to Become a Movie Critic With No Experience?

To be a full-time movie critic required a definite set of skills and responsibilities. Working on oneself and practicing gets you to be a fine movie critic:

• Watch movies in all genres, frequently multiple times.
• Take notes on the dialogue, music, plot, and influences.
• Examine the technical aspects, such as the lighting , editing , and camera angles .
• The reviews must be submitted by deadlines.
• Establish connections with producers, agents, and distributors of movies.
• Watch movies and go to press conferences, previews, and film festivals.
• Investigate archive materials regarding movies and filmmakers and interview actors, production workers, and filmmakers.
• Update your knowledge of critical theories.

Where Do Movie Critics Work?

There are numerous jobs available for film critics. They frequently work for periodicals, radio stations, or television stations. Also, they can write for their publication, a blog, an online magazine, and more. Movie critics may occasionally hold positions in more than one of these areas.

Do Movie Critics Need a Degree?

There are no set degrees for movie critics; anyone with writing, analytical skills, and a critical eye can become a movie critic. A bachelor’s degree in screenwriting or film may help to be a movie reviewer. Some critics could come from a journalism or creative writing background. But to ace the race, they all require a fundamental knowledge of writing or reporting for the film. To learn more about the business, a movie critic must research and evaluate the work of directors throughout cinematic history, as well as watch several Hollywood blockbusters and other movies of all languages and genres.

Skills Required to Become a Film Critic

Being a movie critic includes discussing a movie’s flaws or what viewers appreciate or dislike about it. You must adequately comprehend both the film’s positive and negative elements. A film critic’s duties include analyzing the movie for the audience and contrasting its plot and story with those of similar movies. You must have good oral and written communication ability for this. The various components and filmmaking techniques must also be familiar. You should be able to examine all film aspects, such as acting, direction, cinematography, screenplay , script , etc., and have a general awareness of the film industry.

Career Path for Film Critics

It is ideal that you finish your studies in the Arts and Literature stream and put more of an emphasis on the language if you want to work as a film critic. You can become a film critic by developing your writing and public speaking skills. Any other stream is also an option. Your chances of finding work in this area should improve if you have a bachelor’s degree in cinematography, film studies , journalism, communications, or a similar discipline.

Is Film Critic a Good Career?

You must love movies to be a film critic. More importantly, you should be eager to express your views on movies to the audience. Many individuals base their decision to see a movie on reviews. If you are open and honest about the positives and negatives of the film, the audience will enjoy it. You have several options in the entertainment sector to get started and develop a lucrative career as a film reviewer. Working for someone and gaining expertise in writing or recording reviews will be beneficial. Most movie critics have a YouTube channel where they publish videos discussing their thoughts on various movies. It is one good platform to pursue a career.

What Are the Industries that Hire a Film Critic?

To begin your career as a film critic, you can work at the following places.

• Publishing houses 
• Media houses
• Print media (Newspapers, Magazines)
• Broadcast media (Television, Radio)

What Are the Job Roles that Will Help as a Film Critic?

Becoming a successful film critic requires a diverse skill set and a deep understanding of cinema. While there is no one-size-fits-all path, there are several job roles and experiences that can greatly benefit aspiring film critics:

Film Journalism

Working as a film journalist for newspapers, magazines, websites, or blogs can provide invaluable experience. This role involves writing articles, interviews, and movie reviews, honing your writing skills, and establishing your presence in the film industry.

Editorial Positions

Editorial roles within journalism can teach you about the intricacies of publishing, content curation, and editing. These skills are crucial for crafting well-structured and polished film reviews.

Film Studies

Pursuing a degree in film studies or a related field can deepen your understanding of film history, theory, and analysis. It equips you with the academic knowledge to assess and appreciate films critically.

Scriptwriting and Filmmaking

Learning about the filmmaking process, including screenwriting and directing, can provide unique insights into the creative decisions behind a movie. This knowledge can enhance your ability to critique films from a filmmaker’s perspective.

Film Production

Working on film sets or in production roles can give you firsthand experience of the filmmaking process. Understanding the technical aspects of filmmaking, such as cinematography and editing, can enrich your critiques.

Acting and Theater

Training in acting or theater can sharpen your ability to analyze performances in films, which is a crucial aspect of film criticism. Understanding the craft of acting can make your reviews more insightful.

Film Festivals

Volunteering or working at film festivals can expose you to many films and filmmakers. It’s an opportunity to network, gain access to exclusive screenings, and build your credibility as a film critic.

Online Presence

Building an online presence through social media, a blog, or a YouTube channel dedicated to film reviews can aid you in reaching a wider audience and showcase your writing or presentation skills.

Building relationships with filmmakers, actors, and fellow critics can open doors to exclusive screenings, interviews, and collaborations. Networking is crucial in the film industry.

Public Speaking

Developing strong public speaking and presentation skills will enable you to articulate your thoughts and opinions confidently, whether it’s during interviews, panel discussions, or public speaking engagements.

Cultural Studies

A background in cultural studies can help you analyze films in a broader societal context, examining their impact on culture, politics, and society.

Continual Watching and Analysis

Watching films regularly across genres and eras is critical to preparing for a film critic career. Practice analyzing and critiquing them, developing your unique voice and perspective. 

How Much Does a Movie Critic Get Paid?

In the US, the typical movie critic makes $42,876 annually. Movie critics typically receive a bonus of $916 per year or 2% of their pay, and 100% of those surveyed said they do. In San Francisco , movie critics’ average total remuneration of $64,158 is 50% higher than the US average.

How do you become a movie critic paid?

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It is the age-old question...well one of the age-old questions. Much like “If a tree falls in the wood, and there is no one there to hear it fall, does it make a sound?”, the philosophical ponderings around the black magic that is film criticism has had many a would-be reviewer scratching their heads with pointed quills. Luckily, for those scribes with a penchant for movie reviews, you can stop inflicting yourself with unnecessary head wounds, because (to paraphrase Kermode and Mayo) “How do you become a film critic? You just become a film critic.”

Here at UK Film Review, our motto is...not in the groin. But after that, it is we give anyone a try. Whether it be a first-time filmmaker submitting their shoe-string budget short film about killer clowns, or Michael Bay’s latest action film highlighting the plight of slaves in 19th Century New England (coming to a cinema near you in 2029). And with that ethos, we invite anyone wanting to become a film critic to submit their best piece to us.

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How to Be a Film Critic

Last Updated: August 5, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff . Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 177,365 times. Learn more...

Film critics study movies, provide insightful commentary, and let us know whether a movie is a success or a flop. Whether you want to be a professional or hobbyist film critic, you must first possess a passion for film. Watching as many films as you can and reading the work of other critics is key for your development as a film critic. As with any craft, practice is crucial. Practice writing film criticisms as often as you can. Continue to sharpen your writing skills, because these are central to the film critic’s job. With enough practice and passion, you might even become a professional film critic!

Learning about Film

• A passion for film criticism will show through in your work.

• Be sure to watch as many “classic films” as you can--film critics often reference these. Search “classic films” online to find a number of lists. [3] X Research source
• Purchasing a subscription to a streaming service like Netflix is a great way to get access to a wide variety of films.

• Form your own opinions about a given film, then read a critic’s review to see how your opinions compare with theirs. [5] X Research source
• Take note of your favorite critics’ writing style and tone, and examine how they present their ideas. How do humor and context factor in to the critique? [6] X Research source

Gaining Experience

• You don’t need to study journalism to become a film critic, but it’s helpful if you want to make a career out of film criticism. [9] X Research source

• Don’t be shy when it comes to expressing your opinion on your blog. Your content should be high quality, but also honest and genuine. [11] X Research source

• While jobs with print media are becoming more scarce, digital media offers a wide range of new opportunities.
• Getting published is difficult, so don’t give up! It may take years of practice, so keep blogging, reading the work of other film critics, and studying film.

• There are many freelance job sites online. Take some time to look at the listings to see if a project interests you.
• This will probably be a side job, at least initially. Many positions are part time, and likely won’t pay enough to be your only source of income.

Thinking Like a Film Critic

• An academic article is more formal than a review, and much longer. It is less focused on opinion, and assumes the reader has seen the film.
• A critical essay is less formal and more opinionated than an academic article, but more formal than a review.
• Don’t feel pressured to choose a particular form of criticism and stick to it. Many film critics write in all three forms, or blend different forms!

• For example, you might observe that a director uses a lot of dark colors in his film. Through analysis, you might conclude that this use of color mirrors the dark emotions of the main character.
• Critical essays and academic articles focus on description and analysis, while reviews usually do not.

• A film critic might interpret the film Snow White as a commentary on the pitfalls of vanity.
• Critical essays and academic articles offer interpretations, whereas reviews sometimes do, but often don't.

• A critic might offer the evaluation that Snow White is one of the best animated films of its time.
• Reviews focus heavily on evaluation, while critical essays and academic articles place less emphasis on evaluation.

• You should base your judgments on general criteria for excellence. These include originality, good acting, technical skill, an engaging plot, and emotional intensity. Reading the work of other critics and watching high quality films will give you a better idea of what makes an excellent film.
• It’s fine to let your tastes show through in movie reviews--many critics do. Celebrity critics are often famous for displaying their preferences. Just make sure you are looking at the film with a critical eye, too.

Writing Like a Film Critic

• Formal training in writing is not necessary, but it can help. Many employers, particularly those in mainstream media, look for film critics with a background in journalism or communication. Consider taking writing classes at your school, university, or local community college. [21] X Research source

• Some critics believe that film can offer guiding wisdom to help people live better lives. Others believe that every film element has a significant symbolic value. To develop your own guiding philosophy, think about what film means to you as an art form and how it relates to life.

Community Q&A

• Get involved in a film club online or in your neighborhood, community college, or workplace. If you can't find one, start your own! Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Making a career out of film criticism is challenging. Be prepared to dedicate a lot of time to your craft, work hard, and make sacrifices. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/how-to-become-a-film-critic-with-robert-ager/
• ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2Zpj4YL3HK8YmS71C0lk2fG/ali-plumbs-guide-to-becoming-a-film-critic
• ↑ http://www.academicinvest.com/arts-careers/film-studies-careers/how-to-become-a-film-critic
• ↑ http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-write-a-movie-review-online-and-earn-money-doing-it/
• ↑ http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2008/05/14/in-critical-condition/
• ↑ https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/become-a-film-critic
• ↑ https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/20/writing-rules-advice-from-the-new-york-times-on-writing-well/?_r=0

About This Article

To be a film critic, start by watching as many classic films as you can across all genres, so that you can see what makes a quality film. Then, read the work of established film critics to get a better understanding of the things to analyze in a movie. Additionally, try making a few short films of your own to learn about video editing and give you a basis for critiquing other films. You can also take film classes online or at a community college to bring your commentary to the next level before having your work published or applying for a job as a critic. For advice on how to develop your own guiding philosophy for critiquing movies, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How To Become A Film Critic? Detailed Guide

• Published on August 11, 2022
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A lot of people watch movies based on recommendations from their friends or family. You might have some friends who would ask you to watch a movie and vice versa. Although, have you ever wondered why people recommend movies? Just liking a movie and paying attention to every detail of a movie and recommending it are two very different things. 

If you are someone who has a passion for understanding how movies are made, what goes into making them, and then speaking about that movie, then you sure can consider a career in critiquing movies. But do you think it is going to be a job as easy as watching a movie? 

Absolutely not! It is going to be challenging yet very interesting and rewarding.

If you are interested in knowing whether this is possible, read this blog about how to become a Film Critic.

Table of Contents

Who Is A Film Critic?

A film critic is someone who views and analyses various elements of a movie such as direction, acting, plot, cinematography , emotional impact, story, relevance, originality, proper flow of events, editing , and writing . Movie critics either write and publish their critiques in print or online publications, personal blogs, and websites or record and create a podcast or video and post it. Apart from critiquing films, film critics also vote on films during the award season. 

Learn more: How to become a Film Director

How To Become A Film Critic?

Step 1: stream selection.

There is no particular stream that you need to pursue. Many people complete their bachelor’s and switch fields. Although, it is ideal if you choose Arts and focus more on the language. This will help you to improve your writing and speaking abilities if you want to become a Film Critic. 

Step 2: Certificate and Project Courses 

You can opt for Film Making Courses or Film Criticism Courses to enhance your knowledge about films. These courses will teach you the basics of filmmaking, cinematography, direction, and many other elements of a film that you need to know about in order to be a Film Critic. 

Step 3: Educational Qualifications

How To Become A Film Critic After 10th?

Once you complete your 10th-grade exams, opt for a stream that you like. Although, if you have made up your mind that you want to be a Film Critic, choose Arts in 11th and 12th. Take up film courses and improve your abilities. 

How To Become A Film Critic After 12th?

Choosing your undergraduate degree course is not something you need to be extremely particular about. If you want to know how to become a Film Critic, take a look at these undergraduate courses that you can consider taking in India.

• Undergraduate courses in India for Film Critics
• Top Colleges in India for Film Critics
• Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune
• Vivekananda College, Kolkata
• National Academy of Media and Events, Kolkata
• Hindu College, New Delhi
• Miranda College, New Delhi
• Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi
• University of Mumbai, Mumbai
• International Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi

If you want to know how to become a Film Critic, take a look at these undergraduate courses that you can consider taking abroad.

• Undergraduate courses abroad for Film Critics
• Top Colleges abroad for Film Critics
• American Film Institute (AFI)
• Toronto Film School
• London Film School
• Academy of Performing Arts Film and TV School (FAMU)
• Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA)
• Los Angeles Film School
• Kanbar Institute of Film & USC School of Cinematic Arts
• Television, NYU
• National Film and Television School (NFTS)

Want to boost of chances of admission abroad? Try Clever Harvey’s JuniorMBA advertising program and add real industry projects to your student portfolio!

Step 4: Job Preparation

• Gain experience One can’t expect to land a film critiquing job just by getting a degree. Apart from knowledge, experience in writing reviews and critiquing films is a prerequisite a lot of employers look at before hiring a candidate. So, take up internships or create your own blog during your graduation years. This will prove to serve as a portfolio for you when you look for jobs. 
• Learn about films Whether or not you have completed your graduation, you need to keep learning about films. The nature of films keeps changing from time to time. Learning about the different styles of filmmaking and understanding them is an essential part of being a film critic. If you ever come across a small course or conference that talks about films, attend it. It’ll definitely help you to compare films.
• Look for roles where you can write about films You might not land a job as a film critic immediately after graduation. Try to look for roles at a small publishing company or even a website. These experiences will count for your future.

Know more: How to become a Photographer

Skills To Become A Film Critic

• Thorough understanding of the good and bad aspects of the film. 
• Analyze films and compare the storyline and plot 
• Excellent verbal as well as written communication skills.
• Knowledge about the different elements and styles of filming. 
• Analyze the good and bad aspects of a film and all the other elements such as acting, direction, cinematography, story, script, etc.

How Much Does A Film Critic Earn In India?

If a candidate joins a media house, he or she can easily earn ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 per month after some initial experience. With experience and depending on the size of the organization, the remuneration rises, and an established critic may earn between ₹1,000,000 and ₹1,50,000 per month. The average salary of a movie critic in India is ₹5,48,119. 

How Much Does A Film Critic Earn abroad?

Top recruiters for film critics in india and abroad.

If you are looking for a job as a film critic in India, you can start working independently by having your own blog. You can also work as a freelancer or apply for a job at different entertainment media companies. 

That’s all you need to know about being a film critic. We hope this blog helped you and answered all your questions about how to become a Film Critic, the skills you need, what you need to study, how much you can earn, and a lot more. Good luck! 

FAQs about how to become a Film critic

What do film critics look for.

The artistic merit of the film is what most interests critics. This indicates that critics are seeking out aspects of the movie that are effective or ineffective. Both the information and the aesthetics are appealing to them. Additionally, they are not primarily interested in acting as a cinematic version of Consumer Reports.

Is Rotten Tomatoes a viewer or critic?

Whether you love it or hate it, the movie and TV review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has earned a bad reputation in Hollywood for aggregating user and reviewer reviews of a certain film and rating its quality as “fresh” or “rotten.”

Do film critics matter?

Fundamentally, the industry still values criticism. Film criticism continues to play a significant role in the ecosystem of the industry, even though it may not have a significant impact on how much money the big movies gross.

Why do we need critics?

First of all, feedback helps us see things from a different angle and opens our eyes to possibilities we might not have previously considered. Constructive criticism and feedback, whether it comes from a peer assessment of your work or a performance evaluation, can help you grow by illuminating areas for growth.

How much does a film critic make in India?

The average gross pay for film critics in India is 5,24,711, or $252 per hour. Additionally, they receive an average bonus of 10,389 dollars.

Is it hard to become a film critic?

It’s challenging to succeed as a well-known film critic. Many reviewers put up a lot of effort for years before seeing any compensation. In addition, many critics write movie reviews as a pastime because they adore movies. Passion is essential in film criticism because it requires a lot of time and effort and there is no promise of a stable income.

How to become a film critic without a degree?

While no prior schooling is necessary to work as a freelance movie reviewer, it is likely that you will need to have a substantial body of work on your portfolio. You can start small by submitting your film reviews to regional publications or other smaller businesses that publish film reviews in order to get your work published.

How do film critics rate movies?

The Rotten Tomatoes score calculates an overall fresh or rotten rating for a movie based on the ratio of positive to negative reviews as they are added up for a particular release. Scores of over 60% are deemed “fresh,” while those of 59 percent or less is “rotten.”

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This Dream Job For Disney Fans Will Pay You $1,000 To Watch Movies On Disney+

I can't tell you how many times I've thought about how awesome it would be to get paid to watch movies all day. Although it seems like it's only a job of dreams, it can actually be some people's day-to-day reality. Movie reviewers essentially get paid to watch movies and then give their opinions on them. I mean, I can totally sit around and watch movies all day if someone wants to pay me for it. What about Disney movies? Even better. Well your dream could be made reality. Here's how to apply for a Disney+ reviewer job that will pay you $1,000. Disney fans are likely to lose it over this news, and I don't blame them one bit.

Yeah, I'm totally not kidding. Reviews.org is offering to pay $1,000 for someone to watch 30 Disney movies and shows in 30 days once Disney+ drops in November. Obviously, there are a few prerequisites. How exactly can you land this Disney dream job? Well, Reviews.org posted an official info page , as well as a video announcement on its YouTube channel that breaks down the details. To apply you need to be 18 or older and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, plus according to the site, "swift as a coursing river, with all the force of a great typhoon." Totes sounds like you, right? If you think you fit the bill, you need to show the company that you're the biggest Disney fan, tell them a bit about yourself, and submit a video review on "your absolute favorite Disney movie." Don't have too tough a time choosing a fave.

The application process all sounds pretty straightforward. There are a few more deets that you should know, though, before you apply to be one of the lucky few who land this gig. I say few because according to the YouTube video from Reviews.org, they are looking to hire "up to five people" for the position. There are so many Disney fans — like me — who would do anything to get paid to watch 30 Disney movies and shows in 30 days, so if you're planning to apply, you have to have your game-face on. But the fact that they're looking for up to five people makes the situation seem a lot brighter.

This may be more of a side hustle, but that's what makes it so great. If you're already in a steady job, have a couple things going on, or are still in college, this is still a doable side hustle. Plus, it gives you every excuse to watch as many Disney movies as you want. Win-win.

Now, I bet you're wondering: Do I get anything else besides $1000? Is that enough to justify watching all of those movies and committing to 30 days of movie marathoning? Do I even need to answer that question?

The answer is yes. Reviews.org will give you $1,000, plus a subscription to Disney+ for a whole year for free, which is a $70 value. You also get a Disney-themed movie watching kit that includes a "cozy mouse-themed blanket, 4 cups that would make Mickey proud, and the cutest Pixar popcorn popper... complete with movie theater popcorn kernels." For real, where do I sign up? I can tell you that I'm certain I've watched 30 movies in 30 days multiple times in my life and not once did I get paid for it.

If you are a little wary of that much marathoning and you aren't sure you can watch 30 movies in 30 days, Reviews.org has some encouragement for you. The site provided a list of 30 movies that will be available on Disney+ once the streaming service drops on Nov. 12. Some of those movies include:

• 101 Dalmatians
• Finding Nemo
• Lilo and Stitch
• The Lion King
• The Little Mermaid
• Monsters University
• A Goofy Movie
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

You get the picture, there will be a ton to watch once the Disney+ streaming service launches. And, that free subscription will get you ad-free access to movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox. If you land the job there will be no shortage of content for you to watch.

If this sounds like something you want to do, start prepping for your dream job and go apply . The opening won't be there for long.

If you're interested in signing up for the new Disney streaming service but don't feel like trying to land this beyond- awesome job opportunity — you can sign up Nov. 12 and have access to Disney classics, plus the upcoming streaming originals. And according to Insider, if you have a little commitment-phobia or aren't sure you wanna drop the cash, you can try Disney+ free for seven days . After that, if you choose to continue, it's $7 a month or $70 a year if you pay in full.

But who wouldn't want to get paid to watch movies? I don't know about you, but this Disney+ reviewing gig sounds like it would make my whole year. Reviewing 30 Disney movies in 30 days might sound like a big feat, but I totes think any Disney superfan could easily do it. Trust me, if I can watch that much without the extra incentive of $1,000, I bet you can, too.

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• Home: Explore careers

Film critic

Alternative titles for this job include film reviewer, movie critic, film writer.

Film critics analyse films and produce reviews and articles for newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, social media channels and websites.

Average salary (a year)

Typical hours (a week).

Variable variable

You could work

freelance / self-employed flexibly

How to become

How to become a film critic.

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• short training courses

You can do a foundation degree, degree or postgraduate qualification in:

• film studies
• creative writing
• film and television

Courses like these will help you to develop the analysis and writing skills you'll need as a film critic.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
• a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements
• student finance for fees and living costs
• university courses and entry requirements

You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you'll need for this job. Relevant courses include:

• A level Film Studies
• Level 3 Diploma in Journalism

You'll need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English
• funding advice
• search for courses

Apprenticeship

You can work towards this role by starting with a higher apprenticeship like a junior journalist or a senior journalist, before specialising in film reviewing and criticism.

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
• guide to apprenticeships

Volunteering

Competition for jobs is strong, and you'll need to show you've got writing experience. You'll find it useful to keep examples of your published work in a portfolio.

To develop your experience and reputation you can:

• write for student and local newspapers
• create your own blog and build an online presence on social media
• submit articles to online film review channels and websites
• post video reviews online and produce podcasts

Other Routes

You may be able to do short courses, which could help you to develop your critical writing skills, as well as expand your knowledge of film and different genres.

Short courses are offered by some colleges, adult education centres, university film departments. and film organisations online. Courses include:

• film criticism
• history of cinema
• journalism skills
• cinema from other countries

It’s important to develop your own critical writing style and build up a good reputation to establish yourself as a film critic.

Career tips

You’re likely to be self-employed or work freelance as a film critic, especially when starting out, and be paid per review. Some critics write about other media, for example TV, plays and books, to supplement their income.

Further information

You can find out more about creative industry careers from Discover Creative Careers and ScreenSkills .

You can find more general information about working and training in journalism from the National Union of Journalists and National Council for the Training of Journalists .

What it takes

Skills and knowledge.

You'll need:

• knowledge of English language
• the ability to critically analyse information
• knowledge of media production and communication
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• excellent written communication skills
• excellent verbal communication skills
• ambition and a desire to succeed
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

What you’ll do

What you'll do, day-to-day tasks.

In this role you could:

• watch films of all genres, often several times
• make notes about scripts, music, storylines and influences
• look at technical details like camera angles, lighting and editing
• submit reviews by strict deadlines
• build up contacts with film-makers, agents and distributors
• attend film festivals, talks, previews and press conferences
• interview film-makers, actors and production staff
• research archival information about films and film-makers
• keep up to date with critical theories

Working environment

You could work at events, at a venue, from home or in an office.

Career path and progression

As an established film critic, you could combine your job with writing books on film, editing, or teaching criticism on film courses. You could also work in film archives.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships in england, financial times newsroom apprentice.

• Wage: £23,933.00 Annually
• Location: 1 Friday Street,, London

Courses In England

Film studies.

• Provider: COOMBE BOYS' SCHOOL
• Start date: 01 September 2024
• Location: New Malden
• Provider: WEALD SCHOOL, THE
• Location: Billingshurst

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

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Sign Up For Paid Writing Opportunities

33 publications that pay for writing about movies, films, and cinema.

There are a surprising number of opportunities to get paid to write about films, movies, and the film industry. This list is a roundup of publishers that focus on this topic. Since the last update of this list, it has approximately doubled in size, to 33 publications.

Note, that there are many publications that I did not include, especially those publications that are specifically “culture/entertainment” focused, including glossy magazines such as Vanity Fair, People, etc. Most publications that cover pop-culture or entertainment also include writing about movies/film.

One avenue not to overlook: If you really want to get paid to write movie reviews, I highly recommend looking into your local or regional “weekly” magazine. Nearly every city, and even many small towns, publish weeklies, and nearly all of these weeklies publish movie reviews. It is an opportunity worth pursuing, for those interested. Even though your local weekly may not be in need of a movie reviewer, you may as well find out!

This is in addition to the many newspapers that publish movie reviews, which is another opportunity to consider.

Keep in mind that you’ll need to write a good pitch before getting published by these publications. This free lecture shows you exactly how to do that.

— Jacob Jans

Flairbox is “a revolutionary video sharing platform for talent discovery in the entertainment industry.” They are always seeking new contributors for Flairbox magazine. They love “pieces that give juicy insights and hard-won tips – or something unusual from your personal experience in the industry.” They generally pay £50/1,000 words or 5p/word. To learn more, refer to their  pitch guide .

Independent Cinema Office is “the national organisation for the development and support of independent film exhibition throughout the UK.” They are always accepting pitches for their blog. Send them an idea for an article about a film exhibition that you’d like them to commission at [email protected] . They pay 15p/word for articles of 800 to 1,200 words. For details, read their blog guidelines .

Sight & Sound is “the UK’s oldest film publication and an internationally respected voice in film criticism and journalism.” They are looking for new writers and contributors to further diversify the range of voices within their pages and on their website. They encourage pitches from all writers. They would “particularly like to hear from Black, Asian and minority ethnic writers, the LGBTIQ+ community, writers with disabilities and emerging voices.” They pay £120 for every 1,000 words. For details, refer to their pitching guide .

Certified Forgotten is a podcast in which film critics Matt Donato and Matt Monagle “unearth the most memorable horror films that feature five or fewer reviews on RottenTomatoes.” They are expanding into editorial content and are seeking pitches for features. They will pay $75 per feature. Send pitches to [email protected]. To learn more, refer to this page .

WhatNerd is a website about nerd lifestyle and entertainment. They cover games, TV, movies, health, and more. They are looking for contributors who can write 1 to 8 articles per month. They pay $80 per article (600 to 1,200 words). They don’t accept one-off submissions. To learn more, refer to this page .

The A.V. Club is an entertainment website for the pop culture obsessed. They cover news, films, music, TV, games, and more. They are always seeking thoughtful pitches for their TV section. Their rates start at $250 for 900 words. To learn more, refer to this Twitter post and this link .

ALL ARTS is a multimedia platform that covers visual art, theater, dance, film, music, literature, and more. They are seeking journalists who cover theater, film, music, visual art, fashion, and/or TV. Their pay varies based on the story type, but their minimum threshold for a non-reported 400-word post is $250. For details, refer to this Twitter post . For their contact information, refer to this page .

theFold is an online magazine by Double Double store (an Australian store that offers curated streetwear and fashion from global designers). They publish “critical and exploratory writing on contemporary culture, broadly defined.” They “welcome writing about art, fashion, architecture, film, music, television, and more.” They are “particularly interested in personal essays that incorporate cultural criticism and critique.” They accept completed articles (1,200 to 1,700 words) and pitches. They pay $300 per article. For details, read their submission guidelines .

Digital Spy is the United Kingdom’s biggest TV and movies site. They offer news on TV, movies, soaps, showbiz, music, games, and tech. According to one payment report, they paid £60 for a TV review of 350 to 500 words. To contact them, visit this page .

Point of View Magazine (POV) is a Canadian, print and online magazine about documentaries and independent films. They publish twice a year. Payment reports indicate that they pay $0.25 per word. To contact them, refer to this page .

Art of the Title is “the definitive industry publication for title sequence design and an educational resource, spanning the film, television, conference, and video game industries.” They are looking for contributors to “write about title sequences in film, TV, and beyond.” They pay $200 to $300 per piece. For details, read this Twitter post .  You can contact them here.

British Cinematographer is a print and digital magazine that covers the art and craft of international cinematography. They publish 6 times a year. They “focus on the art and craft of cinematographers, and the technologies they use during production and post production.” According to one payment report, they paid $300 for a reported story. To contact them, visit this page .

Variety covers entertainment news, awards, film reviews, film festivals, box office, and more. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.75 per word. To contact them, visit this page .

Substream Magazine is a print and digital publication focused on music, pop culture, film, and entertainment. They publish news, reviews, interviews, and more. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.10 per word. To contact them, refer to this page .

Paper Magazine covers fashion, music, film, TV, famous people, nightlife, politics, art, culture, sex, dating, and more. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.25 per word. To contact them, refer to this page .

Film Quarterly publishes articles, reviews, and interviews about “all aspects of film history, film theory, and the impact of film, video, and television on culture and society.” They pay $50 for articles (of 1,000 words or less) for the Quorum section of their website. For details, refer to this page .

AP Marvel is a progressive podcast and publication for Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans from “marginalized communities to talk politics, social issues, and story themes.” They are looking for unique perspectives from the MCU fanbase. They are seeking “pitches from women, queer people, people of color, disabled people, and people of various faiths.” They are paying for written pieces and essays. Payment: $50 per piece. For details about pitching, refer to this page .

Crooked Marquee is a movie website. They entertain, inform, and empower their readers by providing them with amusing insights and unique perspectives regarding the industry. They want writers who are based in the U.S. and have a U.S. bank account. Their pay starts at $50 per piece. To learn more, read their writers guidelines .

Bright Wall/Dark Room is an online magazine that is dedicated to “exploring the relationship between cinema and the business of being alive.” They publish profiles, interviews, personal essays, cultural criticism, formal analysis, and humor pieces. Their critical essays are generally 1,500 to 3,000 words long. They pay $50 per essay. For details, refer to this page .

Little White Lies is a London-based bi-monthly film magazine that is “committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them.” The magazine keeps film lovers entertained by featuring progressive writing, illustrations and photography. Payment reports suggest that they pay up to $0.11 per word. To learn more, refer to this page .

SVLLY(wood) is a biannual movie magazine which is “geared towards building a new cinephilia through diverse themes and leftist ideology.” They accept pitches (of 300 to 400 words) that outline the potential piece and its link to the issue’s theme. They pay $40 to $50 per essay. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines page .

Artforum is a magazine focused on the world of contemporary art. They also focus on film, photography, music, fashion, and architecture. According to payment reports, they pay an average of $0.32 per word. To contact them, refer to this page .

Freelance Video Collective is a “UK network for film, TV and video production jobs.” They are looking for freelancers (with a background in film and TV) to write guest posts for their video production blog. They want articles of 800 to 900 words. They pay £60 per article. To learn more, visit this page .

Flood Magazine is a quarterly magazine that spans the cultural landscape of film, television, music, art, and travel. According to payment reports, they pay up to $0.15 per word. To contact them, refer to this page .

Luma is an online quarterly publication about independent film and media art. It is published by the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers and EMMEDIA Gallery & Production Society. They publish “critical essays, news, reviews, event previews, interviews, reflections, and photo/video essays about culturally relevant productions, events and ideas.” They pay successful contributors an honorarium of $200 per submission. To learn more, visit this page .

Offscreen is a monthly online film journal that features essays, interviews, reviews and festival reports. They frequently produce special thematic issues. They want reviews and festival reports of at least 1,000 words and essays of at least 2,000 words. They pay up to $150 (Canadian dollars). To learn more, read their contributor guidelines .

Cineaste offers social, political and aesthetic perspective on cinema. Book reviews should deal with newly published books (or up to two years old), and may be single-book or multiple-book reviews. They encourage review-essays in which the discussion serves as a vehicle for a broader treatment of ideas or issues, and individual book reviews should be 1,000-1,500 words. They also publish feature articles, interviews, film reviews, DVD and Blu-Ray reviews, and columns. Pay is $18 for Short Take reviews, $36 for book or DVD reviews (in the case of book or DVD reviews posted on their website as Web Exclusives, no cash payment is offered), $45 for film reviews and short articles, columns, sidebar interviews, or essays, and $90 for feature articles or interviews. Details here .

Metro Magazine is Australia’s film and media magazine, run by the Australian Teachers of Media association. They publish essays, articles, reviews and interviews that analyse the film and media cultures of Australia and the Asia-Pacific. They pay up to $350 AUD per article. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

Afterimage is a bimonthly publication that covers visual arts, photography, independent film and video, new media, and alternative publishing. They cover issues and debates within art history, visual and cultural studies, media studies, and related fields. They have features, essays, reviews, reports, news, media noted sections for writers, and double exposure, which are collaborations of photography and prose. The magazine is partly funded by New York State Council on the Arts. They pay $0.05/word for articles, max $300 for features, $150 for essays and $100 for news, reports and reviews. When I last checked, it was not clear whether their funding was still able to support paying writers. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

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‘Scoop’ Review: The Story Behind That Prince Andrew Interview

In 2019, the prince went on air to respond to accusations involving Jeffery Epstein. The drama here is in how the BBC convinced him to do it.

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By Ben Kenigsberg

The exposés that brought public attention to Watergate, the predations of Harvey Weinstein and the abuse tolerated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston have all been the subjects of movies. The drama revolved, in part, around the difficulty of getting people to talk.

Now comes the story of how the BBC program “Newsnight” landed its bombshell interview with Prince Andrew in 2019. Over a bizarre 49-minute segment, he unconvincingly addressed his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender, and repeatedly denied accusations by Virginia Roberts Giuffre that, at 17, she had sex with the prince after being trafficked to him by Epstein. The interview was less world historic than David Frost’s conversations with an out-of-office Richard Nixon (themselves the basis for a play-turned-movie), but the fallout was real. Faced with widespread criticism, Prince Andrew resigned from public duties just days later.

How do you score an interview with a scandal-plagued royal? “Scoop,” directed by Philip Martin, chronicles the determined efforts of the producer Sam McAlister (Billie Piper), on whose book, “Scoops,” the film is based. Attending meetings at Buckingham Palace may lack the grit of shoe-leather reporting, but there is genuine psychology involved in convincing a famous figure that countering disapproval requires acknowledging it, and that the questions asked will be fair. Sam makes her case over multiple discussions with the prince’s personal secretary, Amanda Thirsk (Keeley Hawes), and eventually in a pitch to the prince himself (Rufus Sewell in significant makeup) alongside Emily Maitlis (Gillian Anderson), the journalist who hopes to interrogate him.

The film finds sufficient suspense in these negotiations and in Maitlis’s preparations for the encounter, a grilling that, in real life, she skillfully pulled off without ever registering as discourteous. Why Prince Andrew’s answers were so tone-deaf — he was panned for not expressing sympathy for Epstein’s victims — is a mystery that “Scoop” sidesteps. (McAlister and Thirsk exchange ambiguous glances as the taping concludes.)

What “Scoop” offers is the modest pleasure — to which any journalist is susceptible — of rooting for a reporting team to get a story. That, and mimicry: exceptional on Anderson’s part, less on that of Sewell, who has a raspier voice and a more passably serious manner than the prince displayed on TV.

Scoop Not Rated. Running time: 1 hour 42 minutes. Watch on Netflix .

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Don't call him a sociopath: Here's how Andrew Scott humanizes 'Ripley'

Terry Gross

Andrew Scott stars as Tom Ripley in Netflix's new adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. Scott says the 8-hour adaptation was an opportunity to spend "an inordinate amount of time with a singular character." Netflix hide caption

In the new series Ripley, Andrew Scott plays a con artist with no conscience, but he says his first job was to humanize his character: "I found all the words like sociopath and psychopath, monster, evil villain, all those things sort of largely unhelpful," he says. "For me, I think your first job is to sort of advocate for the character and try not to judge them. So I try not to label him too much."

Scott is best known for his role as the "hot priest" in the comedy series Fleabag. He played Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, in the British series Sherlock . He also appeared in the war films Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers and 1917 . Scott recently won a National Society of Film Critics Award for his role in the 2023 film All of Us Strangers.

Netflix's stylish 'Ripley' stretches the grift — and the tension — to the max

Now he stars as Tom Ripley in the new Netflix series adapted by Steven Zaillian of the 1955 Patricia Highsmith novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. After surviving on small-time scams, Ripley lands a bigger one when a wealthy man, Mr. Greenleaf, tracks him down with a proposition: Mr. Greenleaf pays Ripley to go to Italy, where his son Dickie has been living with his girlfriend, and convince Dickie to return home to the U.S. Ripley accepts the offer, but when he meets Dickie and his girlfriend and sees Dickie's luxurious lifestyle – he wants that for himself. So he plots a way to impersonate Dickie and claim the riches for himself.

Scott thinks people have a tendency to dehumanize people or characters who do things. "I understand that the acts that people might perpetuate are monstrous – but they are not monsters," he says. "They're human beings. And we have to accept that that darkness lies within us. And we also, conversely, have to accept that there's a real lightness within us as well. And so the humanity of people is the thing that really interests me and why I suppose I love acting. ... I think through stories we can increase our empathy."

Interview highlights

On Patricia Highsmith concealing own her sexuality as she wrote the character of Ripley, who also had a hidden identity

[Highsmith was] definitely talking about murky times in society and a lot of this stuff is coded. And there's certainly stuff that she can't speak explicitly about. And I think she uses Tom Ripley as her imp. She really adored the character. And so, yeah, I do understand that feeling of hiding. There's something about this character that, to me, is quite elusive and possibly just secretive, even to themselves.

Untangling the contradictions of crime novelist Patricia Highsmith

There are so many of us – and I think this is the reason why the character is so enduring – that are strangers to ourselves. You know, that we do things that are not necessarily murderous but that we do things we think, "I have absolutely no idea where that came from." Or there are parts of us that are mysterious to ourselves. And I think that's true of Tom...

But to me, I think a lot of what she's talking about is class. We see this very talented, isolated man who has been given no access to any of the beautiful things in life just by being extremely gifted, and he lives in a rat-filled boarding house in the Lower East Side. And then he's transplanted to a beautiful country where these very entitled people with half the talent that he has are exposed to everything. And I think a sort of rage emerges in him that he's hitherto sort of unaware of. And I think it also might unearth the sort of sexuality within him, possibly that he's uncomfortable with, and envy and a kind of passion.

On worrying as a young actor that being an out gay man might limit his roles

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'ripley' returns in black and white — and is so much better for it.

It's something that I was very concerned with as a young actor ... that I wouldn't get that opportunity, if I had to sort of choose between playing parts that I felt that I was suitable for and having a personal life and being comfortable within myself. And I'm very grateful that I'm able to not have to think about that anymore. But it is a preposterous idea.

The pleasure for an audience is to see an actor transform. I always say representation is very important, but so is transformation within an actor. It's one of the things that I think is a real gift that human beings possess. When our mother tells us a bedtime story when we're kids and she's pretending to be a wolf, we find that thrilling. We're like, "I know that that's my mother here, but she knows she's putting on this funny voice and I feel safe." And we understand something very primal, which is that we are able to empathize and embody other people and other facets of [ourselves], in order to survive and to connect. And the same is true of sexuality.

Andrew Scott, above, says he tried to "unlearn the stuff" he knew from previous adaptations of the Highsmith novel, including the 1999 film adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley, starring Matt Damon. Philippe Antonello/Netflix hide caption

Andrew Scott, above, says he tried to "unlearn the stuff" he knew from previous adaptations of the Highsmith novel, including the 1999 film adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley, starring Matt Damon.

On what's going on when he does the Tom Ripley scary blank stare

I think what's interesting about Tom Ripley is that we were watching this very brilliant person think, and I think that's a great pleasure for an audience to watch a ... particularly intelligent character use his brain in a very particular way. ... That blankness ... is actually just in the audience's mind and not necessarily a blankness that I'm consciously trying to conjure up, and so I find that really interesting — the audience participation in performance — and I think some of the most interesting performances are where you invite the audience into a kind of complicity with you, and they have to do a little bit of work. And conversely, the less satisfying performances are ones where you think, oh my God, we're being spoon-fed everything here, and we're left in absolutely no doubt as to what we should be thinking.

On the phrasing of the "to be or not to be" Hamlet soliloquy in his award-winning performance of the play

I suppose the thing about the pauses is that he's thinking: Am I going to live or am I going to die? And we're seeing that live. Your job is to not play the famous speech. ... The speech wasn't written to be famous. It was just written to be authentic. And this is somebody who's thinking: Am I going to do this? Or am I not going to do this? And nobody's watching him, so why wouldn't he take his time?

A lot of the language is archaic, but a lot of words that we still use today were invented by Shakespeare. So I have this real passion about Shakespeare that it shouldn't be kidnapped by academics. It's something that's very actable, and for young actors, if you really examine it and you're not intimidated and you're not told this isn't for you, then actually it should be really, really accessible. You may not understand every single word, but in the same way, you may not understand or get every word in a rap song. You understand that there's a musicality to it, and there's a feeling that you have to get and that that could be witty, or it could be, contemplative, whatever it is. And it's incredibly actable.

On finding both joy and sadness in every character

I feel like you always have to go towards the lightness when you're dealing with tragedy and a little bit like Fleabag . When you're dealing with comedy, you look for the soul. And that's what I think the great art, or certainly the art that I'm interested in has a bit of both because that's the way we are as human beings. ... We laugh on the saddest day of our lives, and we cry in the middle of a brunch when we don't think we're going to. It's always what's always within us all the time, the potential to go in either direction.

Lauren Krenzel and Joel Wolfram produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Molly Seavy-Nesper and Beth Novey adapted it for the web.

'Ripley' offers a novel take. Literally.

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The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time.

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• 52 Metascore

• Amy Winehouse

• Mitch Winehouse

• Blake Fielder-Civil

• Cynthia Winehouse

• Janis Winehouse

• Raye Cosbert

• Nick Shymansky

• A & R Manager

• Aunt Melody

• Perfume Paul

• Island Records Senior Executive

• CID Officer

• Uncle Harold
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Marisa Abela did all the singing in this film herself. She trained extensively to mimic Amy Winehouse 's vocals.

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 2 minutes

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