Talking about Movies (B2)
Verbs, adjectives and nouns for discussing films – from how they’re made and released to how you describe
what you thought of them.
B2 · Movies & film vocabulary
Verbs Talking about how films are made & shown
Use these verbs to describe the production, money and language of a movie.
be released / come out
When a film is released or comes out, it officially becomes available for
the public to watch in cinemas.
The film is due to be released early next year.
I can’t wait to see the new horror movie that’s just come out.
gross
If a film grosses a certain amount, it earns that amount at the box office before costs are
taken away.
The film has grossed over 200 million dollars since it was released.
shoot
To shoot a scene is to film it with the camera.
Most of the scenes were shot in the centre of the city.
produce
To produce a film is to organise the money, team and practical work needed to make it.
That company has produced a lot of great films.
dub
If a movie is dubbed, the original voices are replaced with actors speaking another language.
As it was a Japanese film, all the dialogue was dubbed.
feature
A film that features an actor includes them in the cast, often in an important role.
The film features two of our country’s most famous actors.
portray
When an actor portrays someone, they play that person or character on screen.
The actor portrayed the younger version of the leading character.
Adjectives Describing what a film is like
Use these adjectives to give your opinion about a movie.
overrated / underrated
An overrated film receives more praise than it really deserves.
An underrated film doesn’t get enough attention or credit.
Although the special effects were great, I think the film was definitely overrated.
Many low-budget films are badly marketed and end up being underrated.
gripping
A gripping film is so exciting that you are desperate to see what happens next.
The film was so gripping that I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
fast-paced / slow-moving
A fast-paced film moves quickly from scene to scene and feels dynamic.
A slow-moving film develops very slowly and can feel boring.
When films are as fast-paced as this one, you don’t have time to get bored.
It was such a long, slow-moving film that the kids lost interest halfway through.
cheesy
A cheesy film is predictable and sentimental, often in a bad or low-quality way.
The film was really cheesy; I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
uplifting
An uplifting movie makes you feel positive, hopeful or inspired.
Uplifting films like this always put me in a good mood.
hilarious
A hilarious film is extremely funny and makes people laugh a lot.
Some parts of the film were so hilarious that we just couldn’t stop laughing.
Nouns Types of films & parts of a movie
Key nouns to talk about how a story is organised and who/what appears in it.
prequel / sequel / remake / spoof
A prequel shows events that happen before an existing film.
A sequel continues the story from an earlier movie.
A remake is a new version of an older film.
A spoof is a funny, exaggerated version of one or more well-known movies.
You might find the film hard to follow if you haven’t seen the prequel.
The sequel was just as enjoyable as the first film.
A remake of the 1950s film is due to be released next year.
The film is a spoof of famous action movies, exaggerating every scene for comedic effect.
premiere / trailer
A premiere is the first official showing of a new movie.
A trailer is a short preview of a film that will soon be released.
We were lucky to get tickets to the premiere of the film.
I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I’ve watched the trailer several times.
credits / soundtrack / script / subtitles
The credits are the list of people who worked on the film.
The soundtrack is the music used in the movie.
The script is the written dialogue and instructions.
Subtitles are written versions of the dialogue shown on screen.
The names of the cast and crew were listed in the credits.
The soundtrack consisted of songs that were popular in the 1980s.
After reading through the script, the actor decided not to accept the role.
I found the film easier to follow once I switched on the subtitles.
special effects
Special effects are artificial visuals or sounds used to create things that don’t exist or can’t be filmed in real life.
Although the acting wasn’t great, the special effects were amazing.
cast / leading part / supporting cast / cameo / props
The cast are all the actors in a film.
The leading part is the main role.
The supporting cast are the actors who play smaller roles.
A cameo is a very small part played by a famous person.
Props are the objects actors use on set.
The cast consisted of a number of well-known actors.
A popular British actor played the leading part.
The names of the supporting cast were listed in the credits.
The famous director made a brief cameo appearance in the film.
The set designers supplied most of the props for each scene.
💡 Try using several of these words together when you review a film: comment on when it was released, what the cast is like, and whether the story is gripping, slow-moving, overrated or underrated.
Exercises:
Talking about Movies
Choose the correct option to complete each sentence below.
1
The studio announced that the new superhero film will
worldwide on 15 July.
Correct:
A film that will be released is officially made available in cinemas or on a platform.
2
Do you know when the new season of that series will
on Netflix?
Correct:
When a film or series comes out, it becomes available to the public (informal).
3
The low-budget horror film managed to
over 200 million dollars at the box office.
Correct:
If a film grosses a certain amount, it earns that amount of money before costs are subtracted.
4
They had to
the final car chase at night to get the right atmosphere.
Correct:
To shoot (a scene) = to film it with cameras.
5
She didn’t direct the movie, but she helped finance it and organise everything; she agreed to
instead.
Correct:
To produce (a film) = to be responsible for the money, organisation and overall project.
6
They decided to
the Japanese movie into English so that viewers wouldn’t need subtitles.
Correct:
To dub (a film) = to replace the original voices with voices in another language.
7
The new drama will
several Oscar-winning actors in the main roles.
Correct:
A film that features someone includes them as an important part of it, often in a leading role.
8
In the biopic, the actor had to
a famous politician as both charming and deeply flawed.
Correct:
To portray (someone) = to play a person on screen and show their character and emotions.
9
The critics loved it, but I thought the film was
– it didn’t deserve all that hype in my opinion.
Correct:
An overrated film is considered better than it really is.
10
Hardly anyone saw this small independent movie, but it’s completely
– it’s much better than people think.
Correct:
An underrated film is not appreciated as much as it deserves.
11
The thriller was so
that I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen for a second.
Correct:
A gripping film is very exciting and keeps your attention strongly.
12
With constant action scenes and quick cuts, the movie felt extremely
from beginning to end.
Correct:
A fast-paced film moves quickly, with many events and little time to relax.
13
Some people found the drama too
because not much happened in the first hour.
Correct:
A slow-moving film develops very slowly and may feel long.
14
The dialogue was so predictable and sentimental that it felt really
at the end.
Correct:
A cheesy film is silly, too romantic or emotional, and not very original.
15
Despite the sad topic, the story was ultimately
and left the audience feeling hopeful and inspired.
Correct:
An uplifting film makes you feel positive and encouraged.
16
The comedy was absolutely
– people in the cinema were laughing out loud the whole time.
Correct:
A hilarious film is extremely funny.
17
The studio made a
that shows what happened to the main characters years before the original film.
Correct:
A prequel = a film whose story happens before an earlier, existing film.
18
Fans are already asking when the
will come out, because the first movie ended with a big cliffhanger.
Correct:
A sequel = a film that continues the story of an earlier one.
19
The director decided to make a modern
of the 1960s classic, with new actors and special effects.
Correct:
A remake = a new version of an older film.
20
The comedy is a
of superhero movies – it copies their style but makes fun of them.
Correct:
A spoof = a funny imitation or parody of a film or genre.
21
The world
was held at a famous cinema, with the stars walking on the red carpet.
Correct:
A premiere = the first official public showing of a film.
22
The
was so exciting that everyone wanted to see the film immediately.
Correct:
A trailer = a short advertisement for a film, showing selected scenes.
23
If you stay until the
finish, you sometimes see an extra scene after all the names.
Correct:
The credits = the list of people who worked on the film, shown at the beginning or end.
24
The film’s
was so popular that it reached number one in the music charts.
Correct:
A soundtrack = the music used in a film.
25
The actors complained that the
was weak and the dialogue didn’t sound natural at all.
Correct:
A script = the written text of a film, including dialogue and instructions.
26
Because the film was in Korean, we turned on the English
to read the translation at the bottom of the screen.
Correct:
Subtitles = the written translation or text of what characters say, shown on screen.
27
The story wasn’t great, but the
were amazing – the explosions and monsters looked very realistic.
Correct:
Special effects = visual or sound tricks used to create things that are impossible or hard to film in real life.
28
The film has an impressive
including several very famous actors and actresses.
Correct:
The cast = all the actors in a film or play.
29
After years of smaller roles, she finally got the
in a big Hollywood film.
Correct:
The leading part = the main role in a film or play.
30
Even though the star was good, the film worked because the
were strong and made the world feel real.
Correct:
The supporting cast = the actors who play important but not main roles.
31
The director makes a short
as a taxi driver in one scene, which fans always look for.
Correct:
A cameo = a very small appearance by a famous person in a film.
32
The museum displayed some of the original film
such as weapons, costumes and books used on set.
Correct:
Props = objects used by actors in a scene, like phones, glasses or weapons.
Talking about Movies
Match the sentences with the movie words
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