Film Analysis Vocabulary

adjective representing or constituting an original type after which other similar things are patterned

• The character of Sherlock Holmes is often seen as archetypical of the detective genre.
• That old haunted house is like the archetypical setting for a scary movie.
• She's like the archetypical cool girl, always hanging out with the popular crowd.
• The crumbling ruins of the ancient city were the archetypical image of a lost civilization.

noun the most intense, exciting, or important point of something; a culmination or apex

• The climax of the novel was the dramatic confrontation between the protagonist and the antagonist.
• The movie's climax had everyone on the edge of their seats.
• Dude, that party last night was the climax of the summer!
• As the sun set behind the mountains, it felt like nature was reaching its climax.

noun a detailed analysis or assessment of something, especially a literary, philosophical, or artistic work

verb to evaluate or analyze something in a detailed and critical way

• The professor provided a detailed critique of the student's research paper.
• I appreciate your critique of my presentation, it helps me improve.
• I can't believe she critiqued my outfit like that, so rude.
• His critique of the political system was like a breath of fresh air in the stagnant debate.

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, in this case meaning insane or mentally disturbed

• The psychiatrist diagnosed the patient as deranged due to his erratic behavior.
• I heard that the neighbor down the street is completely deranged.
• That guy is seriously deranged, you should stay away from him.
• The deranged state of the economy has caused widespread panic among investors.

verb to bring or recall to the conscious mind; elicit or draw out

• The artist's use of color and light in the painting helps evoke a sense of tranquility.
• The movie scene really evoked some strong emotions in me.
• That song always evokes memories of my high school days.
• The smell of fresh-baked cookies can evoke feelings of nostalgia and comfort.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or state of being

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence

• The forensic team carefully picked the evidence to pieces in order to gather as much information as possible.
• I watched as my cat picked the toy mouse to pieces in a matter of minutes.
• The critics really picked the movie to pieces, saying it was the worst they had ever seen.
• Her harsh words really picked his self-esteem to pieces.

noun a small piece of ground, generally used for a specific purpose (e.g. gardening plot)

verb to mark out the position or course of (something) on a map or chart

• The author carefully crafted the intricate plot of the novel to keep readers engaged.
• I can't wait to see how the plot unfolds in the next episode of my favorite TV show.
• The plot of that movie was so twisted, I couldn't keep up with all the twists and turns.
• She suspected there was a hidden plot behind his sudden change in behavior.

noun a drug or other substance that induces drowsiness or sleep

adjective tending to induce drowsiness or sleep

• The professor's lecture was so soporific that many students struggled to stay awake.
• That movie was so soporific, I fell asleep within the first 10 minutes.
• I can't stand listening to him talk, his voice is so soporific.
• The monotonous sound of the rain on the roof had a soporific effect on me.

verb to make something more aesthetically pleasing or artistic

• The artist sought to estheticize the mundane objects in her still life paintings.
• She always tries to estheticize her Instagram feed with filters and editing.
• He loves to estheticize his selfies with all sorts of apps and effects.
• The writer's use of vivid imagery helped to estheticize the emotions of the characters in the novel.

adjective describing the appearance of something as extremely bad or unpleasant

• The awful-looking building was in desperate need of renovation.
• I can't believe how awful-looking that new restaurant is.
• That outfit is so awful-looking, I can't believe she actually wore it.
• The awful-looking storm clouds on the horizon signaled trouble ahead.

noun A compilation of excerpts from various sources, especially a video recording that has been edited to show a sequence of short clips or highlights

• The film critic analyzed the supercut of all the action scenes from the movie.
• I spent hours watching a supercut of funny cat videos on YouTube.
• That supercut of dance fails had me laughing so hard.
• Her Instagram feed is like a supercut of all her happiest moments.

noun Aesthetic distance

• In order to fully appreciate the artwork, one must maintain an aesthetic distance to objectively analyze its composition.
• If you want to really get the beauty of the painting, you gotta step back and look at it from a distance.
• To really vibe with the art piece, you gotta keep your cool and not get too close, ya know?
• Sometimes it's necessary to create an aesthetic distance between yourself and a situation in order to see it more clearly.

verb to make something more aesthetically pleasing or beautiful

• The artist focused on aestheticizing every detail of the painting to create a visually stunning masterpiece.
• She's really good at aestheticizing her Instagram feed with beautiful filters and carefully curated photos.
• I love how she's always aestheticizing her room with new decorations and art pieces.
• By aestheticizing her words, she was able to paint a vivid picture of her memories for the audience.