A Practical Guide to Appreciating Films and Enjoying Them Even More
By: Max Phillips
Tags: Movies, Lifestyle, Creativity, Learning, Film

A Practical Guide to Appreciating Films and Enjoying Them Even More

Learn how to watch for important details and fully experience the magic of movies you already love—and find new favorites, too

Photo by Mason Kimbarovsky on Unsplash

Watching a film is perhaps one of the most straightforward tasks there is. You don’t need to do much. Even so, it’s one of the most exhilarating pastimes available. But what if you could heighten the experience even more?

Film creators put an excessive amount of detail in their movies. Unfortunately, the average viewer misses the majority of them. That’s not a bad thing, but by learning to pick up on the details, you could enjoy films so much more.

Before I joined university, I had a relatively normal perception of films. I went to the cinema now and then, taking a particular liking to action movies, but never caring past the basic plot. As my degree went on, my passion for film grew. I became obsessed with the industry, memorizing all sorts of obscure facts.

Surprisingly, I found that my new-found passion rubbed off on my best friends. Even though we don’t live together anymore, we still regularly discuss the latest films, encouraging one another to watch something we like. They too began picking up the smaller details. Here’s a funny conversation we had after watching Joker:

Image by the author

They go on to say how thankful they are to be able to see and appreciate more when they watch a film. Over the past three years, some of the most exciting conversations I have had are when my friends and I dive into a film’s subtleties and nuance. There’s an endless catalog to choose from, and there will always be another surprising behind the scenes fact you can learn.

A shared love for films has helped bring us closer together, as we race to share our opinions after a new release. One of my most enjoyable cinema experiences came from watching Hobbs and Shaw with them. Since we can appreciate the best parts of a film, it makes the more ridiculous ones highly entertaining.

The benefits don’t end there either. Since I’ve learned to get more enjoyment from films, my creativity has spiked. I’ve watched football documentaries and real estate reality shows, centering articles around a quote that stood out. When you can look deeper into a shot’s meaning, you will find the ability to pull creative ideas from the most unlikely of places.

A film doesn’t have time to spell everything out for you, so whatever you see on the screen has a purpose. Whether it’s an old painting on the wall or a worn knife on the table, the director has put it there for a reason. For example, it could set the scene or flesh out the character further. Understanding this has enabled me to become a more efficient storyteller, as I now acknowledge how each word can impact the story. As films epitomize the “show me don’t tell me” rhetoric, I’ve learned to cut the waffle and get to the point.

In this article, I will outline my experience learning the film industry’s ins and outs and how I adapted this to get more enjoyment from films, even the worst ones.