Filmivore is currently looking to acquire new writers. If you are an aspiring film critic, or an established writer looking for a new platform, please submit a sample review formatted with the following guidelines.

Basic Structure and Format:

Although we have no set length for the reviews on our site, for samples, we prefer a standard of roughly 600 words. Reviews should be of modern films, released theatrically within the last five years, and widely available on DVD or Blu-ray. We do not review television series at this time. Multiple reviews may be sent, but please no more than three.

Reviews should cover the five major elements outlined in our Movie Review Criteria. You may choose to do this in a structured format (such as the early reviews on Filmivore) or in a more organic essay format (such as the later reviews). Either way, each of the five elements should be given a star rating, and a final film rating should be then averaged from these. Include all category ratings and final rating in submission.

Basic Assumptions:

When writing your review, keep in mind the following assumptions:

The reader may not have seen the film already. Don’t include spoilers if at all avoidable. If you must, flag them with large (SPOILER) tags. But, in general, spoilers are to be avoided.

The reader may have seen the film already. Talk about more than the plot of the film. Talking about technical elements like specific shots and the musical score is a spoiler-free method for discussing the film in more detail.

The reader wants to know if a film is worth seeing. It should be obvious from your tone if you like or dislike a film, and that attitude should be reflected in your star ratings.

The reviewer should have no bias. If you hate a certain genre, director, or actor, don’t review it. Readers want to know if they would like the film, not what you think about modern westerns; so try to keep unrelated opinions to a minimum, and keep the asides for a separate essay. 

Submission Guidelines:

Email submissions to kevin@filmivore.com. Include a brief bio of yourself (film and writing background, education, publications), as well as how often you’d prefer to submit reviews, and if you have a preferred genre or release (theatrical or DVD).

Copy and paste your review (or reviews) into the body of the email after your bio. Attachments will not be opened.

A confirmation email will be sent within twenty-four hours. Thereafter, every effort will be made to respond to reviews in a timely manner. Questions about reviews, formatting, or Filmivore can be sent through our Feedback form.