Vocabulary: Films

adapt (verb): make sth suitable for a new use or purpose

The story had been adapted for children.
adaptation (noun): a film, book, play, etc. that has been made from another film, book, play, etc.:
Last year he starred in the film adaptation of Bill Cronshaw's best-selling novel.
blockbuster (noun): a movie or book that is a great commercial success
We all felt the movie was a potential blockbuster.
cast (noun): all the actors and actresses in a movie or TV show
It had a good cast, but the story wasn't very interesting.
celebrity (noun): a famous person
Hollywood celebrities turned up at Laguna Beach.
character (noun): one of the people in a story
the central character: the main person in a film or book
Harry likes movies with lots of interesting and unusual characters.
cinema (noun): a place where movies are shown on a big screen
Let's meet in front of the cinema just before the movie starts.
director (noun): the person in charge of making a movie
The director gets really angry when actors forget their lines.
entertainment (noun): enjoyment from movies, concerts, TV shows, etc.
Airlines offer plenty of entertainment on their flights these days.
famous (adjective): known by many people
The actor was one of many famous faces at the party.
genre (noun): a kind or style of music, movie, TV show, painting, etc.
For film class we had to compare movies from two different genres, such as comedy and horror.
movie (noun): another word for "film" (also "motion picture"). “Movie” is mostly used in American
English, while “film” is used in British English
This year's Academy Award for Best Picture was won by a British film.
movie star (noun): a very popular movie actor or actress
Movie stars earn millions of dollars every time they play a role.
plot (noun): the series of events that form the main story
It was a good film, but the plot was difficult to follow at times.
popular (adjective): liked by many people
This is one of the most popular Russian actors.
scene (noun): a small part of a film
The opening scene showed a young man leaving prison and walking to a bus stop.
screen (noun): the flat surface that a movie is projected onto
Do you like sitting at the back, or close to the screen?
sci-fi (or "science fiction") (noun): a genre with stories set in the future or in outer space
Have you seen that sci-fi film Interstellar yet?

set (verb): if a story, film, etc. is set in a particular time or place, the action in it happens in that time or
place

"West Side Story" is set in New York City in the late 1950s.

setting (noun): where the action takes place

London has been used as the setting for many films.

soundtrack (noun): the music that accompanies a film

I've just bought the soundtrack of the latest Miyazaki movie.

special effects (noun, plural): the visuals or sounds that are added to a film which are difficult to produce
naturally

The movie won several awards for its special effects.

star (verb): if a film, play, etc. stars someone, or if someone stars in a film, play, etc., they are the main
actor in it

Johnny Depp starred in the movie "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".

trailer (noun): short extract from the film

The review said that if you've seen the trailer, you needn't bother watching this film.

Adjectives to describe a film

film, plot, acting, character, idea

Positive:

exciting (film, plot)– causing great interest or excitement

gripping (plot, acting)– exciting or interesting in a way that keeps your attention

imaginative, inventive (film, plot, idea)– having or showing new and exciting ideas

moving, touching (film, plot, acting)– making you feel sad or emotional

clever (film, plot, idea)– showing intelligence or skill,

enjoyable (film)– giving pleasure

original (film, plot, idea)– new and interesting in a way that is different from anything that has existed
before

hilarious (film, acting, character)– extremely funny

powerful (film, plot, acting, character, idea)– having a strong effect on your thoughts or/and feelings

legendary (film)– very famous and talked about a lot by people

first-rate, excellent (film, acting, idea)– of the highest quality

remarkable (film, acting)– unusual, good

Negative:

boring (film, plot, acting)– not interesting

confusing (film, plot)– difficult to understand; not clear

unrealistic (film, plot, character, idea)– not based on facts

violent (film, character)– involving physical force that is intended to hurt or kill somebody

third-rate (film, idea, acting)– of very poor quality

ordinary (film, character, plot)– not unusual or different in any way

disappointing (film, plot, acting, character, idea)– not as good, successful, etc. as you had hoped; making
you feel disappointed

silly (film, plot, character, idea)– showing a lack of thought, understanding, or judgement

predictable (film, plot)– if something is predictable, you know in advance that it will happen or what it will
be like

weak (film, plot, acting, idea)– not good

Giving your opinion

I thought the film was great / OK / fantastic…

I thought the film was rather boring /not so good…

The actors / costumes are/is …

The special effects are fantastic / terrible

The best scene / the worst scene is when…

The plot is believable / seems a bit unlikely