Much like all other different types of artform, films can be extremely subjective depending on the type of person the viewer is and how the particular film makes them feel. That being said there are certain features that a film has to posses to be considered “good.” There are several main pillars that make up a good film. A few of these are Script, Characters, Performance and Visuals. Although vital, all of these are pointless if the movie doesn’t follow a good story that captivates the viewer and the director has put passion into.

The script is made of three parts. plot, dialogue and conflict. You will find it difficult to find a successful film that doesn’t contain conflict, or put in more simpler terms “when things go bad.” Conflict plays a major role in most good films because it allows the story to progress and it also allows directors to develop their characters further, as does dialogue which has a major role in not only defining characters but also setting the tone of the film. The Plot of a good movie has to have a sequence of events that flow together well and keep the viewer captivated. The plot of a film does not have to be linear or “easy to understand” but it does have to make sense, an example of a good film that does not follow a linear plot of a traditional film would be Inception.

Characters in a film are all made up of flaws and desires. For example the schoolboy that wants to impress his parents but keeps on failing, or the hero that wants to protect his city but goes too far with violence. A characters main purpose is to control the viewers emotions whether they are positive emotions such as empathy and relatability, or negative emotions like hatred or disgust. The best characters are usually complex and develop throughout the film as does the viewers opinion and emotion towards the character such as a hero that turns bad.

If the actors do not deliver their performances convincingly it doesn’t matter how good the character is. Good actors need to know how to show their emotion at different points in the play and also how they use their emotion to react to other actors. Without proper use of emotion the illusion is lost. The best actors use their facial expressions, body language and timing to be as authentic as possible to the directors vision and bring the character to life.

For a film to have good visuals in all depends on various things such as the movement and position of the camera and the different types of lenses that are used which can have a big effect on the ambience of the movie. Lighting can change the aesthetic of the film such as a dark gloomy shot of a small space or a bright shot filled with colour of an open area. Location, costume and props can give the viewer lots of context on the time period and type of character.