There are many suggestions for writing a movie review from a critic's point of view, each with varying degrees of advice. I've been critically analyzing movies for six years, and I personally find that criticism doesn't need to be complicated. Instead, they need to be honest and encourage discussion. Here are the steps I take from start to finish when showing a movie.

The hardest part of the first step is to avoid doing too much research or reading other reviews before watching the movie (tempting as it may be). I find it more liberating and unfamiliar to enter the experience with an atmosphere.

Ideally, when I start reviewing a movie, I know very little about it -- other than the actors and the director. If I'm not familiar with the actors and/or the director, I'll do some cinematography research, but if I've never seen their past work before. When it's a popular film, avoiding the movie can be harder than it sounds -- with trailers and marketing campaigns rampant. But if you can avoid watching trailers and reading other people's opinions before you watch, you won't have any preconceived judgments and can come in with an unbiased perspective.

Trailers are great for providing some background and tone before watching a movie, but they can also be full of telltale plot, which is why I try to avoid them as much as possible. As for reviews, reading what other people think about a movie before watching or writing a review can seriously influence your opinion. When you are in reviewer mode, you want to express your opinion as honestly as possible and not allow any outside voice to change it. Of course, after the review is complete, I'm always welcome to discuss with other fans and learn what they like and don't like.

Without being influenced by trailers, marketing, and other reviews before watching a movie, you can really do your best to create your authentic opinion and turn it into movie reviews that people can trust.