The dilemma with writing movie reviews and including spoilers is endless. It is never easy to review a movie, without mentioning plot details that some may call spoilers, without offending some who read them. Complaints will likely never end, even when readers are warned in advance. A movie will be spoiled–at least a little–by any good review. I will always have more to say than it is appropriate to say, and that is the problem. Or, is that really a problem? Is there a better way?
When I write a review, I try not to include too much of the movie’s plot. I try to leave the big things not discussed, asking questions instead, making the reader intrigued, perhaps more interested in seeing the movie. I try to strike a balance between discussing what is necessary and not telling too much.
However again, there is often more that needs to be said and analyzed in a review. Much more; certainly too much for those who haven’t seen the film. Sometimes, specific details are necessary to justify an opinion and why it is one to consider. Sometimes, big things must be revealed in doing so. They come out as a catharsis, typed down before I realize it. Often, I delete this analysis before publication, only because it reveals too much about the film–with too many spoilers in otherwise important content.
Recently (while writing my review of The Lodge), I decided to do something useful with such content that would be lost. Instead of tossing it to the void of space, gone forever in the solar wind, I decided to include it in a bonus “Analysis Section,” posted below my reviews, after the trailers and Rocket Ratings. When included, it is referenced at the end of the related paragraph, just before it goes “too far.” The extras are also titled, reminding readers, one last time, that spoilers are ahead–specifically, that these are “significant.” Yes! The advice is always the same, and always repeated, just to be safe. See the movie first; come back and compare your thoughts later! Comments are always welcome, and I always respond! Hopefully, this “new approach to movie analysis” is one you’ll enjoy as much as I do!
Chris Rennirt (Editor-in-Chief at Space Jockey Reviews)
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