How to write a useful and entertaining review

(Note: if you’re here because you want to write excellent Amazon reviews, you’ll be disappointed.  As the teaser suggested this is about reviewing entertainment, like a show or a film.

I can talk about that because it’s part of what I do for a living; unlike Amazon reviews which shouldn’t be written in exchange for money or favours.  Just so we’re straight).

I’m writing this partly because when I was asked to write my first show review in 2021, I couldn’t find much advice about how to do it well.  And I really wanted to do it well, because I enjoy reading good reviews.

By “good reviews” I mean a funny, interesting, and potentially useful take, rather than the show itself being good.

The show doesn’t have to be good, because the best reviews are often of very bad things.  The restaurant critic Jay Rayner has published two books of bad meals, in which restaurants get “a complete stiffing courtesy of the sort of vitriolic blood-curdling review which would make the victims call for their mummies”.

(They’re absolutely brilliant).

I’m also partly writing this because, as I mentioned in the teaser, I had to write a review of a show I didn’t see.  I had Covid, so I asked some friends to go to the show and take notes for me to write from.

It wasn’t their fault that their notes weren’t very good. I didn’t tell them what to write.  I’d just assumed they already knew what I would want to know, and would gainfully report it back.  That they didn’t made me think back to my first review, and how much of a minefield it actually was.

So here are a few tips, for anyone else about to step into the same wobbling boat.

Do your review-homework

If you’re asked, as I was, to write a review for an established site or publication, read some of its other reviews before you begin.  Note their length, their style, and their format.

If you’re pitching your review-writing services, do exactly the same thing.

Make your review personal – and be honest

Your review isn’t just about the show or the meal or the thing, but what you thought and how you felt about it.  There’s no right or wrong, it’s just your own personal response.  Don’t be afraid to share that – it’s exactly what readers want.

So, if you loved the thing, say why, in language that really gets your enthusiasm across.  Or explain why you hated it, in gory detail.  That way, your review will be anything but dull (even if the show itself is).  Use your voice and give context by weaving in a few personal details, too – these will draw readers in and make them interested in what you have to say.

I sometimes find it hard to be critical of a show when there are teams of talented and hardworking people who’ve put it together, or if other reviewers loved something I hated.  But at the end of the day it’s just my opinion; there to be taken or left.

Answer the specifics (but leave the spoilers out!)

This is all about anticipating what details readers will find the most useful to know.  So, if I’m writing a review for a show aimed at children, I’ll talk about the age groups and dispositions it’s most suitable for (this is usually based on the experiences of my ‘guinea-pig’ nieces and nephew!)

Show-wise it’s also about giving a sense of the story, so readers can decide if it’s something they’ll enjoy.  It’s not about giving away the ending, or the details of a surprising plot twist.

Think about the back cover of a book – it whets your appetite (or not!) for the story without revealing its secrets.

Enjoy it!

Lastly, try to infuse your review with a sense of life and fun (something the aforementioned Jay Rayner does so well).  This will make readers feel right there in the moment with you.