Our Review Policy

At Pubs.Movie.Blog, we believe that reviewing a film is not just about liking or disliking it — it’s about understanding it, contextualizing it, and respecting the work behind it. That’s why we’ve developed a clear and comprehensive review policy.

This page isn’t just for filmmakers and publicists — it’s for our readers, too. You deserve to know:

How our reviews are written
What values we follow
How we choose what to cover
Why our opinions are independent

Trust and transparency are at the heart of everything we do. Let’s break it down.

Our Core Reviewing Philosophy

Before we talk about formats and star ratings, let’s start with the foundation of how we approach every film.

🎬 We Review Films on Their Own Terms

A romantic comedy shouldn’t be judged like a war documentary. A regional indie shouldn’t be measured by Hollywood budgets. We evaluate every film based on:

Its goals (What is it trying to do?)
Its audience (Who is it speaking to?)
Its context (Cultural, social, cinematic)

🧠 Every Review is a Critical Conversation

We don’t believe in being reactionary. A movie review isn’t a hot take — it’s a thoughtful response to the film. We consider:

Themes
Writing
Direction
Cinematography
Performances
Sound and score
Editing and pacing
Overall impact

🤝 Respect, Even When Critical

We can critique a film without insulting the people who made it. Even if a movie fails, there’s effort and craft involved. We believe in constructive criticism, not humiliation.

What Types of Content Do We Review?

We review a broad range of cinematic work, including:

✅ Feature Films

Mainstream & Indie
Festival Films
Streaming Originals
International/Foreign Language
Classics and Retrospectives

✅ Short Films

We especially love giving attention to short films — they’re often where the most exciting storytelling happens.

✅ Documentaries

Real stories deserve real analysis. From true crime to art house, we cover a wide documentary range.

✅ Series and Mini-Series (Limited Coverage)

We occasionally review episodic content, especially when it’s cinematic in style and execution (e.g., HBO or Netflix limited series). However, our primary focus remains on films.

❌ What We Typically Do Not Review:

Fan edits
Fan-made trailers
Spoof or parody content (unless notable)
Corporate training films
AI-generated content (unless it’s making cinematic waves)

If you’re unsure whether your content fits, feel free to ask.

How We Choose What to Review

We receive multiple review requests weekly. Here’s how we prioritize them:

1. Relevance to Our Audience

Does the film align with what our readers care about? Is there thematic or cultural value?

2. Narrative and Artistic Merit

Even low-budget films can be high-quality. We love discovering stories that take creative risks or represent underrepresented voices.

3. Availability

Is the film accessible to audiences soon? We usually avoid reviewing unreleased films with no distribution unless they’re part of festival coverage.

4. Team Bandwidth

We only take on what we can watch in full and write about properly. Quality matters more than quantity.

Submission Guidelines for Filmmakers & PR Teams

If you’re submitting a film for review, please include the following in your message:

🎞️ Film Title and Language
🕒 Runtime
🧾 Genre and Synopsis
📅 Release Date or Festival Details
🔗 Screener Link (with password if needed)
📷 Press Kit (Poster, Stills, Director’s Note)
📽️ Trailer Link (if available)

We accept screeners in all formats, but prefer:

Vimeo links
Google Drive / Dropbox
Private YouTube links

📌 Note: Please do not send WeTransfer links that expire within days.

Our Review Process: What Happens Behind the Scenes

We approach every film systematically. Here’s what happens once we agree to review a film:

Step 1: Viewing & Research

We watch the film in full (never skipped, never sped up), then research the background:

Who made it?
What was the production context?
What was the budget?
What was the intended release or festival route?

Step 2: Note-Taking & Reflection

We don’t write immediately after watching. We allow time for reflection. Good films deserve to settle — bad films, too.

Step 3: Writing the Review

We structure our reviews professionally:

Brief Summary (No spoilers unless stated)
Thematic Exploration
Technical Analysis
Emotional or Intellectual Impact
Final Thoughts or Verdict

Step 4: Editorial Review

Every piece goes through at least one internal editorial check before it’s published.

Rating System: Do We Use Stars?

We generally avoid numeric ratings because words matter more. However, when a rating is needed for platforms or SEO, we use the following scale:

🌟 5/5 – Masterpiece
🌟 4/5 – Excellent
🌟 3/5 – Good, worth watching
🌟 2/5 – Missed the mark, but had potential
🌟 1/5 – Poorly executed or ethically troubling

📌 Star ratings are always optional and secondary to the review itself.

Ethics and Objectivity

Our commitment to ethics is non-negotiable.

We don’t publish reviews of films we haven’t watched in full.
We don’t review films by friends or collaborators without full disclosure.
We don’t plagiarize or copy opinions from other outlets.
We always mark spoiler sections clearly.
We revise reviews only if new information demands it (e.g., misidentified actor, factual error). We do not rewrite because someone didn’t like it.

How We Handle Disagreements or Requests for Removal

We welcome discussion and dissent — even if you disagree with a review.

However, we will not remove a review unless:

It contains a factual error
It violates privacy or legal concerns
It was published by mistake (e.g., an unfinished draft)

You are welcome to respond publicly, send us a clarification, or request a comment to be added to the article (if reasonable).

Film Festivals & Press Accreditation

We review films from both major and regional film festivals. If you’re part of a festival and would like Pubs.Movie.Blog to:

Cover films
Interview talent
Run previews or highlights

Please get in touch through our Contact page or email: partnerships@pubs.movie.blog

Review Samples and Style Reference

If you’re a new reader or filmmaker looking to understand our voice, here are examples of the kind of reviews we write:

🎬 “The Banshees of Inisherin” – A quiet masterpiece of grief and absurdity
🎬 “Gully Boy” – Bollywood finally finds its hip-hop heartbeat
🎬 “Minari” – The immigrant story we’ve been waiting for

Each review is written with care, balance, and love for the medium — whether positive or not.

Final Words: Why This Policy Matters

A review is more than content — it’s a trust contract between a critic and a reader.

This policy is here to keep that contract honest. We may not always get it right, and we’re always learning — but we promise to always:

Watch carefully
Think critically
Write honestly
Disclose transparently

Thank you for reading. Thank you for trusting us with your time and attention.

Movie Blog