If you’re anything like me, you don’t just read to improve your writing; you watch movies! Movies are a great source of writing inspiration from technique to description to plot, etc.
I’ve watched several movies over my lifespan, and these are some movies that have improved different aspects of my writing. Not all of them are my favorites (in fact, many have left me frustrated or having mixed feelings), but sometimes that is the goal of the movie.
I have compiled a list of 10 movies that have taught me unique elements of writing I neglected to consider before. This post is meant for people over the age of 18, as many of the movies are recommended for an older audience. If you are under the age of 18 and are still looking for movie recommendations, check out this post: 10 Must-Watch Movies to Improve Your Writing Skills (For Teens)
Disclaimer
The films recommended in this post are intended for educational and inspirational purposes only, particularly to highlight storytelling techniques and writing craft. Please note that many of these movies are rated R and may include mature themes, strong language, violence, or other adult content. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
By choosing to watch any of the films mentioned, you acknowledge that it is your personal decision. I am not responsible or liable for any reactions, consequences, or experiences that may result from viewing these films. All titles, trademarks, and content remain the property of their respective owners.
1. Prisoners (Rated R)
What I learned: character expressions, subtle character traits
Overview: When two young girls go missing, a desperate father takes justice into his own hands, testing the limits of morality and grief.
Prisoners taught me there is more to a character than just taking on the role. It’s like how at first glance, everyone seems the same in public unless they appear different.
In prisoners, the characters wear quite ordinary clothes for their roles- Mr. Dover looks like a dad, and Detective Loki looks like a detective in the police department. But there are smaller traits and values that you notice throughout the movie that make the character memorable.
For example, Detective Loki has a facial tick. He blinks hard on the 2nd or 3rd blink, and as you watch the movie, you notice this tick intensify when he is under more stress.
And for Mr. Dover, his values become clear as he goes against the rules and becomes involved in the case (don’t want to reveal too much). His actions are qualified by his expressions and feelings throughout the movie.
I’ve learned that the subtle traits of a character make their performance, not just their background or appearance.
2. Everything, Everywhere, All at Once (Ra/ted R)
What I learned: Plot, concept, creativity
Overview: An overwhelmed laundromat owner is pulled into a chaotic multiverse journey that challenges her identity, relationships, and purpose.
This movie was wild, yet so put together. There is a definite moral at the end and somehow it seems to make sense.
When it comes to writing today, we are often discouraged from incorporating our impulsive, obscure thoughts. This movie really taps into the writer’s creativity with many impulsive ideas thrown together, but finally ties it all with the moral.
I’ve learned to embrace the absurd ideas after watching this movie, as how you weave them together is what really matters.
3. Detachment (Not Rated)
What I learned: The feeling of meaningless through action and setting
Overview: A substitute teacher with a haunted past struggles to connect in a broken education system where detachment feels safer than hope.
Warning- This film is not rated, however, there are many mature themes and some graphic scenes. Review the Parents Guide for this film before watching.
This movie gives off this feeling of meaninglessness that is learned. The main character starts off with this inner stillness but the movie changes to a line of hope as it continues. Then the end brings it back to the same meaningless the audience feels throughout the movie.
The scenes are solemnly portrayed and deliberately focused at a slower pace to carry this idea. The action of the characters adds to this feeling as they focus on individual interactions with this bland environment.
This movie teaches an approach that can be used in writing when trying to portray a realistic or lackluster vibe- the mundane in the basic life enhanced by the assigned environment.
4. Sound of Metal (Rated R)
What I learned: The role of sound in setting
Overview: A heavy metal drummer’s life is upended when he begins to lose his hearing and must learn to navigate a world of silence and surrender.
Sound is a very important aspect of this movie. Ruben’s frustration (the main character) with his hearing loss is indirectly portrayed to us, as we are given the opportunity to empathize and feel it from his own perspective.
A lot of books focus on describing the visual setting and completely neglect how sound shapes and environment. This movie teaches you a decent sound vocabulary by letting you experience firsthand how sound affects the environment the character is in.
5. Inception (Rated PG-13)
What I learned: World building and concept
Overview: A skilled thief enters people’s dreams to steal secrets but faces his most dangerous mission when asked to plant an idea instead.
Concept is BIG in this movie. This whole movie wouldn’t work if the concept wasn’t well thought out, interestingly, the functions of the totems.
Again, I don’t want to give away too much, but small objects and details throughout the movie build this concept of shared dreaming. The cliffhanger at the end works only because of world building.
A solid concept can carry your writing when it comes to dystopian or fictional worlds.
6. Silver Linings Playbook (Rated R)
What I learned: Plot pacing based on character perception
Overview: After a stint in a mental institution, a man tries to rebuild his life and relationships—until an unlikely bond offers a shot at redemption.
This movie is well paced through the lens of the character. Pat Soltano (the main character) has bipolar disorder and the first half of the movie is fast-paced as the character perceives and acts with the quality of his diagnosis. As the movie progresses, the movie slows down which feeds the perception of stability creeping into the character’s life.
Pacing does matter when you want the audience to feel a certain way and this movie is an example of how to use pacing to your advantage in writing.
7. The Social Network (Rated PG-13)
What I learned: Skilled use of plot pacing and narrating the past through the present
Overview: The meteoric rise of Facebook sparks personal and legal battles, revealing ambition, betrayal, and the cost of creating a digital empire.
Again, the pacing of this plot brought this movie to life. The movie was intentionally fast paced when retelling the past, the period when the main characters were in their twenties and leading their life with risk and instability. But when the scenes cut to the present day, they would slow down, placing a focus on how the characters perceived their actions in the past.
It is difficult to write a story that switches so often between the present and a retelling of the past – this movie shows tremendous skill.
8. Brokeback Mountain (Rated R)
What I learned: Invoking empathy through realistic perspectives
Overview: Two cowboys forge a secret, decades-long love that defies social norms and leaves a trail of heartbreak and longing.
This movie left me heartbroken. There are a lot of elements at play that I’m not exactly sure how to summarize, but the characters’ realistic perspectives with the stigma in consideration brought them to life. It’s important to write characters that authentically and spontaneously appear with the restraints of the setting they are in.
9. The Prestige (Rated PG-13)
What I learned: Character emotions/perception of setting
Overview: Two rival magicians become obsessed with outdoing each other, spiraling into a dangerous game of deception, sacrifice, and illusion.
To be honest, I don’t think this movie would have worked without the actors. The magic tricks are very basic for today’s time, but influential for the time the movie is set in. The characters develop this tension between each other, and their values/beliefs support the magic and intensity of the movie.
Again, the authenticity of the character in the setting matters significantly.
10. Titanic (Rated PG-13)
What I learned: side character values and drive
Overview: A sweeping romance unfolds between two strangers aboard the ill-fated Titanic, where love and tragedy collide in unforgettable fashion.
Yes, this is a very popular and over-recommended movie. But there is a lot to learn, particularly of the motivations of side characters.
At the end of the movie, the small band of musicians continue to play their music amidst the singing titanic, which so symbolically emphasizes their values and drive. Even side characters have their own stories and this movie, with a single scene, tells us who they are.
This movie taught me that even the smallest side characters matter in a book.
Conclusion
That’s all the movies! If you liked this post and want more writing tips, check out the below posts: