Are you an avid film watcher? Do you believe you have what it takes to be a film critic?
If you answered “yes” to these questions, consider writing movie reviews for money.
Join us as we guide you through everything you need to know about how to get paid to review movies, from the challenges you may face to a step-by-step overview of how to achieve this.
Keep reading to learn more!
- Can You Get Paid to Review Movies?
- What You’ll Need to Get Paid to Review Movies
- The Best Ways to Get Paid to Review Movies (Overview)
- Why You Should Consider Getting Paid to Review Movies as a Side Hustle
- Problems With Getting Paid to Review Movies for Money
- How to Get Paid to Review Movies: Step-By-Step Instructions
- Things to Consider When Getting Paid to Review Movies for Money
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Similar Tutorials to Check Out
- Wrapping Up
Can You Get Paid to Review Movies?
There are numerous ways to get paid to review movies, with various platforms hiring movie reviewers, including online websites and blogs.
These platforms may offer a fixed monthly rate or pay you based on the number of articles you’ve written during that month. Other factors that affect your pay include the number of views your articles receive.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), writers earn an average salary of $69,510 per year or $33.42 per hour. Another figure by Indeed.com states that freelance writers working as professional film critics earn an average of $46,281 annually.
It’s important to note that freelance pay can vary widely, and you’ll need to consider the amount of work you’re doing and the number of hours you’re putting in.
If you’re starting out as an amateur writer, your pay may be less, but it’ll definitely increase as you progress and grow.
What You’ll Need to Get Paid to Review Movies
To pursue this gig, you don’t need much. Here’s a list of the essential items you’ll need.
- Writing Skills: To write reviews, you must have proficient writing skills and command over the language. You should be able to express your thoughts clearly, use proper punctuation and grammar, and have the ability to present your work in an organized manner.
- Computer: To watch movies and write articles, you’ll need a computer. This side hustle doesn’t require a fancy setup; a simple one will suffice. However, it’s worth considering investing in a good quality monitor or TV to maximize the movie quality and allow you to pick up those tiny details.
- Internet Connection: Watching movies consumes a lot of bandwidth, so it’s important to opt for a stable internet provider that provides a high-speed connection and, ideally, unlimited bandwidth. This will allow you to stream movies at maximum quality with ease.
- Portfolio: You’ll need to build and maintain a professional portfolio with relevant writing samples.
- A Love for Movies: Nothing is worth pursuing if you don’t have a passion for it. Similarly, to get paid to review movies, you must be an avid film watcher and find enjoyment in the activity. This will help you review movies more effectively.
The Best Ways to Get Paid to Review Movies (Overview)
Listed below are nine places where you can get paid to review movies. Some of these pay per review, while others may lead to passive income.
Full List of Ways to Get Paid to Review Movies
We’ve included an overview of our top picks above. For a full list and detailed information on each pick, scroll down.
- Create a Blog
- Screen Rant
- Cineaste
- Animation Arena
- Medium
- Bustle
- Cracked
- Cultured Vultures
- YouTube
1. Create a Blog
Creating your own blog is one of the best ways you can get paid for movie reviews. All you’ll need to do is choose a name, get a domain name and hosting, and start uploading your content.
How Much You Can Make
The amount of money you make primarily depends on how many visitors your site gets and your monetization strategy. Blog writers can earn more than $100,000 per year.
What Makes This Option Great
You’ll be able to run your own blog and create the content you want. You can also add affiliate links, potentially increasing your income.
- Fees/Commission: Purchasing a domain name typically costs between $10 to $20 per year, while hosting can range from $3 to $50.
- Payment Methods: PayPal and Google Pay.
2. Screen Rant
Screen Rant is one of the most popular sites for movie trailers and news, receiving millions of visits each year. It offers cinephiles the chance to earn money by writing for it.
How Much You Can Make
Screen Rant pays freelance writers $15 per article. This means your daily wage will depend on how many articles you can write in a day and how long it takes you to write each one.
What Makes This Option Great
You’ll have the added flexibility to work when you want. It’s also helpful throughout the process and provides an introduction to SEO and assigns an editor to work with you.
Additionally, if you do enough articles, you’ll get a bonus.
- Fees/Commission: Not available.
- Payment Methods: PayPal.
3. Cineaste
Cineaste is a quarterly publication that discusses everything related to cinema and movie news. It features various films, including Hollywood, American, and European cinema.
It produces feature articles, interviews, film reviews, book reviews, as well as BLU-RAY and DVD reviews.
How Much You Can Make
Depending on the type and length of the article, you’ll be able to earn between $18 for short articles to $90 for features.
What Makes This Option Great
Its promising pay rates mean that if you primarily write features, you can earn a good amount each month.
- Fees/Commission: None.
- Payment Methods: PayPal.
4. Animation Arena
Animation Arena focuses on writing quality video games, movies, and comic book reviews.
To apply, you’ll need to provide two writing samples so that it can evaluate your writing style and skills. It also requires you to answer a few questions.
How Much You Can Make
Animation Arena’s payment rate is fixed at $15 per review, with a maximum of 10 reviews per month. This implies that the maximum amount you can earn per month is $150.
What Makes This Option Great
Its reviews are casual and don’t require technical writing skills, which is especially great if you’re an amateur writer.
Additionally, each review needs to be a minimum of 550 words, so you won’t have to waste time writing unnecessarily lengthy reviews.
- Fees/Commission: None.
- Payment Methods: PayPal.
5. Medium
Medium is an open-source platform that allows freelance content writers to share their stories, articles, or reviews.
To be eligible for its partner program, you must have published at least one story and have at least 100 followers.
How Much You Can Make
There are two ways to get paid for your reviews on Medium. The first is by calculating the reading time of your review, and the second is if a reader subscribes to Medium’s membership after reading your review. In the case of the latter, you’ll receive half the cost of the membership, which is $2.5.
Medium monthly incomes are variable, but if your reviews take off, you can earn three or even four digits a month from a single review.
What Makes This Option Great
As you continue to write, Medium will provide you with valuable opportunities to expand your network and grow your connections, which may lead to better writing opportunities.
- Fees/Commission: None.
- Payment Methods: Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal.
6. Bustle
Bustle is a well-known website that caters to women and covers various topics, including life, health, and entertainment.
It hires new writers occasionally, so be sure to keep an eye out. You’ll be required to submit writing samples as well.
How Much You Can Make
Bustle pays writers $0.25 per word, so the amount you make will depend on the length of the article.
What Makes This Option Great
Bustle writers cover a range of niches, which means you can expand from writing movie reviews to other types of content.
- Fees/Commission: None.
- Payment Methods: Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal.
7. Cracked
While Cracked is primarily a comedy-based website, it also features other types of content, including movies.
It allows anyone to sign up to become a contributor to its site but be warned it has a rigorous hiring process and high standards. Not everyone gets accepted.
To apply, you need to submit a pitch in a specific format, and if it’s accepted, you’ll work with its editors to polish and refine the idea. Afterward, you’ll be asked to write a draft, and upon completion, you’ll receive payment.
How Much You Can Make
For the first four articles, Cracked will pay you $150, and starting from the fifth article, it’ll pay $250 per article.
What Makes This Option Great
Cracked is known for offering one of the highest per-article rates, making it an appealing option to consider as a freelance movie critic.
- Fees/Commission: None.
- Payment Methods: PayPal.
8. Cultured Vultures
Cultured Vultures is a pop culture website that allows writers to write on a variety of topics, including wrestling, video games, movies, TV, and anime.
How Much You Can Make
It pays a flat rate of £5 for every article published and an additional £2 for every 200 views your article receives.
For SEO commission work, it pays £7.50 for every 500 words written.
What Makes This Option Great
Cultured Vultures requires no prior writing experience, making it a great option for beginners to earn. It also allows you to retain the copyright for your work, and if you leave, you can ask it to remove your work, and you can publish it elsewhere.
- Fees/Commission: Non-UK writers may need to pay a transaction fee for international payments.
- Payment Methods: PayPal.
9. YouTube
Starting a YouTube channel for movie reviews is different from writing movie reviews. You’ll need to film yourself and verbally deliver your review to your audience.
How Much You Can Make
On average, YouTube pays $18 for every 1000 video views. In the US, the average weekly salary for a YouTuber is $1,154, which equals $4,616 per month.
What Makes This Option Great
Millions of people watch videos on YouTube each day. If your movie review goes viral, it has the potential to earn you even more money.
Once your channel is monetized, you can also earn from advertisements.
- Fees/Commission: YouTube is free to use.
- Payment Methods: Google Pay and PayPal.
Why You Should Consider Getting Paid to Review Movies as a Side Hustle
Apart from being enjoyable and fun, here are some reasons to consider this side hustle.
- Flexibility: Reviewing movies allows you to work from the comfort of your home, and you can decide your own hours and work when you feel like it. You also have the flexibility to work as much or as little as you want and can work in your spare time.
- Extra Income: Movies are immensely popular, with millions of people watching them and seeking reviews. This provides a great opportunity to earn some extra money on the side simply by sharing your thoughts and opinions.
- Discover New Movies: Your employer may ask you to review old or niche films, providing you with a golden opportunity to discover lesser-known movies. If you’re a movie fanatic, this works in your favor, as it can give you hours of new material to enjoy.
- Hone Your Writing Skills: Writing and editing reviews will polish your writing and grammar skills, which are valuable skills to have. These skills can also help you apply to similar jobs or side gigs, such as content writing.
Problems With Getting Paid to Review Movies for Money
Starting any side hustle comes with its own set of challenges, and reviewing movies is no different. Here are some common problems you might encounter that could impact your journey.
1. Time-Consuming
According to statistics by whattowatch.com, the length of the average movie has been increasing each year. In 2021, the average movie was 131 minutes, which is over two hours long!
Watching the movie will already take a lot of time, but you’ll also need to watch patiently, take notes, and look for minor details, which can consume even more time.
2. Subjective Opinions
Movies are subjective, and how you interpret a scene may not be the same as how another viewer could interpret it.
This means your reviews will reflect your views and opinions, which other viewers may not necessarily agree with. As a result, you may receive negative and even hateful comments from readers.
3. May Get Repetitive
Continuously watching movies day in and day out may start to feel repetitive and leave you feeling bored.
4. May Affect Your Ability to Enjoy Movies
Once you start reviewing movies as a job, it’ll require you to think critically about them, and you may find yourself nitpicking details. You may also start to view movies differently, which could take the fun out of watching them.
How to Get Paid to Review Movies: Step-By-Step Instructions
In this section, we’ll provide a step-by-step overview of how you can earn extra cash by reviewing movies.
Step 1. Build a Professional Portfolio
Start by building a professional portfolio, which you can do by writing a wide variety of movie reviews.Â
By having a curated portfolio, you’ll be able to showcase your writing experience and provide relevant samples when you apply for freelance work. This will help you immensely by making you stand out amongst your competitors.Â
It’s essential to write high-quality content that’s free of grammatical and punctuation errors to make a prominent impression on the hiring team.
Step 2. Look for Job Opportunities
Look for various openings online where positions are open for movie critics. Fill out their application forms, make sure to follow all the application instructions, and send your portfolio.
If possible, you should apply to reputable companies that pay well. Additionally, consider reaching out to current employees and asking them questions about the work.
And wait patiently until you receive a job or freelance offer. If you choose to run your own movie review blog instead of working for someone else, you can skip this step.
Step 3. Watch Movies
Now comes the fun part you’ve been waiting for—watching movies!
Make yourself a bowl of popcorn, rent, buy, or stream the movies you have to review and sit down to watch them.
Pay close attention to the movie and avoid getting distracted; otherwise, you may miss important details. Analyze the film critically throughout the viewing and take notes on your computer. This will help you when you start writing.
Step 4. Write Your Reviews
Once you’ve finished watching the movie, it’s time to start writing the review. Give as much detail as possible, including the movie director, movie content, and any other relevant material.
While writing reviews involves giving your opinions, try to be unbiased as it may appeal to a wider audience of movie lovers.
Once you’re finished writing and editing, submit your review for publication.
Step 5. Stay Up-To-Date
Continue staying on top of the latest movie trends and releases, and engage in discussions with movie fans who comment on your reviews to gain insights.Â
Things to Consider When Getting Paid to Review Movies for Money
Here are some essential factors to consider when reviewing movies for money.
1. Rights to Your Work
Will you have rights to the content you produce, or will it belong to the company or website you work for? Will your writings be published under your name, or will you work as a ghostwriter?
Make sure you clarify this before accepting the job offer, as you may want to use your writing in your portfolio or share it with other places.
2. Identify Your Audience
You’ll need to identify your target audience for your reviews so that you can tailor your reviews accordingly.
You should also consider engaging in meaningful discussions with fans to build a connection with them.
3. Will You Be Allowed to Review Independently?
When writing reviews, it’s important that you’re able to voice your thoughts and opinions independently without any external interference. Before joining, ask your employer if they’ll let you write freely or if they’ll impose their own opinions on you.
When writing movie reviews for money, it’s essential to be honest in presenting your critiques and not be forced to give positive reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Types of Movies Should You Watch?
If you’re writing independently, you’ll have the freedom to review any movie you want, and you can choose to review your favorite movies.
However, if you’re working for a company or website, they may require you to watch specific types of movies, such as classic movies, Christmas movies, or lifetime movies.
Are There Any Writing Style Requirements?
Some companies or websites may have specific guidelines and requirements, and you’ll need to write in a specific tone, style, and format.
Ask about these beforehand and make sure to adhere to them strictly.
Similar Tutorials to Check Out
If you feel writing movie reviews isn’t well-suited to your talents, you can try your hand at some of these alternatives instead.
- How to Get Paid to Type: If you’re a skilled and proficient writer looking to monetize your talent, our guide on how to get paid to type is a must-read.
- How to Get Paid to Watch Horror Movies: Are you a hardcore horror fan who loves the thrill of the scare? What if we told you that you could get paid for watching horror movies? Read on to learn more!
- How to Get Paid to Watch YouTube Videos: Learn how to watch YouTube videos and earn money while indulging in one of your favorite pastimes.
Wrapping Up
Watching and writing movie reviews can be an enjoyable and profitable venture. By making a portfolio, polishing your writing skills, and applying to websites as a freelance writer, you can earn extra money on the side doing what you love.
Remember that it may be difficult to secure jobs initially, but don’t let rejection discourage you. It’s normal to face challenges when pursuing a new role.
If you stay committed to yourself and your journey, success will surely follow.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic, so please express your opinions below and share this article with fellow film enthusiasts.
