Describe your least favourite film
Describe your least favourite film
You should say:
- what the film was
- when you watched it
- why you decided to watch it
and explain why it disappointed you
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One minute to plan, two minutes to speak, exactly like the exam. Nothing you record leaves your device.
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- what the film was
- when you watched it
- why you decided to watch it
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How to approach this cue card
This card asks you to tell a small story about an expectation that was not met, and then to explain the gap. Examiners listen for a clear past-tense account, for the language of opinion and disappointment, and for reasons that are more specific than “it was boring”. The “explain” line is where range shows: a candidate who can criticise a film politely and precisely sounds more fluent than one who repeats “bad”.
The easiest real angle is a film you chose for a reason that sounded good at the time: a trailer, a favourite actor, a successful first part, a friend’s advice. Then the story has a natural shape: what you hoped for, what you saw and what you felt when you left. A film you watched in a cinema or at a friend’s house gives you more detail than one you half watched on a phone.
The card also appears as “least favourite movie”, and the two are the same. Use the minute to fix the film, the occasion and your reason for choosing it, and keep those short. Then choose two or three things that went wrong, such as a predictable plot, flat characters or a slow middle, and give an example of each. Save time at the end for what you felt and what you do differently now.
Vocabulary that lifts this answer
These phrases describe a film that failed to satisfy you more precisely than “boring” or “bad”.
| Word or phrase | What it means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a letdown | something that is worse than you hoped | After all that praise, the film was a real letdown. |
| to live up to the hype | to be as good as people say it is | The film simply did not live up to the hype. |
| predictable | easy to guess before it happens | The ending was so predictable that I whispered it to my friend. |
| a weak plot | a story that is thin or full of gaps | The film had spectacular scenes but a weak plot. |
| flat characters | characters with no depth or personality | The heroes were flat, so I did not care what happened to them. |
| to drag | to move too slowly and feel too long | The middle of the film dragged, and I kept checking the time. |
| overrated | thought to be better than it really is | I think the whole series is overrated. |
| to have high expectations | to hope for something very good | I had high expectations because I loved the first part. |
| a waste of an evening | time that was spent without any benefit | In the end it felt like a waste of an evening. |
| to walk out of the cinema | to leave before or straight after the end | I almost walked out of the cinema halfway through. |
A one-minute plan
- what: big action comedy, second part of a series
- when, who: last year, Saturday evening, cinema in Lahore, two friends
- why watched: loved the first part, exciting trailer, famous actor
- why disappointed: predictable, repeated jokes, too long, checked my phone
The same answer at Band 6, 7 and 8
The three sample answers below tell exactly the same story, and only the language changes between them. Hover or tap a highlighted phrase to see what an examiner would notice about it, and treat these as illustrations of what each band typically sounds like, not scripts to memorise.
Band 6
I would like to talk about a film that I did not like at all. It was a big action comedy, the second part of a series, and I watchTense slip: should be “watched” it at a cinema in Lahore about a year ago, on a Saturday evening, with my two friends Bilal and Sana. I decided to watch it because the first part was really funny, and the trailer lookTense slip: should be “looked” exciting, with many explosions and a famous actor that I like. Also my friends wasAgreement slip: should be “were” very keen to go, so I did not want to say no. But after twenty minutes I understood that something was wrong. The story was, erHesitation filler, very easy to guess, and many jokes were the same as in the first part. The characters were not interestingBasic phrase; limits Lexical Resource and the actors just ran around and shouted. The film was nearly three hours long, and I looked at my phone three times, which I never do in a cinema. Even the other people in the cinema seemed bored, because many of them were whispering to each other and some left well before the end of the film. Bilal fell asleep, but we stayed until the end because we hoped it would get better. It disappointed me because I expectTense slip: should be “expected” something much better, and it was only a lot of noiseVague phrase; limits Lexical Resource without a real story. You knowFiller used as a hesitation marker, the trailer had shown all the best parts already. Now I always read some reviews before I decide to watch something, so it taught me a small lesson.
Band 7
I’d like to talk about a film I really didn’t enjoy. It was a big action comedy, the second part of a series, and I watched it at a cinema in Lahore about a year ago, on a Saturday evening, with my two friends Bilal and Sana. I decided to go because the first part had been hilarious and the trailer looked exciting, with plenty of explosions and an actor I like. My friends were keen as well, so I didn’t want to be the one who said no. But after twenty minutes I could tell something was wrong. The plot was painfully predictableStrong collocation for a negative opinion, and many of the jokes were simply repeated from the first part. The characters were flat, and the actors just runs aroundAgreement slip: should be “run around” and shouted. The film was nearly three hours long, and I checked my phone three times, which I never do in a cinema. Even the rest of the audience seemed restless, with people whispering to each other and a few leaving well before the end of the film. Bilal actually fell asleep, but we stayed until the end in the hope that it would improve. It disappointed me because I’d expected something much better, and what I got was a lot of noise with no real story behind itNoun phrase with a postmodifier, used accurately. To be fairDiscourse marker softening the criticism, the trailer had already shown all the best scenes. These days I always read a few reviews before I am decidingForm error: should be “decide” what to watch, so it taught me a useful lesson.
Band 8
I’d like to talk about a film I really didn’t enjoy: a big action comedy, the second part of a series, which I watched at a cinema in Lahore about a year ago, on a Saturday evening, with my two friends Bilal and Sana. I decided to go because the first part had been hilarious and the trailer looked exciting, with plenty of explosions and an actor I like. My friends were keen as well, so I didn’t want to be the one who said no. But after twenty minutes I could tell something was wrong. The plot was painfully predictable, and many of the jokes were simply recycled from the first part. The characters were paper-thinVivid, precise adjective for flat characters, and the actors just ran around and shouted. The film was nearly three hours long, and I checked my phone three times, which I never do in a cinema. Even the rest of the audience seemed restless, with people whispering to each other and a few leaving well before the end of the film. Bilal actually fell asleep, but we stayed until the end in the hope that it would pick up. It disappointed me because I’d expected something much better, and what I got was a great deal of noise with very little story behind itCleft sentence used for emphasis and balance. In fairness, the trailer had already given away all the best scenes. These daysTime marker introducing a reflection I always skim a few reviews before deciding what to watch, so, in a way, it did me a favourIdiomatic closing comment that shows flexibility.
What moved the band
- Band 6’s tense and agreement slips (“I watch it”, “the trailer look”, “my friends was”) are accurate in Band 7 (“I watched it”, “the trailer looked”, “My friends were keen”) and stay clean in Band 8.
- Band 6 relies on “not interesting” and “a lot of noise”; Band 7 uses “painfully predictable”; Band 8 adds “The characters were paper-thin” and “in a way, it did me a favour”.
- Band 6 ends with a plain lesson (“it taught me a small lesson”); Band 7 names the result (“a useful lesson”); Band 8 turns the disappointment into a light, reflective comment.
Common mistakes on this card
- Treating it as “a film that made you think”: that card asks what the film was about and who you watched it with, while this one asks why you chose it and why it let you down, so the weight is on expectation against reality.
- Saying only “boring” or “bad” and never giving one concrete example, such as a repeated joke or a scene that dragged.
- Retelling the whole plot instead of describing the occasion and your reaction.
- Skipping “why you decided to watch it”, which is the set-up that makes your disappointment make sense.
Part 3 questions that often follow
After your turn of one to two minutes, the examiner usually moves into a related Part 3 discussion — these are the kinds of follow-up questions that commonly come up around this topic.
- Why do people sometimes choose to watch a film that critics have not liked?
- Do trailers and posters give people a fair idea of what a film is like?
- How much do reviews and friends' recommendations affect what people decide to watch?
- Are films made in your country as popular as foreign films? Why, or why not?
- Is it acceptable to leave a cinema before a film has finished?
Frequently asked questions
Is "your least favourite film" the same card as "your least favourite movie"?
Yes. The two wordings are reported for the same card, so the same answer works for both. Use whichever word comes naturally, "film" or "movie", and stay consistent through your talk so that it sounds fluent rather than mixed.
Can I choose a film that was famous or well reviewed?
Yes. The card asks for your own reaction, not the critics' view. A popular film that let you down can make an excellent answer, because the gap between what you expected and what you saw gives you a natural reason for "disappointed".
What if I cannot remember the title?
You do not need it. Say what kind of film it was, who was in it or what it was about, and describe where and when you saw it. Concrete scenes and your own feelings matter more to the examiner than the exact name.
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A commonly reported IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card about an interesting video, with a one-minute plan, vocabulary and the same answer at Bands 6, 7 and 8.
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