An unpretentious guide for all those who want to learn to analyze, understand and evaluate films Film Studies: The Essentials provides an overview of the key areas in film studies, including aesthetics, narrative, genre, documentary films and the secrets of film reviewing. From Hitchcock and Tarantino to Spielberg and Bigelow, you will soon gain a critical understanding of legendary directors and the techniques and skills that are used to achieve certain cinematic effects.