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IELTS Speaking Vocabulary - Movies and TV shows

James Liu May 16th, 2026

In this blog post, you are going to learn some great vocabulary you can say about movies and TV shows. This blog post will be very helpful if you are taking the IELTS because they often ask you to talk about your movies and TV shows in the speaking section.

Box office hit – a movie that is very successful financially.

1. The movie became a huge box office hit worldwide.

2. Many action films turn into box office hits.

3. The director was surprised that the film became a box office hit.

Binge-watch – to watch many episodes continuously.

1. I often binge-watch TV series during weekends.

2. Many people like to binge-watch shows on streaming platforms.

3. Last month, I binge-watched an entire comedy series.

Special effects – visual or sound effects used in movies.

1. The movie had amazing special effects.

2. Modern films rely heavily on special effects.

3. Good special effects can make movies more exciting.

Leading actor – the main actor in a movie or show.

1. The leading actor gave an outstanding performance.

2. Many people watched the film because of the famous leading actor.

3. The leading actor won several awards for the movie.

Plot twist – an unexpected change in a story.

1. The movie had a surprising plot twist at the end.

2. I enjoy films with unpredictable plot twists.

3. The plot twist made the story much more interesting.

Thought-provoking – making people think deeply.

1. I enjoy watching thought-provoking documentaries.

2. The film was very thought-provoking and emotional.

3. Some TV shows can be both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Reality show – a program showing real people in real situations.

1. My sister enjoys watching reality shows.

2. Some people think reality shows are unrealistic.

3. Reality shows are very popular among young audiences.

Documentary film – a movie that provides factual information.

1. I prefer watching documentary films about nature.

2. A good documentary film can teach people many things.

3. Last week, I watched a fascinating documentary film.

Streaming platform – an online service for watching videos.

1. Many people now watch movies on streaming platforms.

2. Streaming platforms have changed the entertainment industry.

3. I subscribe to several streaming platforms.

Emotional scene – a part of a movie that creates strong feelings.

1. The movie had several emotional scenes.

2. I cried during one particularly emotional scene.

3. Actors need strong skills to perform emotional scenes.

Science fiction – movies or shows about advanced science or the future.

1. Science fiction is my favorite movie genre.

2. Many science fiction films explore future technology.

3. I enjoy science fiction because it is imaginative.

Historical drama – a story set in the past.

1. My parents enjoy watching historical dramas.

2. Some historical dramas are based on true events.

3. I learned a lot from a recent historical drama.

Live broadcast – a program shown in real time.

1. I watched the award ceremony through a live broadcast.

2. Sports events are often shown via live broadcasts.

3. A live broadcast feels more exciting than recorded content.

Family-friendly – suitable for all ages.

1. I prefer watching family-friendly movies with my relatives.

2. Animated films are usually family-friendly.

3. The TV show is popular because it is family-friendly.

Award-winning film – a movie that has received awards.

1. I recently watched an award-winning film.

2. Award-winning films usually have excellent acting.

3. The director became famous after making an award-winning film.

Background music – music played during scenes.

1. The background music made the movie more emotional.

2. Good background music can improve a film significantly.

3. I sometimes remember movies because of their background music.

Character development – how characters change throughout a story.

1. The series had excellent character development.

2. I enjoy stories with strong character development.

3. Good character development makes movies more realistic.

Suspenseful scene – a scene that creates tension or excitement.

1. The movie included several suspenseful scenes.

2. I enjoy thrillers with suspenseful scenes.

3. The director used music to create a suspenseful scene.

Comedy series – a TV show designed to make people laugh.

1. I like watching comedy series after work.

2. Comedy series help people relax and reduce stress.

3. My favorite comedy series has been running for years.

Film industry – the business of making movies.

1. Technology has changed the film industry significantly.

2. Many young people dream of working in the film industry.

3. The film industry creates jobs for millions of people.