IELTS Vocabulary: Idioms and phrases for Books and Films

Books and Films

An action movie: a film with fast-moving scenes, after containing violence

To be engrossed in: to be completely focused on one thing

Bedtime reading: something to read in bed before you go to sleep

To be a big reader: someone who reads a lot

To be based on: to use as a modal

A box office hit: a financially successful film 

to be heavy-going: difficult to read
A blockbuster: a film that is a big commercial success

To catch the latest movie: to see a film that has just come out

The central character: the main person in a film or book

A classic: of the high quality

To come highly recommended: to be praised by another person

Couldn’t put it down: wasn’t able to stop reading a book

An e-book: a digital book

An e-reader: a device for reading e-book

To flick through: to look quickly through a book 

To get a good/bad review: to receive positive or negative feedback

To go on general release: when a film can be seen by the general public

Hardback: a book with a rigid cover

A historical novel: a story set in the past

A low budget film: a film made with a small amount of money

On the big screen: at the cinema

A page turner: a book that you want to keep reading

Paperback: a book with a flexible cover

Plot: the main events in a film or book

To read something from cover to cover: to read a book from the first page to the last

Sci-fi: science fiction

To see a film: to see a film at the cinema 

The setting: where the action takes place

Showings: performance of a film

Soundtrack: the music that accompanies a film

Special effects: the visuals or sounds that are added to a film which are difficult to produce naturally

To take out(a book from the library): to borrow 

To tell the story of: to outline the details of someone’s life or an event

To watch a film: to see a film