Movies are everywhere. They shape what we talk about at parties, influence what we wear, and sometimes completely change how we see things. Got a speech coming up? Film topics are perfect because everyone has opinions about movies.
You could talk about how superhero movies make us feel safer, or why we love watching scary stuff even though it freaks us out. The trick is picking something you actually care about and that your audience will find interesting too.
Speech Topics about Movies
Here are twenty solid ideas that’ll get people listening and maybe even arguing a little (in a good way). Some are serious, some are fun, but they’re all worth talking about.
1. Disney Movies Aren’t Just for Kids
Ever notice how Disney movies make adults cry more than children do? That’s because these films sneak in heavy stuff like death, family problems, and growing up while keeping things colorful and fun on the surface.
Pick your favorite Disney movie and dig into what it’s saying. Bambi teaches kids about loss. Moana is about finding yourself. Your audience probably has strong feelings about Disney, so use that. Ask them which Disney movie hit them hardest as an adult.
2. Hollywood Keeps Making the Same Movie Over and Over
Walk into any movie theater and you’ll see sequels, remakes, and superhero movies filling most of the screens. Studios would rather make Fast & Furious 47 than risk money on something new and different.
Show them the numbers. How much did the last five Marvel movies make versus original stories? Look up what directors say about trying to get funding for new ideas. People get frustrated about this, so you’ll have their attention right away.
3. Horror Movies Actually Help You Deal with Stress
This sounds backwards, but getting scared in a safe place actually makes you feel better afterward. It’s like going on a roller coaster – your body gets all worked up, then relaxes once it’s over.
Talk about the science, but keep it simple. Your heart rate goes up, adrenaline kicks in, and then you get a relief feeling when the credits roll. Maybe share a story about watching a scary movie that made you feel braver in real life.
4. Pixar Puts Secret Messages in Everything
Those Pixar animators aren’t just making pretty pictures. Every color choice, every lighting change, every tiny detail is planned to make you feel something specific. They’re basically manipulating your emotions, and they’re really good at it.
Pick one Pixar scene everyone knows and break it down. Why is everything blue when the character is sad? Why does the lighting get warmer when they’re happy? Show people what they’ve been seeing without realizing it.
5. Marvel Heroes Are Messed Up Just Like Real People
Superman used to be perfect. Iron Man has panic attacks. Captain America needs therapy. Spider-Man is broke and stressed about school. These new heroes feel more like actual people than the old-school perfect guys.
Compare an old superhero movie with a new Marvel one. Show how the problems changed from “stop the bad guy” to “figure out your life while also stopping the bad guy.” Your audience can probably relate to having anxiety or relationship problems.
6. There’s Science Behind Why Movies Make You Cry
Your brain doesn’t know the difference between real sadness and movie sadness. When something sad happens on screen, your body releases the same chemicals as if it was happening to someone you actually know.
Use a movie that made everyone cry, like the opening of Up or when Mufasa dies. Explain why our brains work this way without getting too technical. Most people wonder why they cry at movies, so you’re answering a question they already have.
7. Movie Critics Live in a Different Reality Than the Rest of Us
Critics loved Citizen Kane. Most people find it boring. Audiences loved Transformers. Critics hated it. This happens constantly, and it’s not because one group is wrong – they’re looking for completely different things.
Find a movie that critics and regular people disagreed about. Look at the actual review scores and see how far apart they are. Maybe survey some friends about what they want from movies versus what critics seem to want.
8. Women in Action Movies Used to Be Terrible
Twenty years ago, the “strong female character” was usually just a pretty woman who could throw one good punch before needing to be rescued. Now we get actual characters who happen to be women who can also kick butt.
Pick an old action movie and a new one. Compare how the women are written, what they wear, and what their goals are. The difference is pretty shocking when you put them side by side. Your audience will notice things they never thought about before.
9. Movies Are Full of Ads and You Don’t Even Notice
That Coke can is sitting on the table? Someone paid for that. The car the hero drives? Also paid for. Companies spend millions to get their stuff in movies because it works better than regular commercials.
Point out product placement in movies everyone has seen. Once people start noticing it, they can’t unsee it. Talk about how much money changes hands and why this kind of advertising is so sneaky and effective.
10. Movie Music Controls Your Emotions
Take the music away from any scary movie, and it’s not scary anymore. The soundtrack tells you how to feel about every single scene. Composers are emotional puppet masters.
Play some famous movie music without the video and watch how it makes people feel. The Jaws theme makes everyone tense up even without seeing a shark. Show how the same scene can feel completely different with different music.
11. Small Movies Matter More Than Big Ones
The weird little movies that play at independent theaters often say more important things than the big blockbusters. They talk about real problems and try new ideas because they don’t have to worry about making a billion dollars.
Find a small movie that surprised everyone or started important conversations. Compare its budget to a big studio film. Talk about how these movies survive and why they keep getting made even when they don’t make much money.
12. Bad Guys Are More Interesting Than Good Guys
Think about it – you probably remember movie villains better than heroes. Darth Vader, the Joker, Hannibal Lecter. They’re fascinating because they do things we’d never do but sometimes secretly want to.
Pick a villain everyone knows and talk about what makes them interesting. Don’t just say they’re evil – dig into why they do what they do. Most good villains think they’re the hero of their own story.
13. Social Media Changed How Movies Get Famous
Studios used to just buy TV commercials and newspaper ads. Now they create hashtags, work with influencers, and hope things go viral. A single tweet can make or break a movie’s opening weekend.
Show examples of movie marketing campaigns that worked or failed on social media. Look at how trailer views translate to ticket sales. Compare this to how movies used to get promoted – the difference is huge.
14. Making Movies Is Really Bad for the Environment
All those explosions, car chases, and exotic locations come with a massive environmental cost. Flying cast and crew around the globe, building huge sets that get thrown away, running generators 24/7 – it adds up fast.
Look up the carbon footprint of a big movie production. Compare it to something people understand, like how many cars are driven for a year. Some productions are trying to go green, but most still waste enormous amounts of resources.
15. Foreign Movies Are Way Better Than You Think
If you only watch American movies, you’re missing out on some incredible stories. Other countries make films about things Hollywood won’t touch, and they do it in ways you’ve never seen before.
Recommend a few foreign movies that blew people’s minds. Address the subtitle problem directly – yes, you have to read, but it’s worth it. Share what you’ve learned from watching movies from other cultures.
16. Movie Theaters Might Be Dying
Streaming services, giant TVs, and comfy couches at home are making it harder to get people into theaters. The pandemic made it worse, but the trend was already happening before that.
Show the numbers – theater closings, declining ticket sales, streaming subscriber growth. But also talk about what theaters are doing to fight back. Some are becoming fancy dinner experiences, others have huge screens and amazing sound systems.
17. Cartoons Tackle Heavy Stuff Better Than Live Action
Want to talk about racism? Make a movie about animals in a city. Want to discuss mental health? Personify emotions as cartoon characters. Animation lets filmmakers approach serious topics without making people defensive.
Look at movies like Zootopia or Inside Out. They deal with prejudice and depression, but because they’re animated, people watch them with their kids. The messages get through because they don’t feel like lectures.
18. Sci-Fi Movies Predicted Your Phone
Science fiction writers and filmmakers have been weirdly good at guessing what technology would look like years before it existed. Video calls, tablets, AI assistants – someone put them in a movie first.
Pick some technology everyone uses now and find the old sci-fi movie that showed it first. Talk about what current sci-fi movies might be predicting about the next twenty years. Some of it might sound crazy now, but end up being normal later.
19. Remakes Almost Always Suck
There’s usually a good reason the original movie worked, and it’s tied to when and how it was made. Trying to recreate that magic years later with different people rarely works out.
Compare some famous remake disasters with their originals. Talk about why certain stories belong to certain time periods. Maybe find one of the rare remakes that improved on the original and figure out what made it different.
20. Feel-Good Movies Are Like Medicine
Sometimes you just need to watch something that makes you feel better about life. These comfort movies do help people deal with stress, sadness, and anxiety. There’s real psychology behind why they work.
Ask your audience about their go-to comfort movies. Most people have one or two films they watch when they’re feeling down. Talk about what these movies have in common and why our brains respond to them so positively.
Wrapping Up
Movies give you endless things to talk about because everyone watches them and has opinions. Pick something you’re genuinely interested in, find some good examples, and don’t be afraid to get people talking.
The best movie speeches make people think about films they’ve seen in new ways. Whether you’re talking about blockbusters or art house films, focus on connecting with your audience’s experiences. They’ll remember your speech long after you’re done talking.