IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Film You Watched Recently (Band 9 Sample)
This Part 2 cue card asks you to describe a film you watched recently and to explain what you thought of it. A band-9 answer gives a clear sense of the film and lands one developed reason for your reaction, rather than retelling the whole plot. Below is a model long-turn of about 230 words in a natural spoken register, followed by a breakdown of why it earns a 9 on all four speaking criteria and the collocations worth stealing.
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01 · The cue card
- what the film was
- when and where you watched it
- what it was about
- and explain what you thought of it
02 · Band 9 sample answer
The film I'd like to talk about is a Japanese animated film I watched a few weeks ago, one evening at home when I couldn't sleep. I'd heard people rave about it for years, so I finally decided to give it a go, not really expecting much.
Without giving too much away, it follows two teenagers in Japan who mysteriously start swapping bodies, and it slowly turns into a beautiful, bittersweet story about connection and fate. On the surface it sounds like a simple premise, but it builds into something surprisingly moving, and the animation is absolutely breathtaking — every single frame looks like a painting.
As for what I thought of it, I was genuinely blown away. I went in fairly sceptical and came out having to sit quietly for a few minutes afterwards, which almost never happens to me with a film. What impressed me most was how it managed to be both a fun, clever story and a genuinely emotional one at the same time. It's stayed with me far longer than I expected, and I've already recommended it to half a dozen friends.
03 · Why this scores Band 9
The answer covers each cue-card point — what, when and where, what it's about, and the verdict — with natural linking ("Without giving too much away...", "As for what I thought of it..."). It builds to a clear reaction and sustains a full two-minute turn without stalling.
Film vocabulary is precise and idiomatic — "rave about it", "give it a go", "bittersweet", "breathtaking", "blown away" — and the plot is summarised briefly in the speaker's own words rather than retold in tedious detail.
A wide range is controlled accurately: past perfect for background ("I'd heard people rave about it for years"), a relative clause ("two teenagers who mysteriously start swapping bodies"), and a cleft ("What impressed me most was how it managed to be both..."). Narrative tenses stay consistent.
Sentences are chunked into speakable breath groups and the contrast structures invite natural emphasis, giving the recording clear, well-paced intonation without hard consonant clusters that trip the tongue.
04 · Useful phrases for this topic
Tap a phrase to see what it means and how to use it. Natural phrases like these lift your Lexical Resource score.
05 · Frequently asked questions
Do I have to describe the whole plot?
No — a brief summary is enough, and revealing everything is actually a weakness. Say what it's about in a sentence or two ("without giving too much away...") and spend most of your time on your reaction, which is what the task really wants.
What if I haven't watched a film recently?
Choose any film you can talk about — the "recently" is flexible, and examiners will not fact-check you. Pick one you have genuine opinions about, since a real reaction is far easier to develop for two minutes than an invented one.
What tense should I use?
Past simple for watching it and the plot ("it followed two teenagers"), past perfect for background ("I'd heard people rave about it"), and present perfect for the lasting effect ("it's stayed with me"). Accurate mixing lifts the grammar score.
How do I make the "what I thought" part strong?
Give a specific, personal reaction rather than "it was good". This answer describes being "blown away" and having to sit quietly afterwards, and explains why — a developed, honest verdict is exactly what earns band 9.
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