LEXICAL: TOPIC 2: FILMS/THEATER/BOOKS

claustrophobic (adj)

cramped; enclosed; suffocating

ex: The ensemble works particularly well in the claustrophobic setting, where a seemingly harmless dinner gradually becomes more uncomfortable.

formulaic (adj)

predictable; repetitive; conventional

riveting (adj)

fascinating; gripping; absorbing

prominent (adj)

well-known; important; influential

vacuous (adj)

shallow; empty; meaningless

Ex: Some vacuous dialogue ruined the story.

meticulously (adv)

carefully; thoroughly; precisely

→ meticulous (adj)

run-of-the-mill

ordinary; average; unremarkable

provocative (adj)

controversial; challenging; deliberately shocking

ex: The show may be deliberately crude at times, but that provocative style is precisely what its loyal audience enjoys.

harrowing (adj)

distressing; frightening; deeply upsetting

ex: The film shows a harrowing fight for survival.

heavy-going (adj)

demanding; difficult; hard to follow

ex: Some scenes can feel quite heavy-going, particularly when the dialogue becomes more philosophical and layered.

outrageous (adj)

shocking; unacceptable; extremely offensive

hackneyed (adj)

overused; unoriginal; worn-out

ex: The glaring plot holes were bad enough, but every time the tension began to build, a hackneyed joke ruined it.

ensemble

food for thought

~ thought-provoking (adj)

ex: A student’s presentation on AI-generated deepfakes gave the class plenty of food for thought about the dangers of online misinformation.

nothing short of remarkable

= very remarkable

go down in history

= make history

Ex: In 2002, Halle Berry went down in history as the first Black woman to win Academy Award for Best Actress.

in stitches

make people laugh

= bring down the house

Ex: There are plenty of funny moments that had the audience in stitches.

stand the test of time

Ex: The film is nothing short of remarkable, and I can easily see it standing the test of time.

second to none

very good

= a tough act to follow (a person who is so good and surpasses everyone)

do justice to

rolling in the aisles

jump the shot

on the edge of one’s seat

fall flat

page-turner

= unputdownable

= read a book from cover to cover

ex: With the interesting plot, this book is absolutely page-turner.

flick through

briefly look through

Ex: I flicked through (=briefly looked through) the cookbook before deciding whether to buy it.

caught sb off guard

twists and turns

ex: The protagonist’s journey is full of twists and turns (= unexpected changes and surprising developments)

live up to the hype

= meet the expectation

ex: Unfortunately, the eagerly awaited sequel failed to live up to the hype (=meet the high expectations) created by its publicity.

leave a lot to be desired

Ex: The acting in the low-budget horror film left a lot to be desired (= was far below an acceptable standard.)

pick holes in

= find fault with

Ex: Rather than appreciating the author’s arguments, the critic picked holes in (= kept finding minor faults / found fault with) in every paragraph.

wade through

come to life

read between the lines

understand the underlying meanings of sth

have sb’s name in lights

becoming famous and publicly recognized

ex: She had always dreamed of having her name in lights.

tread the board

performing on stage in a theater

Ex: She began her career by treading the board before making the transition to film and television.

make a name for oneself

becoming well-known and respected for one’s achievements

ex: She determined to make a name for herself,

a leading light

an important and influential person in a particular field

Ex: She soon became a leading light in American acting.

play to the gallery

behaving in a way intended to win public approval

wear your heart on you sleeve

showing your emotions openly

ex: She is an artist who is never afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve.

wait in the wings

wait for an opportunity to take action or to become involved

ex: For years, she was waiting in the wings, gradually building a reputation before securing some of the most demanding roles in Hollywood.

break the glass ceiling

overcome invisible barriers to career advancement

ex: In achieving this historical feat, she has undeniably broken the glass ceiling for women of colour in the industry.

sweep the board

win all or nearly all the prizes or awards

make waves

attracting considerable attention or causing a significant reaction

ex: She also makes waves through her advocacy for greater diversity and representation in the entertainment industry.

advocacy

pave the way

making it easier for others to achieve sth

ex: She actively used her hard-earned platform to pave the way for the next generation of underrepresented artists.

a force to be reckoned with

a powerful or influential person who must be taken seriously

Ex: She has become a force to be reckoned with both on screen and behind the scenes.

steal the limelight

attracting attention away from others

Ex: She steals the limelight whenever she appears.

fickle

fall from grace

losing one’s reputation, status or public respect

adage

it will be alright on the night

everything going on well when the actual performance takes place

= the show must go on

grow on

identify with

= sympathize with

ex: Many teenage viewers can identify with (= empathize with) the main character.

tug at the heartstrings

bring down the house

make people laugh

= in stitches

revolve around

give away

spoil sth

Ex: Online reviews have given away the ending of the movie.

= betray

put on

get across

truyền được thông điệp

turn off

làm ai đó mất hứng

ham (sth) up

plough through

~ wade through (-_- ?)