It has happened to all of us that on some occasion we are talking about or looking for some concept, aspect, person or work of which we suddenly realize that we do not know the name. It’s possible that it’s on the tip of our tongue but we don’t remember it. And it is possible that it is a work that we really want to see, or simply finish remembering. Maybe we’re looking for it.

But… how to do it? How to search for a film without knowing the name? Throughout this short article we will try to visualize some ways or elements that we can use in order to perform such a search successfully.

Ways to find a movie without knowing the name

Finding a film without knowing the name can be complicated, as the seventh art has generated a huge range of very diverse works of art. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. The main strategy to employ is to take advantage of all the information we remember or know about the film in question, and with it to take advantage of the available resources to try to locate the one we want .

While it is possible to use specialized search engines and programs, we can also simply search in our usual Internet search engine or go to a film library or even a friend. Among the different data that we can use to try to locate the film, the following stand out.

1. General argument

We may not remember the name of a movie, but most likely we do have an idea of the plot of the movie in question .

For example, we may be looking for a movie that despite not knowing its name if we remember that it was about a group of humans who got into the bodies of some synthetic blue aliens to make contact with the natives of that same species on a planet called Pandora. Or that in a gloomy castle located on top of a hill that had an excessively colorful people at its skirts inhabited a man who instead of hands has scissors.

2. Gender, theme and setting

Likewise and linked to the above, another way of trying to find a film is taking into account the film genre of this one (comedy, drama… although sometimes it can be complicated to define some films in a concrete way), or the themes or the place and time in which the action took place.

For example, it may be easier to remember that this is a musical set in France during the years before and after the beginning of the French Revolution than to remember the title “Les Misérables”.

3. Name of one of the main characters

Another way to identify or try to find a movie is to try to remember or rely on the name of the main character for the search, as long as it is recognized. Search engines place a high value on proper nouns when filtering results from movies.

You may not remember the movie Braveheart, but it’s probably much easier to find it if you remember that it’s based on the character of William Wallace. It doesn’t have to be a historical character to be recognizable: Scarlett O’Hara, Simba or Freddy Krueger can lead us to find the films of “Gone with the Wind”, “The Lion King” or “Nightmare on Elm Street”.

4. Name of director

Although not everyone notices the names of the film directors, names such as Peter Jackson, Night Shyamalan, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro or Pedro Almodovar are highly regarded. Knowing who has made the film makes it much easier to search , to the point of being able to rely on it to find the work.

5. Part of the name of the main actors and actresses

It is possible that in order to find a film of which we do not know the name, it could be very useful to know who is participating in it, especially with regard to the protagonists . If we know the name of the actor or actress in question we can look for the roles in which he or she has participated, among which we could find the film in question.

6. Have you won any prizes?

This method is only useful if the film we are looking for happens to be highly recognized and has been awarded or nominated for some kind of prize (either at the level of the film or at the level of one of the actors or actresses). If we know the specific award or nomination and the gala at which it was presented, it will be enough to look at the lists of nominees/award winners until we find it.

This is especially easy if what we’re looking at are big prizes , like the Oscars. However, this does not have to be positive recognition either: let’s remember that there are also awards for the worst films, such as the Razzie.

While it is possible to use specialized search engines and programs, we can also simply search in our usual Internet search engine or go to a film library or even a friend.
Among the different data that we can use to try to locate the film, the following stand out.

1. General argument

We may not remember the name of a movie, but most likely we do have an idea of the plot of the movie in question .

For example, we may be looking for a movie that despite not knowing its name if we remember that it was about a group of humans who got into the bodies of some synthetic blue aliens to make contact with the natives of that same species on a planet called Pandora. Or that in a gloomy castle located on top of a hill that had an excessively colorful people at its skirts inhabited a man who instead of hands has scissors.

2. Gender, theme and setting

Likewise and linked to the above, another way of trying to find a film is taking into account the film genre of this one (comedy, drama… although sometimes it can be complicated to define some films in a concrete way), or the themes or the place and time in which the action took place.

For example, it may be easier to remember that this is a musical set in France during the years before and after the beginning of the French Revolution than to remember the title “Les Misérables”.

3. Name of one of the main characters