--- title: "Do You Underline Movie Titles? Not Anymore! 2026 Rules" description: "Do you underline movie titles? Movie titles are usually italicized, not underlined—except in handwriting or style-limited cases." url: "https://rewritebar.com/articles/do-you-underline-movie-titles" --- [Back to Articles](https://rewritebar.com/articles "Back to Articles") April 25, 2026[Auditorial](https://rewritebar.com/blog/category/auditorial "Posts in Auditorial") # Do You Underline Movie Titles? Not Anymore! 2026 Rules Do you underline movie titles? Movie titles are usually italicized, not underlined—except in handwriting or style-limited cases. Written by [![Avatar of Mathias Michel](https://rewritebar.com/_next/image?url=%2F_next%2Fstatic%2Fimmutable%2Fmedia%2Fmathias.35h56kwevcs7u.jpg&w=64&q=75)Mathias Michel](https://rewritebar.com/blog/author/mathias "Posts by Mathias Michel") More to read [10 Resume Writing Tips to Win More Interviews](https://rewritebar.com/articles/resume-writing-tips "10 Resume Writing Tips to Win More Interviews") Use these resume writing tips to improve your headline, ATS keywords, achievements, formatting, examples, and final review for stronger applications. [How to Use AI for Writing (2026 Practical Workflow)](https://rewritebar.com/articles/how-to-use-ai-for-writing "How to Use AI for Writing (2026 Practical Workflow)") Learn how to use AI for writing with a step-by-step workflow covering prompt templates, editing, privacy options, and ready-to-use examples for every task. [How Readability Scoring Actually Works](https://rewritebar.com/articles/readability-scoring "How Readability Scoring Actually Works") Discover how readability scoring works, why legacy formulas fail, and how to use AI tools like RewriteBar to write clearer content for any audience. Published April 25, 2026 Tags [Editing](https://rewritebar.com/articles/tags/editing)[Writing Tips](https://rewritebar.com/articles/tags/writing-tips) ![Do You Underline Movie Titles? Not Anymore! 2026 Rules](https://cdnimg.co/d2c6ccca-2b78-4e9b-93c0-0341aaba38e9/0d818aa6-a09f-4a67-96e9-dc2bf6094fbb/do-you-underline-movie-titles-filmmaking-rules.jpg) No, you usually do not underline movie titles anymore. In essays, articles, and most digital writing, the standard answer is to italicize them: _Get Out_, _The Godfather_, _Spirited Away_. Underlining still works as a fallback in handwriting or in tools that cannot display italics reliably. The confusion is real because the rule changes by context. In MLA, APA, and Chicago, movie titles in essays are typically italicized, while AP-style journalism commonly uses quotation marks instead, a distinction explained in this [style overview from Proofed](https://proofed.com/writing-tips/are-movies-italicized/). So the same film may appear as _Oppenheimer_ in a paper and “Oppenheimer” in a news story without either writer being wrong. If you are writing an essay and your professor has not said otherwise, use italics for the movie title. ## How We Verified the Rules in This Guide This guide was checked against the style systems that control most real-world uses of movie titles: MLA, APA, Chicago, and AP. I also reviewed common edge cases outside formal essays, including handwriting, Markdown, copied plain text, and code comments where italics may disappear. For the core italics-versus-quotation-marks rule, I relied on current guidance rather than forum folklore. Grammarly places movies with longer standalone works that take italics, while shorter works such as essays, poems, and songs take quotation marks, as shown in its [quotation marks in titles guide](https://www.grammarly.com/blog/punctuation-capitalization/quotation-marks-in-titles/). ## So Do You Underline Movie Titles Anymore Short answer: in modern writing, no. If you are typing an essay, article, report, or document, movie titles should usually be italicized, not underlined. That is the clearest answer to the essay question behind most of this confusion: are movies italicized, or are movies italicized or quoted? In academic writing, they are usually italicized. If you are wondering, “am i supposed to quotation mark movie titles in essyas?”, the answer is generally no. Quotation marks are for shorter works, while a film is treated as a full standalone work. Newsrooms and formatting-limited tools follow different pressures. AP style often uses quotation marks. Handwritten work and plain-text environments may use underlining as a substitute for italics. So when people ask whether movie titles should be in quotes or italics, the correct choice is italics for essays and most formal writing, with quotation marks used only in specific style systems or tool constraints. ### What to do in an essay If you are writing a school paper, literary analysis, or film essay, use italics for movie titles in MLA, APA, and Chicago. The standard answer to questions like are movie titles underlined, are movies underlined, or are movies underlined or quoted is that they are not underlined in a typical typed essay. Underlining is mainly a backup for handwriting or situations where you cannot format in italics. Use quotation marks only if one of these is true: - your instructor explicitly asks for them - you are following AP style for a journalism assignment - your writing tool cannot show italics and you need a readable fallback Here are clear examples using the same film title: - **Correct in an essay:** In _The Shawshank Redemption_, hope functions as a survival strategy. - **Also correct in MLA/APA/Chicago prose:** My paper compares _The Shawshank Redemption_ with _The Green Mile_. - **Usually incorrect for a standard essay:** In “The Shawshank Redemption,” hope functions as a survival strategy. - **Acceptable in handwriting:** In _The Shawshank Redemption_, hope functions as a survival strategy. - **Acceptable in formatting-limited plain text:** My paper compares "The Shawshank Redemption" with "The Green Mile" when italics will not display. ## From Typewriters to Pixels The History of Underlining Underlining started as a **tool problem**, not a grammar truth. In **1922**, the _Chicago Manual of Style_ established underlining as the standard for titles in typewritten manuscripts. It later shifted to italics as digital word processors became common, and _Chicago_ formally prioritized italics in its **15th edition in 2003** ([Chicago title-formatting history](https://capitalizemytitle.com/ufaqs/do-you-underline-movie-titles/)). ![An old black typewriter with the word ORIGIN typed on paper sits next to a computer displaying PIXELS.](https://cdnimg.co/d2c6ccca-2b78-4e9b-93c0-0341aaba38e9/2d9d8ec6-ed98-4ba7-bb65-d0a0ab1730de/do-you-underline-movie-titles-typewriter-design.jpg) ### Why underlining existed at all A typewriter could not easily produce true italic type, so writers used underlining to show that a title was special. That old rule solved a real problem: - **Typewriter limitation:** no easy italic formatting - **Need in formal writing:** titles had to stand out from regular text - **Workaround:** underline the title ### Why italics took over Once word processors became normal, the workaround stopped being necessary. Italics look cleaner and signal titles more naturally than a line dragged under every word. > Underlining wasn't "wrong." It was the best available substitute. That history explains why older reference books or teachers may seem to disagree. If you're writing on a modern device, you're usually in the italics era. ## The Modern Standard Italics vs Quotation Marks The easiest way to remember title formatting is this: **big things get italics, smaller parts get quotation marks**. A movie is a complete, standalone work, so it gets italics. A song on an album is one part of a larger whole, so it gets quotation marks. A TV show gets italics. A single episode gets quotation marks. ![A guide explaining when to use italics for large works and quotation marks for smaller works.](https://cdnimg.co/d2c6ccca-2b78-4e9b-93c0-0341aaba38e9/12d021ae-798f-4f76-a468-24acd73b3fb2/do-you-underline-movie-titles-punctuation-guide.jpg) ### The big work and small part rule | Type of title | Format | Example | | ------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------- | | Movie | Italics | _Parasite_ | | TV series | Italics | _Bridgerton_ | | Book | Italics | _Dune_ | | Play | Italics | _Hamlet_ | | TV episode | Quotation marks | "The One with the Embryos" | | Song | Quotation marks | "Bohemian Rhapsody" | | Article | Quotation marks | "A New Study on Climate Change" | ### Where movie titles fit Movie titles sit firmly in the **italics** category in standard academic and general formal writing. So these are correct: - I watched _Casablanca_ last night. - Her essay compares _Barbie_ and _Lady Bird_. - The documentary _Won't You Be My Neighbor?_ uses interviews and archival footage. What you usually should not do in modern writing is this: - I watched _Casablanca_ last night. - I watched "Casablanca" last night. - I watched Casablanca last night. ## How to Write a Movie Title in an Essay For most students, the practical rule is simple: italicize the title in your sentence, and keep your citation style consistent with the rest of the assignment. That is the default in MLA, APA, and Chicago when you mention a film in the body of an essay. If your assignment sheet says MLA, APA, or Chicago, you do not need to guess whether are movie titles underlined or whether are movies underlined or quoted. Type the title in italics and move on. If your class is journalism-based or your teacher specifically requires AP style, then quotation marks may be expected instead. ### Essay examples by context - **MLA-style essay sentence:** In _Everything Everywhere All at Once_, absurd humor becomes a way to discuss grief. - **APA-style paper sentence:** The film _Everything Everywhere All at Once_ uses multiverse logic to heighten emotional stakes. - **Chicago-style analysis sentence:** _Everything Everywhere All at Once_ blends action choreography with family drama. - **AP-style review sentence:** "Everything Everywhere All at Once" became a breakout critical success. ### If your teacher's instructions conflict with the usual rule Follow the assignment first. A professor, department rubric, school handbook, or publication style sheet overrides general internet advice. Style is not a moral issue; it is a consistency issue. ## How Major Style Guides Handle Movie Titles The biggest source of confusion is not grammar; it is that different style guides solve the problem differently. Academic writing mostly agrees on italics, while journalism often does not. According to Grammarly’s explanation of title formatting, movies belong in the italics category alongside other longer standalone works, while shorter works such as essays and songs take quotation marks; see its [titles and quotation marks guidance](https://www.grammarly.com/blog/punctuation-capitalization/quotation-marks-in-titles/). That lines up with what most students are taught in formal essays. The contrast between academic styles and AP-style journalism is summarized clearly in this [Proofed breakdown](https://proofed.com/writing-tips/are-movies-italicized/). Here is the practical comparison: | Style guide | Movie title format | Typically used for | Example | | ----------- | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | MLA | Italics | Literature, humanities, many student essays | In _Moonlight_, color and silence work together. | | APA | Italics | Psychology, education, social sciences | The film _Moonlight_ presents identity as fluid and social. | | Chicago | Italics | Publishing, history, some academic writing | _Moonlight_ rewards close attention to visual detail. | | AP | Quotation marks | News, magazines, entertainment journalism | "Moonlight" won the Oscar after a historic mix-up. | ### MLA MLA is the safest default for many essay questions about movie titles. In regular prose and in works-cited entries, a feature film title is italicized because it is treated as a standalone work. ### APA APA also uses italics for film titles in running text and references. ### Chicago Chicago follows the same broad pattern for major works: movie titles are italicized. If you need help with the mechanics beyond the title itself, this guide to [Chicago citation rules for writers and students](https://rewritebar.com/articles/cite-in-chicago-style) is useful. ### AP AP is the outlier most readers notice because it often uses quotation marks where academic writers use italics. That is why entertainment coverage may write “The Social Network” even though a professor expects _The Social Network_. ## Formatting Titles in Code Comments and Digital Tools Traditional style guides tell you what to do in polished prose, but they rarely help when you're writing in a README, a pull request, a Slack thread, a Jira ticket, or a code comment. In plain-text environments common in software development, Markdown can render formatting, but platforms do not always preserve italics consistently. ![A dual monitor computer setup on a white desk with programming code and document formatting software displayed.](https://cdnimg.co/d2c6ccca-2b78-4e9b-93c0-0341aaba38e9/0198b275-2200-49fd-8338-d1f97e878a8f/do-you-underline-movie-titles-computer-workstation.jpg) ### What works in Markdown and what breaks elsewhere In Markdown, you can usually write `*Alien*` and get italics. That's fine in a GitHub README or a markdown-aware editor. But if that text gets pasted into a plain text field or exported into a different tool, the visual cue may disappear. A few practical examples: - **README file:** `*Blade Runner*` is usually fine - **Code comment:** quotes are often clearer than trying to force special formatting - **Jira ticket copied into email:** formatting may not survive - **Slack or terminal output:** rendering can vary Resources on [optimizing text legibility in digital environments](https://www.meowtxt.com/blog/best-font-for-subtitles) are useful because title formatting only helps if the reader can still recognize it after the text moves. ### A practical decision rule for tech teams Use this approach: - **If the platform reliably supports italics:** use italics for movie titles - **If the text may be stripped or copied into plain text:** use quotation marks - **If you're writing in comments or tickets where clarity beats formality:** choose the format that stays readable after paste, export, and sync If you're comparing editors for this kind of work, a guide to choosing the [best Markdown editor for cleaner writing workflows](https://rewritebar.com/articles/best-markdown-editor) can help. And if you need a tool specifically for building citations once your title formatting is settled, this roundup from [Digital ToolPad](https://www.digitaltoolpad.com/blog/citation-format-generator) is a practical place to start. ## Your Quick Reference for Any Situation When the rule slips your mind, use this cheat sheet. ![An infographic cheat sheet showing when to use italics, quotes, or underlining for movie titles in different contexts.](https://cdnimg.co/d2c6ccca-2b78-4e9b-93c0-0341aaba38e9/b0a3553e-c14f-4ada-9300-8f73e56064c8/improvement/1f802013-96bd-42bc-ac84-50af817b1e1e.jpg) ### Fast answers you can use right away > **When typing an essay or document** > Use _italics_: _Moonlight_ > **When handwriting** > Underline the movie title if you can't produce italics neatly: _Moonlight_ > **When writing a news-style article** > Use quotation marks if you're following AP style: "Moonlight" > **When writing in Markdown** > Use asterisks for italics if the platform supports them: `*Moonlight*` ### If you're unsure, choose by context - **Academic paper:** _Get Out_ - **Blog post in a rich text editor:** _Arrival_ - **Plain text email or stripped formatting field:** "Arrival" may be safer - **Code comment or ticket:** pick the format that remains clear after copy and paste A title-case tool can also help with the other half of the problem. If you're formatting a movie title and also want the capitalization cleaned up, a [title case prompt for fast cleanup](https://rewritebar.com/prompts/title-case) is handy. ## Frequently Asked Questions About Title Formatting ### Do I put movie titles in quotation marks? Usually not in essays, research papers, or other academic writing. In MLA, APA, and Chicago, movie titles are typically italicized because a film is treated as a longer standalone work. Quotation marks are more common in AP-style journalism or in plain-text environments where italics will not display reliably. ### Do you italicize the title of a movie in an essay? Yes, in most cases. If you are writing an essay in MLA, APA, or Chicago, italicize the movie title in your sentence: _Get Out_, _The Wizard of Oz_, _Past Lives_. The main exception is when your teacher, school, or publication gives different instructions. ### How to quote movies in an essay? There are three different things people mean by this, and they are not the same. - **Mentioning the film title in your own prose:** italicize the title. Example: In _Whiplash_, ambition is shown as both discipline and self-destruction. - **Quoting dialogue from the movie:** put the spoken words in quotation marks. Example: Andrew is pushed forward by Fletcher’s demand to be “one of the greats.” - **Referring to a scene or citing the film as evidence:** mention the scene clearly and format the title according to your style guide. ### Are movie titles underlined? They can be, but mostly as a fallback. Underlining was standard in the typewriter era and still makes sense in handwriting or in systems where italics are unavailable. In modern typed writing, italics are the normal choice. ### What if a movie title appears inside another title Use the formatting that matches the outer title first. Then format the movie title inside it in a way that stays readable. For example, if an article title uses quotation marks, the movie title inside it is often set off distinctly: "Why _Jaws_ Still Works" ### Where does punctuation go around a movie title Commas and periods usually belong to the sentence, not the title formatting itself. So you would write: I rewatched _The Matrix_, and it still feels sharp. If the punctuation is part of the official movie title, keep it. For example, _Who Framed Roger Rabbit?_ includes the question mark because it's part of the title. ### Do I need title case too Usually, yes. Formatting and capitalization are separate choices. Italics tell the reader that the words form a title. **Title case** tells the reader how the words should be capitalized. ### What about foreign film titles Treat them like other movie titles. If you're writing in English prose, italicize the title in the same way you would italicize an English-language film title. Examples: _Roma_, _Amélie_, _Spirited Away_. --- If you write across essays, docs, Slack, tickets, and apps all day, small style questions can slow you down more than they should. [RewriteBar](https://rewritebar.com/) helps you clean up grammar, tone, clarity, and formatting anywhere you write on macOS, so you can fix awkward phrasing or standardize title styles without leaving the app you're already using. ![Portrait of Mathias Michel](https://rewritebar.com/_next/image?url=%2F_next%2Fstatic%2Fimmutable%2Fmedia%2Fmathias.35h56kwevcs7u.jpg&w=256&q=75) About the Author ## Mathias Michel Maker of RewriteBar Mathias is Software Engineer and the maker of RewriteBar. He is building helpful tools to tackle his daily struggles with writing. He therefore built RewriteBar to help him and others to improve their writing. [Twitter](https://twitter.com/m91michel)[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michel-x-mathias/)[GitHub](https://github.com/m91michel) More to read [10 Resume Writing Tips to Win More Interviews](https://rewritebar.com/articles/resume-writing-tips "10 Resume Writing Tips to Win More Interviews") Use these resume writing tips to improve your headline, ATS keywords, achievements, formatting, examples, and final review for stronger applications. [How to Use AI for Writing (2026 Practical Workflow)](https://rewritebar.com/articles/how-to-use-ai-for-writing "How to Use AI for Writing (2026 Practical Workflow)") Learn how to use AI for writing with a step-by-step workflow covering prompt templates, editing, privacy options, and ready-to-use examples for every task. [How Readability Scoring Actually Works](https://rewritebar.com/articles/readability-scoring "How Readability Scoring Actually Works") Discover how readability scoring works, why legacy formulas fail, and how to use AI tools like RewriteBar to write clearer content for any audience. Tags [Editing](https://rewritebar.com/articles/tags/editing)[Writing Tips](https://rewritebar.com/articles/tags/writing-tips) Written by [![Avatar of Mathias Michel](https://rewritebar.com/_next/image?url=%2F_next%2Fstatic%2Fimmutable%2Fmedia%2Fmathias.35h56kwevcs7u.jpg&w=64&q=75)Mathias Michel](https://rewritebar.com/blog/author/mathias "Posts by Mathias Michel") Published April 25, 2026