When submitting a rating to IMDb/letterboxd/etc Do you just guess a number that seems about right to you? Or do you have more selective criteria to get to your final rating?
I usually just go with whatever feels right, but that translates to basically the same 3 numbers 6-7-8, unless I think it’s really good/bad
My criteria goes:
1: Get thee to a nunnery, instant revulsion whenever I remember it exists
2: Really no higher through effort on the movie's part, I just feel more charitable
3: Not exactly in worst of all time conversations, but near it
4: Below average
5: Average
6: Above average, but that still sounds better than many 6's I give; basically middling to fine
7: Good! Opportunity for advancement
8: Great! Probably worthy of higher but just didn't grab me quite that much
9: Nearly masterful, usually just don't want to be too premature and declare it so right away
10: Perfect in my own estimation, will carry with me my entire life, would date if a person
How much I liked it, thats it because the ratings are there just for me to keep track of what I watched and what I thought about them then. Usually between 6-10 because lower than that and I wont finish it.
If I was a professional critic I would take into consideration how well the film succeeds at its goal, its technical quality and if the general audience member is going to like it, but I dont need to think about any of that.
"There are no rules in filmmaking. Only sins. And the cardinal sin is dullness." - Capra
AKA, how many times did I check the runtime to see if it was almost over. If I’m entertained I’ll rate it high.
I use IMDB and every time I explain my rating system to someone that tell me I’m insane.
⭐️ Absolute garbage
⭐️⭐️ Tiresome to get through
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Relatively watchable
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Is enjoyable at parts, but over not that good
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Average
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A better than average movie
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A good movie
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A great movie
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A damn near masterpiece
That's how my rating goes.
On a related note..
I've always found it hard to pick between a 5-point scale and a a 10-point scale.
A 5-point scale makes it easier to rate movies, but it also makes it harder to distinguish between them as each point covers a wider range of quality. A 10-point scale, while being more precise, makes it harder to decide what to rate a movie.
I decide based on first, how much I enjoyed the movie, second, how unique it was, lastly, would I watch it again.
im done with rating films i find it pointless now. I just break it down as 1 of these 4
1.film was shit wont ever watch that again
2.was ok might give it another go around
3.love some of it but on the fence but will def watch it again
4.fucking loved it and no doubt will rewatch it forever
1: Can't believe I watched this. I'm going straight on the internet to vent on an internet movie website
2: Still can't believe I watched this, but I had some really nice snacks while watching it so I'm in a good mood
3: Bad film, but there were some decent parts/characters
4: Not a waste of time, but won't live long in the memory
5: Average. Watch if you're bored
6: Not bad. Enjoyed parts of it. Could improve with some changes
8: Good film.
9: Great film.
10: Masterpiece. I'm going to be replaying it in my head for the next week at least.
Most films are 4 - 8.
Personally I go with a 5 star.
5 absolutely shut up and watch. No Country for Old Men.
A 1 would be avoid at all cost. Boogeyman (2005) Still remember, pushing through it. At least to see the Boogeyman. Wow, just wow.
Although a movie should be rated twice too. As a general movie, and then on a genre type. In particular, with horror movies. You sometimes have to let things slide.
Ps Boogeyman is just terrible. As a mainstream and as a horror film.
Same here.
The only rating I do of a film is whether it is good enough to make my best of the year list and where it fits in the current list. Since my 2023 list has zero films it will be pretty easy to make it since my judgement changes to whether the movie I just saw was good and if so is it good enough to make my top ten in a really bad movie year.
Completely forgot that I watched that aha
Samael13 t1_j6eqfm1 wrote
I always use a five point scale:
1 - This movie is terrible and highly flawed. I regret watching it and would actively discourage people from seeing it.
2 - This is a seriously flawed movie but there's something redeeming about it (e.g. The premise and script are good, but the special effects are terrible or the casting is bad, or it's a mostly good movie but the lead performer is just completely terrible, etc.). I'm not recommending this movie to most people.
3 - This is a fine/neutral movie; it's probably a totally fine popcorn flick or a completely mediocre but enjoyable movie that I'll probably forget about completely a few months after I watched it.
4 - This is a good movie! This is something I'm probably recommending, especially to fans of the genre. The film might have some flaws but they're mostly minor and far outweighed by the things the film does right; this might be a mediocre film elevated by some particularly outstanding performances or a really great film that just misses a couple of marks, but, ultimately, this is the kind of movie that I finish and I'm excited to talk about.
5 - This is a nearly perfect movie; I'm likely recommending this to almost everyone, and I'll have to dig really deep to come up with flaws if pressed. This is the kind of movie that I'll still be talking about or rewatching for a long time and will hold up when asked about amazing movies.