Movie How to rate movies?

[Frank Bunn]

There are regular conversations on this board about the ratings people have given to movies. But there's little discussion on what rating systems people use. I've put together some ideas for rating movies from 1 to 10, along with a few examples for each. The intention is to discuss the categories not the scores I have given to my examples.

How do you rate movies?

1 - Total crap with no redeeming features. Avoid at all costs. You probably won't finish it unless you are being paid to.

(Gigli, Movie 43, United Passions)

2 - Crap for the most part, with a few little things that save it from being complete crap. You can just about to sit through it once only, but it feels like it's been a waste of your time.

(The Hangover III, Batman & Robin, Sausage Party)

3 - Pretty bad, with a few more elements that make it slightly more watchable than a 1 or 2. Watch it if there's nothing else to watch such as on an a long haul flight if you've seen everything else.

(King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, The Mechanic : Resurrection, Transformers: The Last Knight)

4 - Not bad. It's maybe got a few good scenes but also some flaws or boring scenes. Just good enough to sit through and enjoy on a basic level but you will never watch it again.

(Star Trek: Beyond, Collide, Z for Zachariah)

5 - OK but nothing special. Competently made, several good scenes or a decent performance. Some bad scenes or it's not particularly memorable, and you wouldn't go out of your way to recommend it.

(Finding Dory, London Has Fallen, Agora)

6 - Good. It's not great but it's well made and worth viewing. Maybe a few small things that bring it down but you would be happy to watch it again after some time.

(T2 Trainspotting, The Hunger Games, Prometheus)

7 - Very good. Very well made, good performances and/or score, maybe provokes some discussion. Worth repeated watching.

(Master and Commander, Wonder woman, Arrival)

8 - Great. Movies that tell a fascinating story with great performances, cinematography and soundtrack. You'll go out of your way to recommend them to people. Possibly rate them in your best for the year, and in your top 50 movies.

(Wind River, Inception, The Blues Brothers)

9 - Amazing. The movies that you love as some of your all time favourites and which pull at your emotions. You can watch them over and over again and never get sick of them. A great story told by great writing, acting and cinematography. They'll be in your favourite 20.

(Pulp Fiction, American Beauty, Gladiator)

10 - Perfection. These aren't just movies, they are the very definition of film. Everything about them is great. They often have significance in movie history. Some of the best movies ever made.

(Shawsank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List)

 

[vast]

Im not sure you are really suggesting as such but there can be no universal ranking system for movies. Sometimes why we like certain movies is almost intangible and cannot really be put into words. There have been some movies that have overwhelmed me but I dont even know why and other I could not care less about but are loved by many others. Besides all movie ratings sites are mainly popularity votes.

 

[Frank Bunn]

Im not sure you are really suggesting as such but there can be no universal ranking system for movies. Sometimes why we like certain movies is almost intangible and cannot really be put into words. There have been some movies that have overwhelmed me but I dont even know why and other I could not care less about but are loved by many others. Besides all movie ratings sites are mainly popularity votes.

Great comment. Movies are art and the best ones hit us at an emotional level that can't be rationalised and explained. But I think we still have to try to describe what it is that has made us have such feelings when watching a particular movie.

 

[HARKER]

Great comment. Movies are art and the best ones hit us at an emotional level that can't be rationalised and explained. But I think we still have to try to describe what it is that has made us have such feelings when watching a particular movie.

I think that's the better way to go about things, but reviewers may look at technical elements, dialogue, costume etc and give extra points accordingly.

I don't recall giving a movie a 10, but if I do, it will be one that leaves me breathless and unable to think about anything else for the next couple of days.
Only a few movies have done that to me and they would be Oldboy, Martyrs, Vertigo, Apocalypse Now and Blue Velvet to name a few.
They may not rate a 10 to others, because people can pick holes in them, but I don't care the least for the flaws but for the gravity of its impact and in many cases for the freshness of the ideas.

I like the notion of your system though.

 

[crafty_bernardo]

Think your post is pretty spot on. That's how I typically rate my films.

 

[Gasometer]

4 stars David...oh humbug...I will give it 4.5 stars... rating system

 

[Frank Bunn]

I think that's the better way to go about things, but reviewers may look at technical elements, dialogue, costume etc and give extra points accordingly.

I don't recall giving a movie a 10, but if I do, it will be one that leaves me breathless and unable to think about anything else for the next couple of days.
Only a few movies have done that to me and they would be Oldboy, Martyrs, Vertigo, Apocalypse Now and Blue Velvet to name a few.
They may not rate a 10 to others, because people can pick holes in them, but I don't care the least for the flaws but for the gravity of its impact and in many cases for the freshness of the ideas.

I like the notion of your system though.

I did ponder about the 9 and 10 ratings. I can recognise a great movie that has significance (the 10 rating) but they are not necessarily my all time favourites. For example, I have watched Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather twice each, and Schindler's List only once.

Whereas I have watched my favourite movies many times each - they would score 9 on my proposed ratings. Eg - Pulp Fiction, American Beauty, Gladiator, Leon, Blade Runner, Donnie Darko, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I'm a sucker for sci-fi so I have rewatched Avatar, K-Pax, The Day After Tomorrow, The Fifth Element a few times though they would only be a 7 or an 8.

Maybe a better rating system for those of us who are not David Stratton would be to give it a score of how likely we are to watch it again?

 

[HARKER]

I did ponder about the 9 and 10 ratings. I can recognise a great movie that has significance (the 10 rating) but they are not necessarily my all time favourites. For example, I have watched Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather twice each, and Schindler's List only once.

Whereas I have watched my favourite movies many times each - they would score 9 on my proposed ratings. Eg - Pulp Fiction, American Beauty, Gladiator, Leon, Blade Runner, Donnie Darko, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I'm a sucker for sci-fi so I have rewatched Avatar, K-Pax, The Day After Tomorrow, The Fifth Element a few times though they would only be a 7 or an 8.

Maybe a better rating system for those of us who are not David Stratton would be to give it a score of how likely we are to watch it again?

David Stratton.
I'm not sure that his system would really work because some movies can only offer up the one knock out punch, but what a punch that may be.
Movies such as Irreversible, Mulholland Drive, Requiem for a Dream etc.

I too love my sci-fi but take on different things from different movies.
Quality Sci-Fi movies can leave you with a lot to think about and sometimes just leave you with a terrific 'impression'
Loved Moon, Gattaca, Primer, Blade Runner, Ex-Machina, 2001 and Cube but the movies I've watched the most are;
The Man from Earth 3 times in 2 days.
Prometheus: Unashamed lover of this movie and the note it leaves you on......even for some of its 'supposed' faults. 7-8 times and counting.

Point? I don't think your favourite movies are the ones that you'll necessarily watch the most.

 

[kickazz]

Ideally you'd have every movie you've ever seen ranked in order.

Then you could assign a score out of ten based on where they sit in that ranking. Not necessarily 10/10 for the top 10% either, I recon more of a bell curve approach: lots of 4, 5, 6. Not so many 1 or 10

 

[Marlowe]

Zero to four stars works for me.

3-4: Great; p good; good
2-2.5: average; little worse than average
0.5-1.5: three degrees of bad


Assigning the ratings is just a gut reaction though, based on enjoyment and feeling more so than quality - those things should closely align, imo (what'a a "well-made" movie if it leaves you cold beyond the machinations of the plot, and what's the point of ignoring why trashier films are more effective for you and not examining that). Ratings are fluid too, as far as I am concerned. A 4-star movie one day can just easily be a 2-star the next and vice-versa. My favourite movies at 16 might still work for me at 23, some don't, however, and there a tons of movies I never would watched seven when I was younger let alone adored.

 

[psychobrown]

Yes it's something I've thought about before and there are certainly good points above about emotional resonance and personal impact, which I thoroughly agree with. I used to find rating systems frustrating, I was being told what the 'perfect' movie is and while there are tangible parameters snobs like to cite, to me they are inseparable from the intangible qualities, namely my personal reactions. I respond to editing, composition and screenplay personally, the same way I respond to the actors, music and the narrative behind the film and it's difficult to make that separation. For example, there would be a lot of 'masterpiece' Hollywood films that are insufferable to me, from the bombastic filmmaking, overacting, music as emotional cues, predictable dramatic beats, etc, that I can't possibly hold them in high-regard. At the emotional level, a film like Raging Bull for example is widely acclaimed and at one level I can appreciate its construction and the technical presentation, yet I feel no emotional resonance or connection to it, I don't care about the storyline, I find the editing manipulative and none of the characters interested me in the slightest, so it would be nigh-impossible for me to rate it a 10 even though consensus dictates I do so.

Anyway, back on topic, it's actually hard for me to put into words the system I would use. I'd actually just stick to a five-star system really, because I feel going to 10 is too broad and the five-star system captures the level of appreciation enough. I kind of see it as a 'strongly disagree' to 'strongly agree' scale.

1 star - film is either predictable or poorly made, presenting nothing new or interesting, lacks any emotional resonance and the artistic or technical components were low calibre, actors disengaged me and the film was consciously hollow, usually a failed homage or genre-bait lacking its own identity
2 stars - sloppily constructed, superficial or impersonal, invariably studio or producer interference and/or limited resources responsible, some merit thanks to a spritely performance/decent script/nice cinematography, but ultimately left no impact, usually a cash-in or fad grabber
3 stars - engaging narrative, performances and/or technical presentation but was ultimately let down by missing components in other areas, film had some heart in it and elevated itself beyond a time waster but faltered with execution or presentation at some arc, usually a guilty pleasure
4 stars - strong artistic voice and production values, underpinned by a solid screenplay and convincing performances, narrative has strong emotional resonance and the film does enough scenes exceptionally well to be memorable and bring me back to its experience several times, usually a genre staple
5 stars - high artistic and technical confluence, the film has clear auteur sensibilities and the level of engagement across all lines is strong, excellent screenplay and endearing performances, production was carried with high sense of belief and the final outcome is highly immersive such that I escaped with the film, usually something ground-breaking or decade defining

 

[edgie]

On the old 1 - 10 scale, my personal summaries.

1 - 3: A regretful experience overall. I would have rather cleaned the house.
(XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Mortal Kombat Annihilation)

4 - 6: Ok. Some things to take out, but not worth rewatching unless you love particular aspects of it.
(Expendables III)

7 - 8...maybe the old 8.5: Very good genre flicks that some may find in their personal favourites, but can recognise they aren't flawless films, however for the most part the vision of what they wanted to make was achieved.
(Rambo, Return of the Jedi)

9 - 10: The cream of the crop. The very best. If you could only rewatch 10% of the movies you watch in your life, these would be it. The movies were everything they set out to be and then some.
(Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars/Empire Strikes Back)

 

[Shell]

I did ponder about the 9 and 10 ratings. I can recognise a great movie that has significance (the 10 rating) but they are not necessarily my all time favourites. For example, I have watched Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather twice each, and Schindler's List only once.
again?

Imho there's some merit in not watching favourite movies all that often. I've seen Shawshank so many times, it now makes me wanna puke at even the thought of watching it again (k maybe thats a tad over dramatic but you get my point).

Same with Silence of the Lambs- that is a 10/10 movie for me- but I srsly need to not watch it for like 10 years at least.

I also wish I could "un-read" the book, which I read recently. Ugh, was pretty lousy compared to the film.


ie. rankings- anything 7++ is a very good score from me. <6 is pretty shit/average. Even 6 which is above half way i know. Imho I think I'm pretty harsh on movies- I avoid a lot of them from previews/genres/reviews alone. Omfg that new Thor movie- would rather chew broken glass than watch that.

 

[Sketi]

You can't deny a large amount of subjectivity comes into it. When rating I'm someone that definitely factors in much I enjoyed said movie, rather than solely thinking about objective technical excellence etc. I could never give Schindler's list a 9 or 10 for instance, even though I appreciate it is extremely well made, I found it labour intensive and would never put myself through it again.

In saying that, something with high level technical aspects coupled with personal resonance and high entertainment value would result in a higher rating than something that only has one or the other. At the end of the day movies are entertainment so extra points for that in my book.

 

[Shell]

I like movies to push boundaries.

Therefore I rated Moonlight as a big heap of stinking dung that was one big "wuss" of a film.

 

[AcuteWhistle]

Im not sure you are really suggesting as such but there can be no universal ranking system for movies. Sometimes why we like certain movies is almost intangible and cannot really be put into words. There have been some movies that have overwhelmed me but I dont even know why and other I could not care less about but are loved by many others. Besides all movie ratings sites are mainly popularity votes.

Spot on vast.


I tend to rate within genres & compare like with like so for example, that 8/10 horror movie I really enjoyed might only be a 7 if later I were to do a list of my top 20 movies for the year.

I assume others out there do a similar thing?

 

[Frank Bunn]

Zero to four stars works for me.

3-4: Great; p good; good
2-2.5: average; little worse than average
0.5-1.5: three degrees of bad


Assigning the ratings is just a gut reaction though, based on enjoyment and feeling more so than quality - those things should closely align, imo (what'a a "well-made" movie if it leaves you cold beyond the machinations of the plot, and what's the point of ignoring why trashier films are more effective for you and not examining that). Ratings are fluid too, as far as I am concerned. A 4-star movie one day can just easily be a 2-star the next and vice-versa. My favourite movies at 16 might still work for me at 23, some don't, however, and there a tons of movies I never would watched seven when I was younger let alone adored.

Zero to four with half marks is the same as a 1 to 10

 

[vast]

I like movies to push boundaries.

Therefore I rated Moonlight as a big heap of stinking dung that was one big "wuss" of a film.

Interesting. It what ways did moonlight play it safe?

 

[Shell]

Interesting. It what ways did moonlight play it safe?

Eh maybe i was a bit OTT in that other post- and I did like Moonlight.

Just didn't think it was the huge ground breaking movie everyone was saying it was. And the sex scene was weak af. A gay character that hardly partakes in any gay sex (yes i know he's confused blah blah) is just.. a cop out. Idk. They could have gone a lot further imho.

 

[Kong]

Ideally you'd have every movie you've ever seen ranked in order.

Then you could assign a score out of ten based on where they sit in that ranking. Not necessarily 10/10 for the top 10% either, I recon more of a bell curve approach: lots of 4, 5, 6. Not so many 1 or 10

This is how I rate films.

It means that most land in the 4-5 range.

If anything gets a 7, it means I really, really enjoyed it.

 

[Juicy1]

5/7

 

[Red Black and Blue]

I tend to rate movies by intent. Try to establish their aims and target demographics, then work out how close to the mark they got.

 

[Percel]

There are regular conversations on this board about the ratings people have given to movies. But there's little discussion on what rating systems people use. I've put together some ideas for rating movies from 1 to 10, along with a few examples for each. The intention is to discuss the categories not the scores I have given to my examples.

How do you rate movies?

(Note to mods - I searched for an existing thread. Please merge if there is one already)



1 - Total crap with no redeeming features. Avoid at all costs. You probably won't finish it unless you are being paid to.

(Gigli, Movie 43, United Passions)

2 - Crap for the most part, with a few little things that save it from being complete crap. You can just about to sit through it once only, but it feels like it's been a waste of your time.

(The Hangover III, Batman & Robin, Sausage Party)

3 - Pretty bad, with a few more elements that make it slightly more watchable than a 1 or 2. Watch it if there's nothing else to watch such as on an a long haul flight if you've seen everything else.

(King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, The Mechanic : Resurrection, Transformers: The Last Knight)

4 - Not bad. It's maybe got a few good scenes but also some flaws or boring scenes. Just good enough to sit through and enjoy on a basic level but you will never watch it again.

(Star Trek: Beyond, Collide, Z for Zachariah)

I like you put Wind River at 8, cracker, good shout!

5 - OK but nothing special. Competently made, several good scenes or a decent performance. Some bad scenes or it's not particularly memorable, and you wouldn't go out of your way to recommend it.

(Finding Dory, London Has Fallen, Agora)

6 - Good. It's not great but it's well made and worth viewing. Maybe a few small things that bring it down but you would be happy to watch it again after some time.

(T2 Trainspotting, The Hunger Games, Prometheus)

7 - Very good. Very well made, good performances and/or score, maybe provokes some discussion. Worth repeated watching.

(Master and Commander, Wonder woman, Arrival)

8 - Great. Movies that tell a fascinating story with great performances, cinematography and soundtrack. You'll go out of your way to recommend them to people. Possibly rate them in your best for the year, and in your top 50 movies.

(Wind River, Inception, The Blues Brothers)

9 - Amazing. The movies that you love as some of your all time favourites and which pull at your emotions. You can watch them over and over again and never get sick of them. A great story told by great writing, acting and cinematography. They'll be in your favourite 20.

(Pulp Fiction, American Beauty, Gladiator)

10 - Perfection. These aren't just movies, they are the very definition of film. Everything about them is great. They often have significance in movie history. Some of the best movies ever made.

(Shawsank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List)

I like you put Wind River at 8, cracker, good shout!

 

[HairyO]

Did I like it?

Will I watch it again?

 

[Mitchell54]

The only movie I’ve rated a 10/10 is ‘The Rear Window’ by Alfred Hitchcock