Read a public rating as information about other viewers or critics, and a personal score as a prediction about your taste. Use either to investigate a film. Neither resolves whether its subject, length or intensity fits your evening.
A critic percentage measures agreement
The Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer reports the percentage of professional critic reviews classified as positive. A hypothetical 90% means nine out of ten counted reviews were positive. It does not mean an average review gave the film nine out of ten. Rotten Tomatoes also presents audience information, so check which label belongs to the number you are reading.
A user average describes submitted ratings
IMDb’s ratings FAQ says its displayed title rating is a weighted average: submitted ratings do not all have the same impact. An 8.0 is not interchangeable with an 80% Tomatometer. The populations and calculations differ, even when the numbers look comparable.
A personal score depends on the profile
The ReelRecs guide describes Rec Score as a prediction of fit based on taste information. Its example shows a person investigating a recommendation and reading the explanation. A score of 8.0 does not establish an 80% chance that you will enjoy it. We are not presenting a probability calibration or a comparison showing that this prediction outperforms public ratings.
Use disagreement to ask a better question
Imagine that critics like a film while your personal prediction is modest. Read the premise and the explanation. The difference may help you identify a feature you dislike, or tempt you to explore something unfamiliar. You can choose either way. A deliberate experiment can be worthwhile without treating the number as a command.
- Identify the score’s label and whose opinions it uses.
- Read a short explanation or review for the reason behind it.
- Check your own limits, including runtime and content you want to avoid.
- Rate the film after watching so your own history records what you thought.
To see where a personal explanation enters a real choosing flow, use the ReelRecs walkthrough below.
Publisher disclosure: ReelRecs, Inc. owns this publication and the ReelRecs app.