Explanation of Ratings

As a regular viewer and critic of film, it is only natural that over the years I have come to develop my own rating system for scoring films. It is also essential for you, the reader, to understand exactly what my ratings mean, in order to get a better understanding of my overall opinion.

First thing's first; a score out of 10. Fairly self-explanatory; this is probably the most informative part of the scoring, as it gives you the impression of how highly I value the film. While it can vary from film to film, here is a rough approximation of each value.

10 - A Personal Favourite. Not necessarily better than a 9, but a film that I personally hold above all others, despite the occasional flaw. Rewatchability is a big factor when comparing 9s and 10s.
9 - Excellent. Stands above the rest as a solid piece of filmmaking. An example to all.
8 - Great. One that stands out from the crowd, but might still be lacking something.
7 - Decent. Generally worthwhile but flawed.
6 - OK. Competent enough but ultiamtely unnoteworthy, or perhaps a film which kept my interest despite doing several things wrong.
5 - For films caught somewhere between good and bad. Maybe a film of clear quality that just left absolutely no impression on me, or a bad film that I found enough enjoyment from (ironically or otherwise) that I can't stay mad at it.
4 - Average Bad. This is the kind of Hollywood bad where the film is technically competent but just really not fun to watch.
3 - Quite Bad. At least some kind of competency, but now we're starting to get on my nerves.
2 - Rage-inducingly Bad. For the films that do so much wrong that you just want to punch something.
1 - Terrible. This is a special kind of bad, for films which take the art to a whole new low you never thought possible. Think Birdemic.


Or, if you want something more memorable;

***** (10-9) Excellent
**** (8-7) Good
*** (6-5) Mixed
** (4-3) Bad
* (2-1) Awful

Additionally, these ratings are based primarily on the enjoyment I got from the film. I feel a film's first priority should always be to engage and interest the viewer: you can have the most profound and life-changing artistic message in the world but it's all for nought if everyone's on their phone out of boredom. Therefore I tend to ignore technical achievement and reputational bias in my scores as much as I can, unless it actually affects my enjoyment (e.g pacing issues or inaudible dialogue).

Secondly, and most importantly to discuss, there's a recommendation. My recommendation gives an indication as to whether it's worth seeing a film and can be either High, Medium or Low.

A High recommendation indicates that the film in question is either a great experience, and one everyone should try out, or it's a cinematic landmark or reputed 'masterpiece' that should be seen if only to say you have, regardless of quality, like The Godfather or Jaws.

A Medium recommendation is the most common and unfortunately the vaguest recommendation and essentially boils down to your own opinion. If you think you'll enjoy it, go for it. If you don't, don't. Easy as that really.

Lastly, a Low recommendation is for films which just aren't worth your time. If you want to check it out, fine; it's your life, but I would suggest spending your time watching something better. As can be guessed, its generally bad and unimportant films as well as pointless sequels and remakes that get this certification.

The idea is that with these two methods of scoring in conjunction, you should be able to see concisely what the film's like. For example;

Score: 10
Recommendation: High

Verdict: This film is a masterpiece, go see it now.

Score: 9
Recommendation: Medium

Verdict: I loved it, but it might not necessarily be for everyone.

Score: 6
Recommendation: High

Verdict: I wasn't a big fan, but it's worth checking out.

Score: 1
Recommendation: Low

Verdict: Stay away. Please, for the love of God, stay away.

Score: 1
Recommendation: High

Verdict: You've got to see this shit!

So, hopefully, that's shed some light on the weird rating system at the end of each film post. Thanks for reading, and happy viewing!