How Does Rotten Tomatoes Work? Exploring the Rating System and its Impact on the Film Industry

Introduction

As one of the most popular review aggregator websites for movies and television shows, Rotten Tomatoes is an essential part of the film industry. But how does it work? This article will explore the inner workings of Rotten Tomatoes, from its rating system to its impact on the film industry.

Explaining the Rotten Tomatoes Rating System

At its core, Rotten Tomatoes is a review aggregation website that collects reviews from both critics and audiences. These reviews are then compiled into a single score that helps users to quickly determine whether or not a movie is worth watching.

Critic Reviews

The first type of review collected by Rotten Tomatoes is the critic review. These reviews come from professional movie critics who have seen the movie and written up an opinion on it. Critic reviews are typically more in-depth than audience reviews and often provide a deeper analysis of the movie’s strengths and weaknesses.

Audience Reviews

The second type of review collected by Rotten Tomatoes is the audience review. These reviews come from everyday moviegoers who have seen the movie and written up their opinion on it. Audience reviews tend to be less in-depth than critic reviews, but they can still provide valuable insight into what people think of the movie.

Calculating the Score

Once all the reviews have been collected, Rotten Tomatoes uses a weighted averaging system to calculate the final score. The weighting system gives more importance to the critic reviews than the audience reviews, as critics are generally more experienced and knowledgeable about movies.

An Overview of Rotten Tomatoes: The Basics

Now that we have a better understanding of how Rotten Tomatoes works, let’s take a look at some of the basics.

Movies Covered

Rotten Tomatoes covers a wide range of movies, from blockbusters to indie films. The website also covers television shows and streaming services, such as Netflix and Hulu.

Popularity of Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes has become increasingly popular over the years, with millions of users visiting the website every day. According to a 2018 survey, 91% of moviegoers said they had used the website to decide whether or not to watch a movie.

Understanding Rotten Tomatoes Scores

Now that we have an overview of Rotten Tomatoes, let’s take a closer look at the scores.

Fresh vs. Rotten

The scoring system used by Rotten Tomatoes is quite simple. Movies that receive positive reviews are labeled as “Fresh”, while those that receive negative reviews are labeled as “Rotten”. A movie must receive at least 60% positive reviews from critics in order to be considered Fresh.

Tomato Meter

The Tomato Meter is the numerical score associated with each movie, ranging from 0% to 100%. Movies with a score of 60% or higher are considered Fresh, while those with a score of 59% or lower are considered Rotten.

Audience Score

The Audience Score is the average rating given to a movie by its viewers. This score is calculated separately from the Tomato Meter and is based solely on audience reviews.

How Does Rotten Tomatoes Affect Movie Reception?

Now that we understand the basics of Rotten Tomatoes, let’s explore how it affects movie reception.

Impact on Box Office

It’s no secret that a movie’s box office performance is heavily influenced by its Rotten Tomatoes score. Studies have shown that movies with a Fresh rating tend to perform better at the box office than those with a Rotten rating. According to one study, movies with a Fresh rating make an average of $10 million more than movies with a Rotten rating.

Impact on Movie Marketing

Rotten Tomatoes has also had an impact on movie marketing. Studios often use the website to promote their movies, highlighting the positive reviews and downplaying the negative ones. They may even choose to release only select reviews in order to give their movie the best chance at success.

Analyzing the Impact of Rotten Tomatoes on the Film Industry

Rotten Tomatoes has had a profound effect on the film industry. While some argue that the website has democratized movie criticism, others claim that it has made the industry overly reliant on its scoring system. Let’s take a look at both sides of the argument.

Pros and Cons

On the one hand, Rotten Tomatoes has opened up the world of movie criticism to a wider audience. It has allowed everyday moviegoers to make their voices heard and has created a platform for meaningful discussion about movies. On the other hand, some argue that the website’s reliance on numerical scores has made the industry too focused on box office numbers and has led to a decrease in quality. As film critic Richard Roeper puts it, “Rotten Tomatoes is a useful tool, but it’s not the be-all, end-all when it comes to judging a movie.”

Changing Landscape of Movie Criticism

Regardless of where one stands on the issue, there is no denying that Rotten Tomatoes has changed the landscape of movie criticism. The website has transformed the way people view and discuss movies, and its influence is likely to continue to grow in the years to come.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Rotten Tomatoes is a powerful tool for moviegoers and film critics alike. Its rating system provides an easy way to gauge a movie’s quality, and its impact on the film industry cannot be overstated. Although the website has its flaws, it has undeniably changed the way we view and discuss movies.

Summary of Findings

This article explored how Rotten Tomatoes works, from its rating system to its impact on the film industry. We looked at topics such as critic reviews, audience reviews, calculating scores, Fresh vs. Rotten, and more. We also discussed the pros and cons of the website and analyzed its impact on the film industry.

Final Thoughts

Rotten Tomatoes has revolutionized the way we view and discuss movies. Although the website has its flaws, its influence on the film industry is undeniable. It has opened up the world of movie criticism to a wider audience and has created a platform for meaningful discussion about movies.