The little numbers at the end of reviews are pretty much a
requirement in today's age of film criticism. Many people don’t actually care
for the written, in depth analysis of a review to judge the quality of a film.
Instead, they scroll to the bottom of the page, make a brief mental note on the
number displayed, and base their choice off of this. While my opinion of the
films I review will be almost solely in the writing, I also assign a number
rating, to cater to those who don’t want to/have time to read the full review.
As a result of this, I’ll break down these numerical values to show what they
actually mean. The ratings are on a scale from 1 to 10.
1: A score reserved for the worst of the worst.
If a film scores a 1, it’s not worth your time in any way imaginable.
2: This is the sign of a very bad film, poor in
almost every regard. Only small redeeming features prevent it from getting a rating
of 1. The majority of films in this score range should be avoided.
3: Films that garner this rating often have many
issues, but had an aspect that the film has done very well.
4: This is signifies a below average film. 4’s
are usually assigned to films that aren’t worth owning, and are better to rent
or borrow.
5: Middle of the road, average score, aptly
summing up the quality of the film. These films are by no means bad, but
significant flaws hold them back from greatness.
6: Many see this rating as a negative, but this
isn't the case. Films that garner a 6 are often good, but are flawed enough to
hold them back from higher ratings. Fans of the genre/director should
definitely give them a look.
7: 7’s are given to good films. While films with
this rating should be seen, you shouldn’t go out of their way to view them.
8: A film that gets an 8 is a sign of a great
film. Fans of the genre/director/writer will want to view them as quickly as
possible. This rating can be seen a mark of fine quality, as 8’s and higher are
aren’t awarded that often.
9: This score is used to represent brilliant
films. The flaws that they have do little to detract from the quality of the
overall product.
10: A 10 does not indicate a perfect film in any
case. There is simply no such thing. Instead, a 10 means the film is masterful.
Like previously mentioned, a film can
never be perfect, but films assigned this rating are as close as they will ever
come.
