Founded in 1998 by Senh Duong, along with his friends Patrick Lee and Stephen Wang,Rotten Tomatoeswas created as a hobby between friends — similarly tothe origin of Facebook. However, over time, the site became an industry standard for ratings due to its easy accessibility to a ‘fresh or rotten’ score that benefited from using approved critics to provide their opinions on movies.
At the same time, Rotten Tomatoes has seen its fair share of controversies and has had some aspects of its operations contended by audiences. Despite its relevance in the industry, this has certainly lessened the view of the site in the eyes of many. So, do Rotten Tomatoes scores still really matter? We will dive deeper into the subject to get an answer.
How Accurate Is Rotten Tomatoes?
One of the simplest flaws that someone can find with Rotten Tomatoes is the reductive yay or nay approach to critics' scores. This is also true for the audience scores, but the issues are more pronounced given the emphasis by studios on critics (which looks excellent on promotional material). Notably, critics approach how they cover films differently, and readers expect different things from said critics. However, a more nuanced critic can examine films both subjectively and objectively.
What does this mean? Well, it is possible to see a film you, personally, did not like, but that does not mean you wouldn’t recommend it to the right audience. This is particularly true when a movie falls around a 4 to 6 out of 10 on a personal rating, making it just average to you. In a written review, a critic can explain how the movie landed in such a way, but they can also explain what they did like about it, and who might be the right audience. However, when it comes to Rotten Tomatoes scores, the review is flattened into a simple good or bad vote from said critic. While you’re able to find and read the reviews on the site, the vast majority will look only at the end score.
When detailed and nuanced reviews are flattened in this way, one that’s labeled “fresh” isn’t necessarily a glowing review. A movie with a 90% score may not be as good as the number suggests. If you dig into the actual reviews and read them instead of taking the percentage at face value, you can get a much better idea of what the critics think. In that case, you might come away with the impression that the movie in question is just passable, and, depending on your expectations as an audience member, this score can seem bloated and inaccurate.
Genre bias also feeds into this issue, with genres like horror and action still generally seen as lesser cinema by some reviewers. Look at howprestigious awards have neglected those genresand realize that this sentiment is pushed by the industry as a whole, including some critics, and you will notice the horror movie you may have loved as a long-time fan is given a low score just because of its genre.
Should You Trust Rotten Tomatoes?
Rotten Tomatoes has seen its fair share of controversies, some confirmed while others are speculative. Regardless of whether there is concrete information to back the controversies and allegations up, they have hurt the site’s reputation. One of the significant instances comes from seeing RT scores start fresh only to slowly go rotten. Is this just because the first wave of critics who saw it loved it? Maybe, maybe not, but the allegation has always been that the site holds back negative reviews at first.
That said, the same can be true when a film gains popularity and reviews occur more gradually. However, for many, the emphasis on big Hollywood films landing fresher than they should at the beginning (for many) indicated something behind the scenes. This idea of protection has also been reflected in other films, with something likethe Christmas-themed seriesSanta Inc.oddly having next to no reviews despite it being a major release, with just five at the time of writing this. Given the negative reception, it is confusing why the site and the industry chose not to offer more opinions on the series.
Related:Why Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Deserves Better Than Its Rotten Tomatoes Score
The idea of the site’s integrity and its critics was further diminished whenVariety published an articlethat explored the allegations that a PR firm was paying some critics to bolster scores. The PR firm has denied this claim, but now that it is out there, combined with past controversies, it is hard to trust the site completely.
There is also no shortage of controversies regarding particular films, as you can look atCutiesandThe Marvelsand see a high critical score against a low audience. Alternatively,The Mario Bros MovieandUnchartedlanded Rotten with critics but have positive reviews from audiences. It can be confusing to navigate, especially when considering allegations of review bombing. It should also be noted that it goes both ways, despite the complaints that it is always negative. While this is more an opinion than a controversy, these discrepancies lead to much speculation.
So, Do Rotten Tomatoes Scores Really Matter?
The short answer is no; the site has been plagued by its share of controversies, and the continued division between audience and critical scores on hotly contested films has only soured the site for many avid cinema fans who are tuned into the fact. It is not uncommon to see a movie score poorly with critics but kill it at the box office.The Super Mario Bros Movieis the best example of 2023proving a resounding successand launching the Nintendo cinematic universe.
However, when tuned into the movie industry, one can falsely believe that much of this is common knowledge. Casual moviegoers are unlikely even to be aware of past controversies. Ask a friend who is not really into movies but still hits up the theater occasionally, and they are unlikely to be aware of the politics and controversies that have emerged around Rotten Tomatoes scoring. So, in that regard, they still matter to a large chunk of the audience and are still a valuable tool for the industry itself.
Related:Best Movies With a 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score
Also, it should be noted that the further a film is away from the limelight, like classical movies that are revisited without the pressures of studio and audience expectations hanging over it, the scoring system becomes a much more transparent reflection of the audience and critical perception. For smaller-budgeted films, a good RT score can greatly affect how their movie is received and promoted.
Best Alternative to Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes will always be a monolith until, and if, it comes crumbling down. Many other rating sites have allowed people to log their films. IMDb, TMDb, Metacritc, and Letterboxd are primarily the ones that spring to mind, but you can also find more niche ones that focus on a specific genre, like MyAnimeList. That said, Letterboxd has a slight edge here, and it seems to have a bit more validity than other review sites; it even recentlydrew Martin Scorsese to join. The focus here seems to be for fans by fans, though as the site grows, this can always change. The reality is that any site that becomes an industry standard will come with problems.
In truth, though, the job of a critic is to provide a specific point of view, not to reflect the exact opinion of the public. So, the best way to keep up with opinions about movies and TV opinions is to find an individual critic orreview site you feel you can trust, enjoy reading, and understand how their tastes intersect with your own. It is easy to get bogged down in the controversies of RT and scoff at a number, but generally dismissing critics is a misinformed approach.
