My Formula for Rating Films (and Movies)

Alexander Ignatiev

16 April, 2025 12:54

I’ve had a long-standing desire to visualize what goes on in my head at the moment I rate a film. What came out of that can be seen below, along with all the explanations.

Formula #

Don't be intimidated by the huge formula.
At the very bottom of the page, there's a working calculator you can jump to by clicking here.

Notations #

Core Score #

In the Core Score, 5 values are arranged in order of priority: from the most important to the least significant. The priority is described by the weight coefficient in each of the points.

$V$ — Vibe
The overall impression from the visuals, cinematography, color grading, soundtrack, atmosphere, mood, editing decisions, general ambiance, and various other details.
Weight coefficient: $wV$
$H$ — Plot
The engagement and development of the plot, its structure, the progression of events, interest in both the main and secondary storylines.
Weight coefficient: $wH$
$I$ — Ideas
The depth and originality of the themes the film raises. Philosophy, visual metaphors, conceptual discoveries.
Weight coefficient: $wI$
$E$ — Emotions
How much the film touches, engages, and evokes an emotional response.
Weight coefficient: $wE$
$A$ — Acting
The convincingness and expressiveness of the actors, their interaction, and the depth of their performances.
Weight coefficient: $wA$

As you may notice, the most important thing for me in cinema is the vibe, the aura, the feel, the atmosphere, the strong vibe. Then come the plot and ideas, which share equal priority, followed by emotions, and finally, actors can add something of their own.

Extra Block #

This block softens or strengthens the main rating. It can either add or subtract up to 0.8 points from the final score.

$B$ — Bonuses

1.1 $fav$ — Favorite Persons (+0.5)
Personal preference for the creators of the film: favorite directors, screenwriters, actors, etc.

1.2 $cult$ — Cult and Classic status (+0.5)

$P$ — Penalties

2.1 $cliche$ — Clichés and Predictability (-0.5)
Not all clichés are bad, but cheap and predictable solutions like "a pregnant woman suddenly feeling unwell" are a clear minus.
2.2 $adhd$ — ADHDTikTok Mode (-1.0)
Crazy editing, clownishness without logic, and visual filler for the sake of a wow effect.
Example: Everything Everywhere All at Once.
2.3 $agenda$ — Agenda (-3.0)
The presence of a social, political, or cultural agenda that might be intrusive in a film.
If it's present but generally appropriate, well-written, or doesn’t spoil the overall impression of the movie, the filter is not applied.

— Dramaturgy
How well the dramatic aspect is executed: presence of depth, empathy, and the seriousness of conflicts.
- Well-executed (+1.0)
- Average (0)
- Superficial or weak (-1.0)
— Stuffy and Pretentiousness
When a film is overloaded with pretentiousness, drawn-out scenes, and pompous dialogue aimed at surface-level impact or “deep thought.” This slows down the pace, distracts attention, and interferes with immersion in the story.
- None or doesn’t interfere (0)
- Felt, but tolerable (-0.5)
- Clearly interferes with perception (-1.0)

In fact, I’ve encountered questions about how many points to subtract for penalties, such as with $cliche$ (maybe it should be -1.0 instead of -0.5?) and $adhd$ (maybe increase it to -2.0 instead of -1.0?). However, at the moment, the result with these parameters and current values is relatively accurate.