As a seasoned moviegoer who has spent countless hours in the dimly lit halls of cinemas, I find the latest move by Rotten Tomatoes to be a game-changer. The new “Verified Hot” badge, which reflects the views of average moviegoers, is a breath of fresh air in an age where the voices of fans often get drowned out by professional critics.
The “Certified Fresh” emblem from Rotten Tomatoes has become an abbreviated way for people to assess a film’s quality, signifying that many professional critics believe it’s worth watching. Starting August 21st, this platform owned by Comcast is introducing a new badge called “Verified Hot,” designed to reflect the opinions of regular moviegoers and offer another perspective on films.
A movie can earn the “Verified Hot” label if its Audience Score on the Popcornmeter reaches 90% or more. In addition to this condition, it must meet other prerequisites. Notably, Rotten Tomatoes only considers reviews from verified ticket purchasers for that specific film, which are obtained from their sister company Fandango – a ticketing service under the ownership of Comcast.
As a passionate gamer and fan of popular culture, I’ve noticed that sometimes Rotten Tomatoes can turn into a battleground for fans, especially when it comes to shows like Disney+’s Star Wars series The Acolyte (which, amidst accusations of review bombing, hasn’t been renewed for another season). It reminds me of the 2016 all-female Ghostbusters reboot, often seen as the first major instance of users trying to influence the scores. These attempts at manipulation show how much weight Rotten Tomatoes scores have carried over the years, symbolizing a certain level of sought-after pop culture credibility.
To begin, a selection of movies initially awarded the Verified Hot badge consist of “Deadpool & Wolverine”, “Twisters”, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die”, “Fly Me to the Moon”, and “It Ends With Us”. Moreover, over 200 additional films are set to receive this badge retroactively.
Rotten Tomatoes is making adjustments to the minimum number of critic reviews needed for a film to receive a Tomatometer score. For movies premiering at a film festival or expected to gross less than $60 million at the box office, 10 reviews are required; films with an anticipated box office between $60 and $120 million will need 20 reviews, while those projected to earn more than $120 million will require 40 reviews.
The site will feature special “hot” and “stale” labels on its user-generated Popcornmeter. A film receives the “hot” label if at least 60% of reviews earn 3.5 or more stars out of a possible 5, while a “stale” label is given to films where less than 60% of reviews meet this criteria.
On various aspects, the alterations are substantial. A strong rating on either its audience-focused Popcornmeter or reviewer-oriented Tomatometer could either make or break a film during the days leading up to or following its premiere at the movie theater.
Furthermore, it seems that the introduction of the Verified Hot badge empowers regular film viewers, allowing them collectively to contribute towards a movie earning this sought-after symbol. Previously, this honor was only bestowed upon professional critics with the Certified Fresh distinction.
“Amanda Norvell, senior VP of direct-to-consumer services at Fandango, shared that fans often turn to Rotten Tomatoes’ verified audience score along with the Tomatometer score from critics when selecting new movies. The introduction of Verified Hot is something they are thrilled about because it allows them to highlight and emphasize the theatrical films that audiences have wholeheartedly endorsed, and whose enthusiastic fans have taken the time to share their exceptional cinema experiences with others.”
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2024-08-21 18:24