Film & TV

Star Rating System

Not all ratings are created equal, so here’s a look behind the curtain.

Every film or series I review starts at 2.5 out of 5 stars—a baseline that means "this exists and it functions as a story." It has a beginning, middle, and end; performances are decent; the runtime doesn’t drag; and there are no glaring flaws in the script or cinematography. It’s average. It’s watchable.

From there, my rating adjusts based on the quality of core storytelling elements: writing, directing, acting, pacing, cinematography, production design, and overall cohesion. These factors carry the most weight, because liking something doesn’t make it good and disliking something doesn’t make it bad.

Then, I factor in personal enjoyment, because I’m ultimately into stories for the ✨ emotional experience ✨. If I had an especially good or bad time watching, that’ll bump the score up or down by half a star. And if I absolutely loved or couldn't stand it, expect a full-star swing on average.

  • Obsessed, actually. This is the reason I love stories. Screaming, crying, throwing glitter. If I could give it 6 stars, I would, but I have to cut it off somewhere.

  • This is very good. Excellent, even. There’s a few things that took me out of it or minor tweaks the production team could’ve made, but it’s solid.

  • Competent, enjoyable enough, nothing groundbreaking. Probably won’t remember it in a few years.

  • Some elements worked, but overall it didn’t come together. Might be worth it for specific audiences, but I wouldn’t recommend it widely unless you’re deeply curious or extremely bored.

  • I was not enchanted to meet you, I barely made it through. Painful, confusing, and completely missed the mark.