MichaelandChrissy.com

Netflix has a star-based ratings system that goes from one to five, one being that you hated a particular movie, and five being that you loved that movie.  That sounds pretty straightforward, but it’s very subjective.  I doubt that most people put a lot of thought into this.  They see a good movie that kept them entertained for an hour while they enjoyed their popcorn, and immediately throw five stars at it. Will they even remember the plot tomorrow?  No?  Then don’t give it five stars!  They should give it three stars, to show that they enjoyed it, but it didn’t change their life.

Here is how Netflix suggests that you rate movies:

1. Hated it
2. Didn’t like it
3. Liked it
4. Really liked it
5. Loved it

That’s all well and good, but I am more objective in my ratings system.  Granted, whether or not I liked a movie is entirely subjective to me, but I try to rate each movie on the same scale.  Few titles will get five stars from me.  To get five stars, I would want to own that movie.  Keep in mind that I have a small, very particular, DVD collection made up of movies that have moved me.  I rarely watch the same movie twice.  No time for that.  I’d have to really like a movie to see it a second time, even on DVD.

Here is how I judge Netflix movies:

1. Shouldn’t be watched by anyone, ever
2. Didn’t enjoy it
3. Enjoyed it, might remember the plot tomorrow
4. Would recommend it to friends, might watch a second time
5. Near and dear to me, would buy it for my own DVD collection

While grading students in my class at Indiana University, I asked my mentor professor if it was normal to give “A”s to everyone in class.  He told me that grades should ideally be distributed in a bell curve, with a few students getting As at the bottom of the curve, more getting Bs as you go up, the majority getting Cs at the top of the curve, then back down the curve to Ds, and just a few getting Fs at the bottom again.  The ratio of As to Fs should be relatively equal, as should the ratio of Bs to Ds.  There are benefits to this type of grading system, but there are also shortcomings.

I don’t generally grade this way in my classes (most people get As, with a few slackers getting Bs, and the one kid who never shows up gets an F).  However, I think that the bell curve distribution is useful to keep in mind while rating movies.  You can’t quote every movie word-for-word (five stars), and you won’t walk out of every movie in disgust (one star).  In fact, the majority of the movies that I’ve rated on Netflix have gotten three stars.  Unrealistic movie ratings would throw off the curve.  I wish that more people would adopt a more solid method for rating on Netflix.