Who’s Really Controlling IMDb Scores?
Confession time: The Barbie movie was one of my favorites, and before you judge me, let me tell you — it was one of the best movies I’ve seen in recent years.
When deciding between watching Oppenheimer and Barbie, IMDb scores play a crucial role. Oppenheimer’s impressive 8.7 score seems to overshadow Barbie’s 7.5, making it the obvious pick. Yet, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something doesn’t add up. Why does Barbie, an undeniably profitable film, have such a low score? I decided to put on my data detective hat and dig deeper into the IMDb rating distribution.
To my surprise, a staggering 12% of the reviewers gave Barbie a mere 1-star rating, which is the lowest score you can give. This seems like a peculiar number, I thought to myself.
In order to gain perspective, I crunched some numbers, analyzing the 100 most popular movies released in the last 12 months. From this dataset, I calculated the average distribution of all these movies (as illustrated in the graph). It turns out the average movie in 2023 has received only 4% 1-star ratings, making Barbie a serious outlier in this regard. Even more astonishing — another Disney film that came out this year — The Little Mermaid, has received over 35% 1-star ratings.
Hold up — let’s rewind and crunch those numbers one more time. When recalculating the ratings based on IMDb’s own data, a startling truth emerged. Barbie’s actual score stood at 7.0, rather than the displayed 7.5. Meanwhile, The Little Mermaid’s rating plummeted to a mere 4.8, a far cry from the touted 7.2.
So, how is IMDb really calculating these ratings? A closer examination of IMDb’s methodology unveiled a cryptic note citing “unusual voting activity detected”. In their commitment to safeguarding the integrity of their rating system, IMDb had applied a specialized calculation, adjusting weights to counteract the surge of 1-star reviews. Barbie and The Little Mermaid found themselves entangled in a bigger scheme.
Beyond the realm of numbers and statistics, these movies bear immense cultural significance — Both movies celebrate strong female characters and tackle recent political themes that resonate with the realities of our daily lives, from issues of racial discrimination to feminism. They were the perfect subject for a hit from the growing trend of Review Bombing — an online phenomenon where swarms of angry users attack rating platforms like IMDb with negative reviews as a form of protest. Barbie and The Little Mermaid became the latest victims of this alarming trend, which has impacted numerous movies, books, and products across various industries.
IMDb’s response to the Review Bombing challenge was to adjust rating weights, aiming to balance the scales and maintain fair evaluations. However, the intricacies of this process remain veiled in secrecy, leaving a desire for more transparency on how the rating system works.
In an era where ratings heavily influence our choices, including our watching habits, where to dine, and what to buy, striking a balance becomes paramount. While IMDb’s efforts to shield movies from unwarranted attacks are vital, concerns about data integrity and the hidden workings behind the scenes must not be overlooked.
So, what do you think is a good solution for this complicated issue?
