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5★ Masterpiece
4½★ Amazing
4★ Great
3★ Good/Decent
2★ Okay/Meh
1★ Bad

• Casablanca (1942) ★★★★★
• A Real Pain (2024) ★★★★½
• Warfare (2025) ★★★★½
• Apocalypse Now (Final Cut) (1979) ★★★★★
• Sinners (2025) ★★★★½
• Apollo 11 (2019) ★★★★½
• Hamilton (2020) ★★★★★
• Bo Burnham: Inside (2021) ★★★★½

• Monkey Man (2024) ★★★★
• The Holdovers (2023) ★★★★
• The Substance (2024) ★★★★
• Black Bag (2025) ★★★★
• The Thing (1982) ★★★★
• F1: The Movie (2025) ★★★★
• Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024) (doc) ★★★★
• Happy Gilmore 2 (2025) ★★★★
• Weapons (2025) ★★★★
• Fargo (1996) ★★★★

• Nosferatu (2024) ★★
• Smokescreen (1964) ★★
• Plane (2023) ★★
• Mickey 17 (2025) ★★
• Angels and Demons (2009) ★★
• Big Trouble in Little China (1986) ★★
• Stardust (2007) ★★
• Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning (2025) ★★
• Star Trek: Beyond (2016) ★★

• Get Away (2024) ★
• The Thursday Murder Club (2025) ★

highlighted = 4½★ or 5★ — the best
red = 4★ recommendations
N = new release (in 2025 or late-2024)
R = seen before (rewatch)

1. Casablanca (1942) ★★★★★
2. Nosferatu (2024) ★★ N
3. Monkey Man (2024) ★★★★
4. Smokescreen (1964) ★★
5. The Holdovers (2023) ★★★★
6. Get Away (2024) ★ N
7. A Real Pain (2024) ★★★★½ N
8. Wolf Man (2025) ★★★ N
9. Sexy Beast (2000) ★★★★½ R
10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) ★★★★ R
11. Sin City (2005) ★★★★½ R
12. Companion (2025) ★★★ N
13. September 5 (2025) ★★★ N
14. The Substance (2024) ★★★★
15. Heat (1995) ★★★★★ R
16. The Monkey (2025) ★★★ N
17. Zombieland (2009) ★★★★ R
18. Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) ★★★
19. The Big Lebowski (1998) ★★★★★ R
20. Plane (2023) ★★
21. Mickey 17 (2025) ★★ N
22. Black Bag (2025) ★★★★ N
23. Last Breath (2025) ★★★ N
24. Bad Boys (1995) ★★★ R
25. The Da Vinci Code (2006) ★★★
26. Angels and Demons (2009) ★★
27. Interstellar (2014) (IMAX) ★★★★★ R
28. The Shining (1980) ★★★★★ R
29. Snatch (2000) ★★★★ R
30. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) ★★★★★ R
31. Warfare (2025) ★★★★½ N
32. Apocalypse Now (Final Cut) (1979) ★★★★★
33. Sinners (2025) ★★★★½ N
34. Office Space (1999) ★★★
35. Big Trouble in Little China (1986) ★★
36. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) ★★★★ R
37. Django Unchained (2012) ★★★★½ R
38. Stardust (2007) ★★
39. Hot Fuzz (2007) ★★★★½ R
40. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019) ★★★★½ R
41. Hotel Mumbai (2018) ★★★★ R
42. Collateral (2004) ★★★★ R
43. Mountainhead (2025) ★★★ N
44. The Thing (1982) ★★★★
45. Sicario (2015) ★★★★½ R
46. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) ★★★★½ R
47. The Wind in the Willows (1983) ★★★★ R
48. 28 Days Later (2002) ★★★★ R
49. F1: The Movie (2025) (IMAX) ★★★★ N
50. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) ★★★
51. 28 Years Later (2025) ★★★ N
52. Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning (2025) ★★ N
53. Sicario 2: Soldado (2018) ★★★
54. Shallow Grave (1994) ★★★★ R
55. Hill (2025) (doc) ★★★ N
56. Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) ★★★
57. Star Trek: Beyond (2016) ★★
58. The Amateur (2025) ★★★ N
59. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024) (doc) ★★★★ N
60. Red Riding: 1974 (2009) ★★★
61. Bring Her Back (2025) ★★★ N
62. Happy Gilmore 2 (2025) ★★★★ N
63. Red Riding: 1980 (2009) ★★★
64. Red Riding: 1983 (2009) ★★★
65. The Covenant (2023) ★★★★½ R
66. The Commitments (1991) ★★★★ R
67. Nobody (2021) ★★★★ R
68. Weapons (2025) (IMAX) ★★★★ N
69. Nobody 2 (2025) ★★★ N
70. Army of Darkness (1992) ★★★ R
71. 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984) ★★★★ R
72. Jaws (1975) (IMAX) ★★★★ R
73. TRON: Legacy (2010) ★★★ R
74. Baby Driver (2017) ★★★★ R
75. The Thursday Murder Club (2025) ★ N
76. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) ★★★★ R
77. The Fifth Element (1997) ★★★★ R
78. Apollo 13 (1995) ★★★★½ R
79. GoldenEye (1995) ★★★ R
80. Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) ★★★ R
81. Apollo 11 (2019) ★★★★½
82. The 'Burbs (1989) ★★★
83. Hamilton (2020) ★★★★★
84. Interstellar (2015) ★★★★★ R
85. Batman Begins (2005) ★★★★ R
86. Nosferatu (1922) ★★★
87. The Dark Knight (2008) ★★★★½ R
88. The Lost Bus (2025) ★★★ N
89. Fargo (1996) ★★★★
90. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) ★★★★ R
91. Skyfall (2012) ★★★★ R
92. Scrooge (1951) ★★★★½ R
93. Die Hard 2 (1990) ★★★★ R
94. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) ★★★★½ R
95. Die Hard (1988) ★★★★★ R
96. Gremlins (1984) ★★★★ R
97. Home Alone (1990) ★★★★ R
98. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) ★★★ R
99. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) ★★★★★ R
100. Bo Burnham: Inside (2021) ★★★★½

Tags: #movies #endOfYearReview

It skews my ratings artificially high and devalues the top ratings for those films that deserve it. Conversely, the stinkers don't get singled out either. To demonstrate this, my Letterboxd ratings are were* a mess. A different approach is needed.

*Letterboxd ratings now amended!

This was my old scale:

10 • Masterpiece 9 • Amazing 8 • Great 7 • Good 6 • Okay 5 • Mediocre 4 • Poor 3 • Bad 2 • Awful 1 • Unwatchable

I made it too complicated with so many choices; the idea was to provide nuance by using a scale out of ten, but it's not worked out as intended.

I'm switching back to the tried-and-tested 5★ rating, with an added 4½★ option available for those films that deserve special mention but don't quite hit masterpiece status.

This will now be my guide:

5★ (Masterpiece) → 1–2% of films Only the very best across all my watching life. The “desert island” films. Generally, if I'm giving more than one or two 5★ in a year for new releases, I'm probably being too generous. → “Blew me away. I loved every minute. I’d watch it again tomorrow. This is among the best films I’ve ever seen.”

4½★ (Amazing) → 5–10% of films Films I absolutely loved, nearly flawless. If I see 100 films in a year, maybe up to 10 earn this. → “I really loved it. Nearly perfect for me. I’d recommend it without hesitation, though maybe not one of the all-time greats.”

4★ (Great) → 15–20% of films Memorable, rewatchable, strong. These are the ones I'd recommend to friends. → “I had a really good time. I’d gladly watch it again. Strong, memorable, but doesn’t quite reach personal favourite status.”

3★ (Good/Decent) → 35–40% of films The largest category. Fun enough, competent, but not a standout. This is where most decent cinema lands — the backbone of my watch list. → “Enjoyable. Solid. Glad I watched it, but I probably won’t revisit it often.”

2★ (Okay/Meh) → 20–25% of films Didn’t do much for me, but not outright painful. Forgettable. → “Meh. Didn’t grab me. I wouldn’t recommend it, but it wasn’t a total waste.”

1★ (Bad) → 5–10% of films Rare, but I should actually use it. This is my dumping ground for the duds. → “If I had known how it would be, I wouldn’t have watched it. I’d warn others away.”

This should produce more of a bell curve distribution and force me to be more measured. It should stop the 4★ inflation and keep the top ratings rare, so they mean something special when they're used. I don't need the fine slicing at the bottom end either as I never use them; one bucket of “not good” is enough.

I also need to remind myself that I'm no film critic and that my ratings largely reflect my personal enjoyment (so a fluffy but fun film could get 4★) rather than being solely a critical judgement of the filmmaking (where even if I enjoyed a film, if it’s technically weak it gets 2–3★). It does play a small part however, so ratings should in theory be based on an approx. 80/20 split of these factors.

So, when I start giving a lot more ★★★ ratings in future, it doesn't mean they're not good; in fact it actively means they are good. IMHO.

tags: #movies

10 = Masterpiece
9 = Amazing
8 = Great
7 = Good
6 = Okay
5 = Mediocre
4 = Poor
3 = Bad
2 = Awful
1 = Unwatchable

highlighted = 8/10 or better (recommendation)
bold = new release (in 2024 or late-2023)
italic = seen before (rewatch)

• Poor Things (2023) 10/10
• The Favourite (2018) 10/10
• Ex Machina (2015) 10/10
• Interstellar (2014) 10/10
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) 10/10
• The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 10/10
• Conclave (2024) 9/10
• Dune: Part Two (2024) 9/10
• Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) 9/10
• Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) 9/10
• Asteroid City (2023) 9/10
• Nope (2022) 9/10
• Pig (2021) 9/10
• Once Upon A Time In... Hollywood (2019) 9/10
• Apollo 11 (2019) (doc) 9/10
• Hotel Mumbai (2018) 9/10
• The Killing Of A Sacred Deer (2017) 9/10
• Sicario (2015) 9/10
• Gladiator (2000) 9/10
• Traffic (2000) 9/10

• Heretic (2024) 8/10
• Civil War (2024) 8/10
• The Old Oak (2023) 8/10
• Ferrari (2023) 8/10
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) 8/10
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023) 8/10
• X (2022) 8/10
• The Menu (2022) 8/10
• A Man Called Otto (2022) 8/10
• The Outfit (2022) 8/10
• Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche (2022) (doc) 8/10
• Dune: Part One (2021) 8/10
• The French Dispatch (2021) 8/10
• The Dig (2021) 8/10
• 9/11: Inside the President's War Room (2021) (doc) 8/10
• Just Mercy (2019) 8/10
• Dirty God (2019) 8/10
• The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) 8/10
• The Little Stranger (2018) 8/10
• Kursk (2018) 8/10
• The Founder (2016) 8/10
• The Light Between Oceans (2016) 8/10
• The Lobster (2015) 8/10
• Seven Psychopaths (2012) 8/10
• We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011) 8/10
• Red State (2011) 8/10
• Layer Cake (2004) 8/10
• Shaun of the Dead (2004) 8/10
• Catch Me If You Can (2002) 8/10
• The Beach (2000) 8/10
• 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) 8/10
• What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) 8/10
• The Man Between (1953) 8/10

• Gladiator 2 (2024) 5/10
• Trap (2024) 5/10
• The Creator (2023) 5/10
• Cocaine Bear (2023) 5/10

• Maggie Moore(s) (2023) 4/10
• Poker Face (2022) 4/10
• Ambulance (2022) 4/10
• Gunpowder Milkshake (2021) 4/10
• The Commuter (2018) 4/10
• Zulu (1964) 4/10

• The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone (1990) (Director’s Recut, 2020) 6/10
• Zulu (1964) 4/10
• The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) 6/10
• Widows (2017) 6/10
• The Dig (2021) 8/10
• Reptile (2023) 6/10
• The Founder (2016) 8/10
• Traffic (2000) 9/10
• Promising Young Woman (2020) 6/10
• The Duke (2020) 6/10
• Gunpowder Milkshake (2021) 4/10
• The Men Who Stare At Goats (2009) 6/10
• Days of Thunder (1990) 6/10
• Green Zone (2010) 6/10
• X (2022) 8/10
• The Commuter (2018) 4/10
• Gorillas In The Mist (1988) 6/10
• The Killing Of A Sacred Deer (2017) 9/10
• Poor Things (2023) 10/10
• The Man Between (1953) 8/10
• Ex Machina (2015) 10/10
• Greed (2019) 6/10
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023) 8/10
• Layer Cake (2004) 8/10
• The Little Stranger (2018) 8/10
• The Favourite (2018) 10/10
• The Lobster (2015) 8/10
• The Light Between Oceans (2016) 8/10
• A Man Called Otto (2022) 8/10
• French Exit (2020) 6/10
• Operation Mincemeat (2021) 6/10
• Hotel Mumbai (2018) 9/10
• Maggie Moore(s) (2023) 4/10
• Poker Face (2022) 4/10
• Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) 9/10
• Sister Act (1992) 6/10
• Nope (2022) 9/10
• The Monuments Men (2014) 6/10
• The Outfit (2022) 8/10
• Ambulance (2022) 4/10
• Seven Psychopaths (2012) 8/10
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) 6/10
• The Card Counter (2021) 6/10
• The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) 8/10
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) 8/10
• Asteroid City (2023) 9/10
• Dog Soldiers (2002) 6/10
• Sicario (2015) 9/10
• Ferrari (2023) 8/10
• The Old Oak (2023) 8/10
• Cocaine Bear (2023) 5/10
• Apollo 11 (2019) (documentary) 9/10
• 9/11: Inside the President's War Room (2021) (documentary) 8/10
• Just Mercy (2019) 8/10
• The Mule (2018) 7/10
• Dune: Part One (2021) 8/10
• Dune: Part Two (2024) 9/10
• Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche (2022) (documentary) 8/10
• Pig (2021) 9/10
• Lost In Translation (2003) 6/10
• Red State (2011) 8/10
• Annihilation (2018) 6/10
• Once Upon A Time In... Hollywood (2019) 9/10
• Emily The Criminal (2022) 7/10
• Dirty God (2019) 8/10
• Draft Day (2014) 6/10
• Civil War (2024) 8/10
• 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) 8/10
• Hellboy (2004) 6/10
• Kursk (2018) 8/10
• We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011) 8/10
• Rush (2013) 7/10
• What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) 8/10
• The Menu (2022) 8/10
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) 10/10
• The Creator (2023) 5/10
• Kinds of Kindness (2024) 6/10
• Longlegs (2024) 6/10
• Beverly Hills Cop (1984) 7/10
• Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) 7/10
• Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) 6/10
• The Beach (2000) 8/10
• Trap (2024) 5/10
• Blink Twice (2024) 6/10
• Speak No Evil (2024) 7/10
• Interstellar (IMAX) (10th ann.) (2014) 10/10
• Wolfs (2024) 6/10
• Shaun of the Dead (20th ann.) (2004) 8/10
• Gladiator (2000) 9/10
• Arcadian (2024) 6/10
• Heretic (2024) 8/10
• The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 10/10
• The French Dispatch (2021) 8/10
• Daddio (2024) 6/10
• Spike Island (2012) 6/10
• Gladiator 2 (2024) 5/10
• The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) 7/10
• Conclave (2024) 9/10
• Wallace and Grommit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) 9/10
• Catch Me If You Can (2002) 8/10
• Next Goal Wins (2023) 7/10

Tags: #movies #endOfYearReview