Why five categories?
Five categories capture the basic dimensions of what we look for in a film. Certain aspects of moviemaking are consolidated into categories to keep the ratings manageable.
A PERSONAL FILM INDEX
Five dimensions.
Seven meaningful levels.
No grade inflation.
Movies judged on originality, ambition, artistry, emotional resonance, and the combined craft of plot, story and acting.
THE PANTHEON
Mike's highest-rated movies
The aggregate is the average of five category scores. A 7 means outstanding, best-in-class. The exceedingly rare historical 8 is displayed as 7+: beyond best-in-class, without changing the scale.
RECENTLY ADDED
Latest ratings
When the Google Sheet bridge is enabled, this section can update directly from your source spreadsheet.
MIKE VS. THE CRITICS
Where Mike and Metacritic disagree most
Mike's aggregate is normalized to a 100-point scale for comparison. The commentary below is generated from the size of the gap and Mike's component scores—not a separate written review.
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THE MIKE LENSES
What the five scores reveal
These lists are generated automatically from the component ratings—not hand-picked after the fact.
THE FULL INDEX
Explore all movies
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MIKE BY THE NUMBERS
The taste profile
Enough data to support strong conclusions and several completely unnecessary arguments.
Average by category
Aggregate score distribution
Integer bands only. No fake precision in the buckets.
Genres in the collection
Populates automatically from TMDB metadata.
THE METHOD
Why five? Why seven?
A rating system should distinguish meaningful differences without pretending subjective judgments are laboratory measurements.
Why 0–7?
Seven is the maximum number of meaningful differentiations we can make in a subjective judgment. Beyond that, we are splitting hairs and implying precision that isn't really there.
What is 7+?
Seven is the maximum category rating: outstanding, best-in-class. A handful of historical 8s are shown as 7+—a special designation for an accomplishment so extraordinary it sets a new standard.
THE MIKE SCALE
Compact on purpose.
Component ratings are integers. The aggregate may be decimal because it averages five integer judgments.
1Very poor
2Poor
3Below average
4Solid
5Very good
6Excellent
7Outstanding
7+New standard
OWNER TOOLS
Add a movie
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What people are saying
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