Rotten Tomatoes Overhauls Rating System with Controversial ‘Verified Hot’ Badge

Rotten Tomatoes, the well-known review aggregator, has introduced a significant update to its rating system.

The platform collects reviews from both critics and the general public to generate an overall percentage rating for films and TV shows. Traditionally, the primary focus has been on critics’ reviews, with films earning a “Fresh” or “Rotten” designation based on the percentage of positive reviews they receive.

However, the website has now unveiled a new category, labeling films as “Verified Hot,” “Hot,” or “Stale,” based on feedback from the “Verified Audience.”

The “Verified Hot” title is awarded only to films that achieve a 90 percent positive rating from users who have attended screenings. Rotten Tomatoes, owned by the US ticketing platform Fandango, uses this affiliation to verify ticket purchases. According to IndieWire, Rotten Tomatoes is also exploring partnerships with other ticketing platforms to verify purchases made elsewhere.

Historically, the website’s scoring system has been susceptible to manipulation. Some films have experienced targeted negative reviews aimed at lowering their ratings, a tactic known as “review bombing.”

Recent summer releases such as Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Deadpool & Wolverine, Twisters, and It Ends With Us, have all received the new “Verified Hot” badge. Additionally, hundreds of older films dating back to 2019 have been retroactively awarded the designation. Notable titles include Top Gun: Maverick, Parasite, Oppenheimer, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

For a film to earn the “Verified Hot” status, it must receive a 90 percent positive rating. The cutoff for the “Hot” category is 60 percent, with anything below that deemed “Stale.”

Amanda Norvell, senior vice president of direct-to-consumer services at Fandango, stated, “On Rotten Tomatoes, fans love to consult our verified audience score, in addition to the Tomatometer critics’ score, when discovering new movies and deciding what they want to watch next.”

She added, “With the addition of Verified Hot, we are excited to celebrate and shine a spotlight on the theatrical films that fans have unanimously embraced and have taken the time to share their incredible moviegoing experience with other fans.”

Social media reactions to the change have been mixed. Some users argue that elevating audience scores diminishes the original purpose of the site. A person remarked on X/Twitter, “The worst thing Rotten Tomatoes has done is gradually elevating the importance of audience scores alongside critic scores. That’s not what the site was ever supposed to be.”

Another user commented, “If there’s anything a site allegedly for film critics needs it’s more vindication for audiences that have historically review[ed] bombed movies and TV shows.”

Some users believe the change may incentivize more review bombing or boosting of audience scores. “This sucks. Even more incentive for weirdos to review bomb/boost the audience score,” one person wrote. Another added, “It’s like a participation award for people who complain about participation awards and have bad taste in movies.”

However, others were more optimistic. One user stated, “LOVE this and they’ve been needing something like this. Too many times there are fantastic films that the people love but get terrible Rotten Tomatoes scores. This will definitely help balance out the uneven scores that often occur.”