10 Do’s and 10 Don’ts For Choosing What Movie To Watch Tonight

By Ryan Kim /

4. Do Skim the Reviews

Even after all of the previous steps, there may still be doubt in your heart. How will I know if the movie is worth watching? I've watched the trailer, read the synopsis, and it's got Will Smith in it, but he did make "Wild, Wild West." How can I be sure? I want to trust in Will again, but I... I just can't, not yet. You're in luck because not only did the internet make singers with mediocre talent huge, it gave everyone who had an opinion center stage. Anyone from the Commander-in-Chief to your Aunt Sally can voice their critique on anything from the iPhone X (they'll have to start using Roman numerals, mark my words) to their favorite frozen pizza (Freschetta). The vast internet forums are ablaze with movie reviews as well. It wasn't long before film critics began to put their reviews online as well and it wasn't long before people started to wish for a general consensus of the film rather than reading through every review. Enter Rotten Tomatoes. RottenTomatoes is a godsend to all cinephiles and movie geeks because it provides you, not only with a general consensus, but with a numeral value of the film. If a 100 critics review a film and 50 like it while the other 50 pan it, then that film will have a 50% on RottenTomatoes. Anything with a 60% rating and above is "Certified Fresh," while anything below that is considered "Rotten." There are some discrepancies to the rating system however. For example if a mediocre film gets lukewarm, albeit positive reviews from a majority of critics then that film may have a rather high rating sometimes in the 70s or 80s. So having a high rating doesn't necessarily translate to a superior film, it may just mean everyone agrees that it's really average. But since most critics have a standard of what a good film is, RottenTomatoes is a great indicator of whether a film is worth watching. So when in doubt, check the Tomatoes.