Patronizing grading helps no one. If a film is boring, give it an F. If the sound design is amateur, say so. The independent ecosystem is robust enough to handle failure. In fact, failure is necessary.
The tyranny of the 10-point scale, the five-star system, and the binary Fresh/Rotten has created a flattening of artistic merit. We cannot review an experimental coming-of-age film shot on expired 16mm film with the same rubric we use for Deadpool & Wolverine . To do so is to measure a haiku by the rules of a legal contract. hot b grade aunty
Treat the $5,000 film with the same seriousness you treat the $150M film, but use a different dictionary. Conclusion: The Score is a Feeling, Not a Fact When you publish your next review of an independent feature, consider omitting the grade entirely. Or, if you must include it, write a paragraph justifying the grade. Patronizing grading helps no one
Consider the micro-budget horror film Skinamarink (2022). By traditional metrics—pacing, dialogue, narrative coherence—it is an "F." The camera stares at walls for minutes. The dialogue is whispered, often unintelligible. Yet, as an exercise in analog horror and childhood dread, it is an "A+." The independent ecosystem is robust enough to handle failure
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