Rotten Tomatoes — review aggregator for film and television

How it works

The site converts individual reviews into a simplified positive/negative metric and displays the percentage of positive reviews as the primary critics' score, commonly called the Tomatometer. A separate audience score is calculated from registered user ratings and reviews. The site also applies special designations to titles that meet certain consistency and volume criteria, which are widely used in promotional materials.

History and development

Rotten Tomatoes began in the late 1990s as a small review-aggregation project and expanded into a larger editorial platform and database of reviews. Over time it changed ownership and became part of larger entertainment technology groups; since 2011 it has been associated with the Flixster/Warner Bros. family of services. Editorial leadership has varied; Joel Meares served as editor-in-chief as of 2021.

Features and sections

• Aggregated critic scores and summaries.
• User or audience ratings and comment threads.
• News, feature articles, interviews, and trailers.
• Searchable film and TV pages showing cast, release details, and review excerpts.

Readers can explore items by genre, year, or popularity and follow links to the original reviews for more context. The site also provides tools used by marketers and consumers to track reception.

Importance, uses, and criticism

Industry professionals and moviegoers use Rotten Tomatoes as a quick reference for reception: studios quote high ratings in advertising, and audiences consult the scores when deciding what to watch. Critics of the platform note that reducing complex reviews to a binary outcome can oversimplify nuance, that scores can be skewed by selection and timing, and that activist review campaigns or coordinated "review bombing" can distort audience measures. Supporters argue it gives a useful, at-a-glance summary of critical consensus.

Related notes

In addition to its core pages, Rotten Tomatoes links to partner sites and related services for tickets, streaming, and further reading. For more information or context about its methodology and editorial approach, consult official site statements and coverage by media-technology analysts. See also reviews and listings, historical background, industry impact, methodology notes, and corporate information at ownership details.