Score Normalization

I’ve been compiling some statistics about this blog, and have realized that I’ve been consistently rating most of the movies on this site quite highly in an absolute sense (i.e. most movies get 7’s and 8’s, not 2’s and 3’s). This is almost certainly an effect of selection bias – quite simply, I usually don’t pay to see movies in which I have no interest whatsoever. Accordingly, when I go into a film, I’m predisposed to like it. I’ve had some feedback about this over the years, and do take it seriously.

Therefore, starting in the next few days, I’m introducing a new feature to the blog, the Normalized Score. The Normalized Score weights each new score relative to the other ratings I’ve given on this website, where 5 represents an “average” score in absolute terms.

Additionally, the Normalized Score is easily converted into a percentile (i.e. a Normalized Score of 6.9 means that at the time I reviewed a given film, I preferred it to 69% of the films I’ve previously rated on the site). Going forward, this will adjust dynamically; all retroactive normalizations (i.e. all the Normalized Scores posted below) should be understood to communicate that, as of September 2016, I have preferred this movie over X% of the other films that have been reviewed on the blog.

X-Men: Wolverine
6.9
District 9
8.7
Avatar
5.8
Sherlock Holmes
3.4
The Book of Eli
8.7
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
5.8
Alice in Wonderland
4.6
Clash of the Titans
3.4
Iron Man 2
6.9
Robin Hood
2.4
Toy Story 3
7.9
Jonah Hex
0.0
Predators
5.8
Inception
9.2
Ramona and Beezus
6.9
The Social Network
6.9
Secretariat
1.6
Megamind
4.6
Harry Potter VII
8.7
Unstoppable
5.8
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
1.6
True Grit
5.8
The Adjustment Bureau
7.9
The King’s Speech
5.8
The Eagle
5.8
Atlas Shrugged Part I
4.6
Thor
7.9
Pirates of the Caribbean 4
4.6
X-Men: First Class
5.8
Super 8
7.9
Green Lantern
1.0
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
4.6
Courageous
4.6
Real Steel
6.9
The Three Musketeers
1.0
Sherlock Holmes II
3.4
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
0.0
Underworld Awakening
3.4
Chronicle
7.9
Act of Valor
5.8
The Hunger Games
9.2
The Avengers
8.7
Men in Black 3
6.9
Snow White and the Huntsman
3.4
Prometheus
9.2
Rock of Ages
2.4
Brave
7.9
The Amazing Spider-Man
1.6
The Dark Knight Rises
9.2
The Bourne Legacy
2.4
Looper
4.6
Taken 2
1.0
Cloud Atlas
6.9
Skyfall
8.7
Flight
5.8
The Hobbit I
0.5
Les Miserables
9.2
Oblivion
2.4
Iron Man 3
6.9
The Great Gatsby
7.9
Star Trek Into Darkness
4.6
Man of Steel
0.3
The Lone Ranger
2.4
Pacific Rim
7.9
The Wolverine
6.9
Prisoners
8.7
Ender’s Game
3.4
Thor: The Dark World
3.4
Catching Fire
6.9
The Hobbit II
0.0
American Hustle
9.2
Her
5.8
Noah
6.9
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
2.4
Godzilla
5.8
X-Men: Days of Future Past
6.9
Transformers: Age of Extinction
1.6
Hercules
3.4
Guardians of the Galaxy
9.2
Gone Girl
7.9
Interstellar
7.9
Mockingjay Part I
3.4
The Hobbit III
4.6
The Imitation Game
7.9
The Interview
2.4
American Sniper
7.9
Jupiter Ascending
1.0
Furious 7
6.9
Avengers: Age of Ultron
4.6
Ex Machina
8.7
Mad Max Fury Road
5.8
Jurassic World
3.4
Inside Out
9.2
Ant-Man
3.4
Southpaw
4.6
Mission Impossible Rogue Nation
2.4
Straight Outta Compton
8.7
No Escape
2.4
The End of the Tour
5.8
Black Mass
3.4
Pawn Sacrifice
2.4
Everest
5.8
Truth
5.8
Spectre
3.4
Mockingjay Part II
6.9
Spotlight
7.9
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
9.2
Concussion
1.6
The Hateful Eight
5.8
The Revenant
7.9
Deadpool
5.8
Gods of Egypt
2.4
Batman v Superman
0.0
Jungle Book
6.9
Captain America Civil War
7.9
X-Men Apocalypse
1.6
Warcraft
1.0
Finding Dory
4.6
Independence Day Resurgence
0.3
Legend of Tarzan
3.4
Star Trek Beyond
7.9
Jason Bourne
4.6
Suicide Squad
1.6
Hell or High Water
9.2
Queen of Katwe
3.4
Doctor Strange
8.2