Chapter 132: Professional Reputation

"The freshness rating is dropping again!"

In the study, Carey Mulligan, sitting behind the computer, looked up, frustration evident on her face. "It's dropping way too fast!"

Holding a copy of the Fox Searchlight interview process, Murphy nonchalantly waved his hand. "Dear, has 'Saw' dropped below twenty percent freshness?"

"Of course not." Carey Mulligan lowered her head again. "Before last weekend, the Rotten Tomatoes freshness rating was still sixty percent, now it's only fifty-two percent."

She almost spat out her words. "This week, more critics have published reviews of 'Saw,' mostly negative."

"Oh..." Murphy remained indifferent but still asked, "Any new ones? Read a few to me."

With the film's full expansion in theaters last weekend, 'Saw' naturally attracted the attention of critics, but unlike horror enthusiasts, the critics were generally negative about the film.

It's not just Rotten Tomatoes; the film's IMDb rating is also plummeting. After expanding its release, it inevitably attracted many casual viewers. For such a large-scale film, non-horror enthusiasts are highly unlikely to appreciate it, let alone praise it after watching.

It was easy to predict that many casual viewers would leave the theater early. Even those who finished the movie were unlikely to give it high ratings, and those who would rate it on IMDb were certainly not going to give it high scores.

It's a simple fact that a film's expanded release and increased fame will attract viewers who are not fans of the genre. Some will be drawn in, while others will contribute to negative word of mouth. This is an unavoidable issue for widely released and highly circulated films.

Conversely, niche indie films have a limited audience and often a very small promotional scale. Mainstream audiences who see these films know they're not their type and are less likely to watch them. Those who do watch are usually true fans of the genre, leading to higher ratings.

'Saw' is essentially a film with a relatively narrow audience. But after achieving outstanding results, it gradually received the promotional scale of a mainstream commercial film. In such cases, the reputation is unlikely to continue rising.

Carey Mulligan scrolled through the latest reviews and read to Murphy, "Peter Travers of 'Rolling Stone' only gave it 5 out of 10. He said our film is extremely disgusting and has nothing else to offer. Roger Ebert of the 'Chicago Sun-Times' also gave it 5 out of 10. He thinks the film achieves its horror and thriller effects, making the audience's skin crawl, but in the end, it's all just painful torture and not worth it."

She pouted angrily. "Rene Rodriguez of the 'Miami Herald'..."

Her clear voice carried a hint of anger, showing that Carey Mulligan was clearly less composed than Murphy. "He said he only saw a bunch of shining idiots in the film. And JR Jones from the 'Chicago Reader' said the film's sadism is only surpassed by its absurdity."

"Hey, dear!" Murphy could hear the change in Carey Mulligan's tone and quickly said, "Aren't there any good reviews?"

"Yes..." Carey Mulligan looked at Murphy, controlling her emotions. "Kim Newman from 'Empire' said you, as a director, successfully created a chilling atmosphere. David Edelstein from 'New York Magazine' thought the narrative was very clever..."

Perhaps seeing more negative reviews, Carey Mulligan stood up from behind the computer and walked over to Murphy, her doll-like face still gloomy. "Why do critics attack a film that has such good audience reviews?"

"Because critics never watch films from the ordinary audience's perspective." Murphy put down the interview outline, thought for a moment, and said, "In their eyes, the depth and substance of a film are far more important than its entertainment value."

Carey Mulligan leaned against the armrest of Murphy's chair, frowning. "But isn't watching movies supposed to be for entertainment?"

Murphy shrugged. "Some people always find something profound and superior in films."

"But..." Carey Mulligan didn't quite understand Murphy's point and asked, "But 'Saw' has been praised for its narrative, pacing, and editing by many media outlets. Why don't critics like it?"

"It's actually quite easy to understand." Murphy put his arm around her shoulders. "Not many critics like such gory films."

"Oh..." Carey Mulligan nodded gently.

She turned and kissed Murphy, saying, "This is what you told me before about the difference between professional and audience reputation."

"Exactly." Murphy smiled. "The former is more likely to bring awards, while the latter represents a film's market."

"Can they be balanced?" Carey Mulligan, after all, was still a sixteen-year-old girl. "If both professional and audience reputations are good..."

"Of course, they can." Murphy shrugged slightly. "It's just very difficult."

Commercial success is the foundation for a director to establish themselves in Hollywood. But to further elevate one's status, such films are essential.

Unless you're James Cameron, who can overshadow everything with commercial success.

Carey Mulligan gave Murphy a strong kiss on the cheek. "I believe you can definitely achieve it!"

Murphy just smiled. With his current abilities, even if he cheated, he couldn't produce such a film. He still needed to hone his skills as a director.

Back at the computer, Carey Mulligan glanced at the screen and almost shouted, "The Rotten Tomatoes freshness rating has dropped again, it's only fifty-one percent now."

She looked up at Murphy. "Will this affect the future box office?"

It's impossible for such bad reviews from critics to have no impact on the audience's choice. Murphy walked over, took a quick look, and said, "We're making a commercial film right now, so we don't need to care too much about the Rotten Tomatoes freshness rating."

Carey Mulligan looked puzzled. "Why not?"

"Because Rotten Tomatoes ratings don't come from the audience. Strictly speaking, it's not even a rating system." Murphy briefly explained to Carey Mulligan, "Rotten Tomatoes' freshness rating is based on whether critics give a positive review. For example, if eighty percent of critics give a positive score, the film's freshness rating is 80."

The problem with this system is that a film's freshness rating doesn't truly reflect its reception because the standard is a passing grade from a review.

If a film has an eighty-something freshness rating but an average score of just over six, is it really well-received by professionals?

Conversely, films that are either loved or hated, like 'Saw,' won't have good-looking Rotten Tomatoes pages.

Moreover, Rotten Tomatoes itself deliberately muddles things by awarding the "Certified Fresh" badge to films with a freshness rating above seventy-five and at least forty reviews, giving audiences the illusion that Rotten Tomatoes is a "rating" system.

After hearing Murphy's explanation, Carey Mulligan nodded.

Murphy pointed to the popcorn icon next to the freshness number. "This popcorn index reflects a film's popularity with the audience better than the freshness rating."

'Saw's Rotten Tomatoes freshness rating had dropped to fifty-one, but the popcorn index was still a high eighty-eight percent.

This was why Murphy didn't care much about the freshness rating.

"So the Rotten Tomatoes freshness rating isn't very important?"

Seeing Murphy nod slightly, Carey Mulligan scratched her cheek. "Then where should we look for professional reputation?"

As a newcomer to Hollywood and only sixteen, she didn't understand everything clearly.

"Do you know about Metacritic scores?" Murphy tried to explain simply, "The industry values the serious Metacritic scores more than online media like Rotten Tomatoes. Do you think the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences care about the internet?"

Metacritic scores are also available online, but they're mainly based on print media. This prestigious academy, with an average age of over fifty, is unlikely to be filled with internet enthusiasts. Most of them might not even use the internet.

However, Metacritic also has its limitations, as it includes reviews and scores from veteran professional critics, reflecting its conservative and old-fashioned nature.

In the end, all these scores are just references and don't necessarily reflect a film's market value. Many films with high IMDb scores or Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings of ninety or above still flop at the box office, even dragging down a film company.

Especially IMDb, where the scores are significantly manipulated. Rating mechanisms can only limit, not eliminate, manipulation. The 'Dark Knight' versus 'The Godfather' battle is a prime example.

After explaining briefly, Murphy handed Carey Mulligan the information from Fox Searchlight. "Study the process carefully. This is the crew's first interview and your first media interview. Don't mess it up."

"I definitely won't!" Carey Mulligan's face was unusually serious.

With 'Saw' taking second place in the North American box office last week, it attracted considerable media attention. To promote the film, Fox Searchlight coordinated with a Fox TV program to conduct an interview with the crew, led by Murphy.

In the list of producers for this interview, Murphy noticed a familiar name—Kara Faith!

___________________

(Support with power stones, comments or reviews)

If you guys enjoy this story, In support me on Patreon and get access to +200 advance Chapters

Read Ahead

Patreon.com/INNIT