The Problem: Traditional film rating systems (like 1-5 stars or thumbs up/down) don't capture the complexity of how we actually feel about movies. For instance, you might be glad you watched "Schindler's List" but never want to watch it again, or regret watching a bad movie but find yourself wanting to rewatch it because it's entertainingly bad.
The Solution: A two-part rating system that captures both:
- Your emotional reaction to watching it
- Your attitude toward watching it again
All Possible Rating Combinations:
- 😀 + ⏪️ : "Glad I watched it AND would watch again" Example: The Lord of the Rings - A fantastic experience you want to repeat
- 😀 + ⏹️ : "Glad I watched it BUT wouldn't watch again" Example: Schindler's List - Important and powerful, but emotionally heavy
- 😀 + ♻️ : "Glad I watched it AND have rewatched it" Example: The Princess Bride - A beloved film you return to
- 🤢 + ⏪️ : "Regret watching it BUT would watch again" Example: The Room - So bad it's entertaining
- 🤢 + ⏹️ : "Regret watching it AND wouldn't watch again" Example: A generic bad movie that wastes your time
- 🤢 + ♻️ : "Regret watching it BUT have rewatched it" Example: Guilty pleasure movies you know are bad but keep coming back to
- 🤮 + ⏪️ : "Gave up watching it BUT would try again" Example: A complex film you weren't in the right mood for
- 🤮 + ⏹️ : "Gave up watching it AND wouldn't try again" Example: A film so bad you couldn't finish it
- 🤮 + ♻️ : "Gave up watching it BUT have tried again" Example: A challenging film you've attempted multiple times
Key Benefits:
- Discovery:
- Find films others are glad they watched (but maybe only once)
- Identify truly rewatchable movies
- Avoid films people commonly give up on
- Find "so bad they're good" movies (regret + would watch again)
- Decision Making:
- Helps decide whether to watch a movie for the first time
- Helps decide whether to rewatch a movie
- Assists in choosing movies for different moods/occasions
- Unique Insights:
- Identifies films that are "important to watch once" (glad + wouldn't again)
- Highlights guilty pleasures (regret + would watch again)
- Shows which challenging films might be worth attempting (gave up + would try again)
The anonymous nature prevents bias from following specific reviewers, while the fingerprinting prevents manipulation of ratings. The system captures nuanced reactions that other rating systems miss, helping users make better watching decisions based on how others actually experienced these films.
This solves the "Netflix problem" - staring at a list of movies unsure what to watch - by providing more nuanced guidance than traditional rating systems. It also helps users avoid the common experience of rewatching a movie they enjoyed once only to find it doesn't hold up to repeated viewing, or missing out on rewatching a movie they might enjoy multiple times.