What earns a 5?

LocoWeekend ratings are editorial recommendations out of five. They are not audience votes, IMDb scores, Rotten Tomatoes percentages or an average of other critics. We use whole numbers because the explanation is more useful than decimal precision.

1. 5/5 — ExceptionalA distinctive achievement with a strong reason to make time for it. Five does not mean flawless or suitable for everyone.
2. 4/5 — Strong recommendationA rewarding choice with identifiable strengths. The caveats matter, but do not outweigh the recommendation.
3. 3/5 — Worth a lookThere is something worthwhile here, with limitations that make the audience fit especially important.
4. 2/5 — For committed fansSignificant weaknesses. Recommend only when a particular interest outweighs the compromises.
5. 1/5 — SkipToo little payoff for the time involved. Our recommendation is to choose something else.

What we judge

Story and structure: does the idea develop and earn its payoff? Craft: do performance, direction, sound and visual choices serve the work? Distinctiveness: is there a point of view beyond familiar ingredients? Time: does the reward justify the commitment? These are editorial considerations, not a formula with invented measurements.

Every score comes with context

We name what the rating covers: a film, a particular season or a series. Each rating includes why we rate it, a caveat and who it suits. A great first season does not automatically earn later seasons the same score.

Research and transparency

Our launch guide contains research-led editorial assessments, informed by the works’ narrative and formal characteristics and checked against linked official title information. It does not claim a new hands-on viewing by a named critic. Factual checks and subjective assessments are kept distinct. When we publish a viewing-based review, it should identify the reviewer and the scope watched.

Updates and independence

Dates indicate substantive edits or factual checks, not a promise that a catalogue will stay unchanged. If a rating changes, the article should explain why. A rating is never sold; sponsorship or affiliate relationships, when present, must be disclosed separately.