Reviews Policy

How Looper Approaches Reviews

At Looper, we take reviews seriously — both as an art form and a source of entertainment, as well as a way to help our readers make informed decisions about their moviegoing experiences. We believe it's important to provide thorough, honest critiques that give audiences an accurate representation of what they can expect from the latest titles.

Film and TV reviews should be more than just a play for internet authority or fame. We write and publish reviews to help audiences decide which titles are worth seeing and to add our unique voice to the aesthetic discourse around film and TV culture.

We provide honest and thorough assessments of every title we review. We believe it's essential to consider both the good and bad aspects of each IP when forming a review, which is why we analyze a wide range of elements including the quality of storytelling, performances, direction, music, editing, and originality. We also identify what the title is trying to achieve and whether it is successful in that endeavor. In other words, we try to judge every viewing experience on its own terms.

Scoring System

Our scoring system is an aggregate number based on a range of criteria. We assign each title a score between 1 and 10, with 10 being the highest rating. Our scores are intended to provide an indication of the overall quality and impact compared to other titles within a genre or series, while also providing our readers an at-a-glance summary of what they can expect.

Review Scale
  1. Hands down, a bad viewing experience. We don't even know if a physical version of this film or TV series would make decent kindling.
  2. Fundamentally unsuccessful as a feature or series. How was this project greenlit for release?
  3. The title seemingly has a handful of redeeming or fun moments but fails to execute on any of its ideas.
  4. It's watchable, but it's boring, frustrating, or confusing, and not really worth anyone's time.
  5. It toes the line of being boring, but we can see what the creators were trying to do (even though they didn't quite get there).
  6. The film or TV series is fine and/or has minor flaws, but it's not one that we'll be revisiting or recommending to our nearest and dearest.
  7. Something is just holding this one back. It's a worthwhile viewing experience that achieves what it means to, but it doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the table. Recommended for fans of the genre, director, cast, or type.
  8. We're not sure this title will make it onto our best of the year lists, but it's definitely worth an honorable mention at the very least.
  9. A Top 5 contender for best of the year. Bold, exciting, and brings new and refreshing ideas to its genre.
  10. This movie or TV series belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Hollywood achievements. It perfectly delivers on all the filmmaking essentials, resonates with audiences, and serves as a pristine example of what all titles of its genre should aspire to be.

That all said, we acknowledge that reviews are inherently subjective. This means that different Looper reviewers may have very different opinions about a particular title depending on personal preferences, experiences, or tastes. Don't get lost in the discourse. It's important to remember that a review score reflects just one person's opinion. So while it can be taken into account when considering whether to see the movie at issue, you should also take into consideration other reviews and opinions as well.

At Looper, we strive to find the best balance between quality analysis and personal opinion when reviewing anything — but, ultimately, our goal is to aid in your decision of what works best for you and to be entertaining in our execution.

Embargoes and Review Copies

We respect all embargoes that are set by studios and distributors when receiving early access to screeners or screenings. We accept early access to view films and TV series to ensure our team has time to thoroughly vet a title ahead of release, and so our readers can make a fully informed movie-going decision.

To submit digital screeners or invitations to in-person screenings or press events, please email us at .

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