Rotten Tomatoes has introduced a new “Verified Hot” badge for movies or shows with a high verified audience score of 90 percent or higher, joining the existing “Certified Fresh” badge for critic scores. Content with a Verified Audience Score of 60 percent to 90 percent receives a “Hot” badge, while anything below 60 percent gets labeled as “Stale.” To prevent review bombing, user reviews must come from those who have actually seen the film, verified through ticketing firm Fandango. However, this verification process excludes other ticketing firms and raises suspicions of synergistic advertising since Comcast owns both Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. Additionally, the verification system only applies to movies, not TV shows, leaving room for trolls to influence ratings. Critics of the new system believe it will make the site more confusing with additional badges and uncertainties, questioning if average users can differentiate between “Hot” and “Fresh.” Rotten Tomatoes is also addressing issues with the critic scoring system by setting minimum review requirements before a Tomatometer score can be displayed. The new Hot badge has been awarded to popular films such as “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Twisters,” “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” and “It Ends With Us,” with over 200 films retroactively receiving the badge.
