The Echelons of Judgment

SINephile reviews use a playful 10-tier system called the SINemeter — an upgrade to the tired old star rating.

It measures both quality and impact — because a ★★★★½ film can still be something you never want to watch again. (Hey there, Man with a Movie Camera!) While, a ★½ disaster might be objectively indefensible… but also weirdly comforting.

That’s the critcal nuance all other movie rating systems miss.

So here’s a breakdown of how each SINemeter rank loosely maps — pre-impact — to the classic 5-star scale, one heavenly ascension (or eternal damnation) at a time.

This is our measuring stick.

Ascended (10/10)

★★★★★ = Top 50 of 130 years of cinema. The pantheon. The summit. Rarefied air.

Canonized (9/10)

★★★★½ = Practically perfect. Instant vault film. Best of the year.

Testament (8/10)

★★★★ = A must-see. Top 10 of the year type stuff.

Revelation (7/10)

★★★½ = Unexpectedly great. Instant rewatch. Deserves evangelizing.

Worthy (6/10)

★★★ = A solid watch. You won’t be mad at it. Perhaps even revisit.

Purgatory (5/10)

★★½ = Has its fans. Maybe you’re one of ‘em. Or just basic.

Damn Shame (4/10)

★★ = The regret tier. Should’ve worked. Somehow didn’t.

Fallen (3/10)

★½ = The mess that keeps on giving. Can’t look away.

Heretic (2/10)

★ = Worthless. Someone saw Exorcist II and said, “Hold my beer.”

The Ninth Circle (1/10)

☆ = Reserved for the 50 worst offenses in the history of cinema.

And those random "+ 3" and "- 2" points you’ll spot at the bottom of SINephile reviews? Totally unserious.

They're just a little nod to the things movies hilariously get right — or wrong — a bonus reel for anyone who sticks around through the end credits.

In short, Judgments are dead serious. Points are just for fun.

(And the paired DEFCON scores are a little of both.)