What SINephile believes about criticism—and how it shapes the way we write, rate, and recommend films.

What We Believe

At SINephile, criticism doesn’t just mean opinion — it means responsibility.

We don’t chase hot takes. We aim for cold clarity, heat-tested over time. Whether a film is Cannes-certified or basic cable-core, every review gets the same treatment: rigorous attention to tone, craft, cultural context, and cinematic legacy.

We respect the reader, and that means we won’t waste your time. Reviews here are longform by design — not to prove how much we know, but to make space for what a film might mean.

Sometimes that’s funny, sometimes devastating, and oftentimes it’s both.

The Role of Scoring

Our ratings aren’t arbitrary.

The SINemeter rating system maps critical judgment in layered tiers, from Ascended to Ninth Circle, with the eternal waiting-room of Purgatory standing by to reward mediocrity.

The Cinema DEFCON index tracks the existential threat to theatrical cinema posed by a film’s release strategy — because how we watch still matters.

We score films to anchor our point of view, not reduce it.

Independence, Always

We do not accept payment or perks in exchange for reviews. If we attend or watch advance screenings, it’s to provide timely criticism on our terms — not theirs.

SINephile is proudly reader-funded. Regardless of format, our editorial voice is never for sale.

That means we can say what we really think — no matter how niche, unpopular, or against-the-grain that may be.

If it’s earned its place in the canon, we’ll tell you.
If it belongs in the Ninth Circle, we’ll shout it out.