The Methodology
ARC is Film-Index's structured scoring framework. Instead of a single star rating, every review breaks a film down into five craft categories — each scored independently on a 0.1 to 9.9 scale.
Submit an ARC ReviewWhy ARC?
A film might have stunning cinematography and a weak script. A blockbuster might nail entertainment value while failing on craft. A 3.5-star rating tells you nothing about which is which.
ARC scores five distinct craft dimensions separately, then computes a composite. The composite is meaningful — but so is every individual category. You see the whole picture, not just the average.
Each category also has an optional sub-slider drawer, letting reviewers who want to go deeper score individual components like cinematography, sound design, or character development. Sub-scores inform the parent category score as suggested values — you're always in control.
The Five Categories
Everything you see on screen — cinematography, lighting, production design, visual effects, editing rhythm, and opening/closing credits. How well does the film use the visual medium?
Score, soundtrack, sound effects, and overall audio mix. Does the music serve the story? Is the mixing balanced and immersive? Sound is often what separates a good scene from a great one.
Plot structure, pacing, character development, dialogue, and character interplay. Even visually spectacular films live or die on their scripts. ARC scores writing as its own craft.
Shot selection, blocking, pacing decisions, and overall directorial vision. Direction is what unifies every other craft element — a great director turns good scripts and good actors into something greater.
Lead performance, supporting cast, character portrayal, and ensemble chemistry. Performance transforms characters from words on a page into people on screen. ARC scores the cast as a whole, not just the lead.
The Scale
Sub-Sliders
Each of the five ARC categories has an optional sub-slider drawer. Tap the ··· button on any category to expand it and score individual components — cinematography separately from editing, score separately from sound effects.
When you score sub-sliders, Film-Index calculates a suggested score for the parent category based on your sub-scores. You're not locked to it — you can accept the suggestion or override it. The sub-scores are stored in the database either way and feed into deeper analytics.
TMDB-powered search. Five categories. Optional sub-sliders for every component. One ARC Score that means something.
Submit an ARC Review