Do I Like This Movie? Movie Ratings, Box-Office Profit, and Factors Affecting Ratings

Abstract

This study aimed to find out the influence of film ratings by three different groups—audience, netizens, and professional critics—on box-office revenue in South Korea. Study 1 examined how ratings by the three groups, as a form of word-of-mouth (WOM), are related to the total number of audience. Across 706 movies released in Korea from December 2013 to November 2016, ratings from all three groups were positively related to box-office record. Yet, a multiple regression analysis showed that audience rating was significantly related to the total number of audience for commercial films, but not so for independent/art films. To explore an explanation for the Study 1 finding, Study 2 hypothesized that efforts spent by individuals in watching films would lead them to grant higher ratings. However, it was discovered that it is not the effort but familiarity that brought about audience’s favorable rating of a film. Therefore, we suggest that PR managers and advertisers focus on increasing the exposure of a film for positive reviews. More detailed findings and implications thereof are discussed in the article.