How the TML Score Works
The TML Score is a transparent, 0 to 100 quality score we calculate for every movie on TopMovieList. Unlike an opaque or AI-generated verdict, it is a documented formula, so our rankings are consistent, checkable, and citable.
The formula
For a film with both an audience and a critic rating:
TML Score = (0.6 × IMDb × 10) + (0.4 × Metascore) + gem boost
- IMDb rating (0 to 10) is the audience signal. It is weighted 60% and scaled up to a 0 to 100 range.
- Metascore (0 to 100) is the critic signal, from Metacritic. It is weighted 40%.
- If only one signal exists, we use it on its own (IMDb scaled to 100, or the Metascore as is).
- The result is rounded and clamped to the 0 to 100 range.
The hidden-gem boost
Great films sometimes go commercially unseen. To surface them, we add a small boost of 4 points when a film:
- scores at least 70 on the base formula (so only genuinely good films qualify), and
- earned a real but modest box office: a reported gross above 0 and below about $4.4 million, the 33rd percentile of box office across our catalog.
This is what powers our Underrated Movies rankings.
Score categories
We group scores into four badges:
- Great: 78 and above
- Good: 66 to 77
- Average: 50 to 65
- Below average: under 50
A worked example
Take a film with an IMDb rating of 8.0 and a Metascore of 75:
- Audience: 0.6 × 8.0 × 10 = 48
- Critics: 0.4 × 75 = 30
- Base = 78
If that film also grossed under $4.4 million, it earns the +4 hidden-gem boost, for a final TML Score of 82 (Great).
Data sources
- Audience signal: IMDb user rating.
- Critic signal: Metacritic Metascore.
- Box office: reported gross, used only for the hidden-gem boost.
We recompute scores as the underlying ratings change, so a film's TML Score can move over time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the TML Score?
The TML Score is a transparent quality score from 0 to 100 that TopMovieList calculates for every movie. It blends the IMDb audience rating and the Metacritic Metascore into a single, consistent number, with a small boost for acclaimed films that had a small box office.
How is the TML Score calculated?
For a film with both ratings: TML Score = (0.6 times the IMDb rating times 10) plus (0.4 times the Metascore), then a hidden-gem boost of 4 points if it qualifies. The result is rounded and kept within 0 to 100. If only one rating exists, that rating is used on its own.
What is the hidden-gem boost?
A film earns a 4-point boost if it scores at least 70 on the base formula and earned a real but modest box office (above 0 and below about 4.4 million dollars, the 33rd percentile across our catalog). This surfaces great films that went commercially unseen, and it powers our Underrated Movies rankings.
Why is the TML Score better than a single rating?
Audiences and critics often disagree, so a single rating tells only half the story. The TML Score blends both. And because the entire formula is public, you can see exactly why any film ranks where it does, rather than trusting an opaque or AI-generated verdict.
See the TML Score in action: Underrated Movies by Genre and Director Rankings. Learn more about TopMovieList.