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About Critics | Rotten Tomatoes

Movie & TV reviews in the Tomatometer come from publications or individual critics that have been selected by the Rotten Tomatoes staff. Find out more...

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Skip to Main Content DOWNLOAD THE APP CONTINUE IN BROWSER Cancel About Rotten Tomatoes® Critics Login/signup Wants to See Reviews Profile Account Log Out Movies Movies in theaters Opening This Week Top Box Office Coming Soon to Theaters Certified Fresh Movies Movies at Home Fandango at Home Netflix Apple TV Prime Video Most Popular Streaming movies Certified Fresh movies Browse all More What to WatchNew Certified fresh picks 96% EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert Link to EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert 100% Paul McCartney: Man on the Run Link to Paul McCartney: Man on the Run 88% Crime 101 Link to Crime 101 Tv shows New TV Tonight 82% Bridgerton: Season 4 89% Paradise: Season 2 90% Scrubs: Season 1 100% The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins: Season 1 78% Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Season 2 63% CIA: Season 1 43% The Gray House: Season 1 -- The CEO Club: Season 1 -- The Greatest Average American: Season 1 View All Most Popular TV on RT 90% Scrubs: Season 1 94% A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Season 1 89% Paradise: Season 2 85% The Night Agent: Season 3 60% 56 Days: Season 1 82% Bridgerton: Season 4 78% Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Season 2 94% How to Get to Heaven From Belfast: Season 1 100% Under Salt Marsh: Season 1 99% The Pitt: Season 2 View All More What to WatchNew Best TV Shows Most Popular TV Fandango at Home Paramount+ Netflix Prime Video Apple TV Certified fresh pick 78% Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Season 2 Link to Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Season 2 RT App New News Columns All-Time Lists Binge Guide Comics on TV Countdown Five Favorite Films Video Interviews Weekend Box Office Weekly Ketchup What to Watch Guides 185 Favorite 80s Movies Link to 185 Favorite 80s Movies Best New Horror Movies of 2026 Link to Best New Horror Movies of 2026 View All Hubs Awards Tour Link to Awards Tour What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming Link to What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming View All RT News Masters of the Universe: Release Date, Cast, Trailers & More Link to Masters of the Universe: Release Date, Cast, Trailers & More Scream 7 First Reviews: Neve Campbell is Fierce in Brutal but Familiar Thriller Link to Scream 7 First Reviews: Neve Campbell is Fierce in Brutal but Familiar Thriller View All Showtimes Trending on RT Rotten Tomatoes Awards Most Anticipated Movies TV Premiere Dates The Rotten Tomatoes App Critic application & criteria Tomatometer-approved critics Top critics Critics list Publications list Critic application & criteria Critics code of conduct Critic resources Groups & associations RT Archives Tomatometer® Criteria Thank you for your interest in applying for Tomatometer® approval. Applications will reopen March 1, 2026. Who are the Tomatometer-approved critics? The Tomatometer® includes reviews from two different groups: Individual professional film and TV critics who are Tomatometer-approved and whose reviews are included on Rotten Tomatoes, whether or not the outlet is Tomatometer-approved. Tomatometer-approved publications, such as websites, online video outlets, newspapers, consumer and trade magazines, alt-weeklies, podcasts, radio programs, and TV shows. If a publication is approved, its review of a movie or show is included on the Tomatometer® regardless of which individual critic produced it. How do I become Tomatometer-approved? Critics who wish to apply should first review our guidelines below. All candidates will go through a vetting process and be evaluated against our criteria. Applications are accepted yearly during the month of March. Key Values Insight: Criticism can be many things: a deep dive into the filmmaking craft, an analysis of subtext, a discussion on social commentary, an enthusiastic argument. We look for engaging content that has a distinct voice and offers perspective on a film or TV series, not just a plot summary. Audience: Our intention is to reflect and represent the moviegoing and TV viewing audience with our Tomatometer-approved critics community. To cultivate a rich, varied, and inclusive space for engaging perspectives and debate, we seek critics who reach both niche interests in cinema and the entertainment viewing audience at-large. Quality: Reviews should observe grammatical rules and demonstrate clarity and structure, whether approved by an editorial staff or self-published. In the same vein, video and podcast reviews should be well structured and have clear resolution and sound. Dedication: Whether you’re a podcaster producing multiple shows per month or an alt-weekly contributor, we recognize that there are varying degrees of output among critics. Contribution minimums are outlined in the eligibility guidelines, but we also look for overall consistency and demonstrated commitment to the field. Additionally, memberships in critics organizations are recognized as a sign of merit, but are not essential for – nor do they guarantee – inclusion. We expect both applicants and approved critics to honor journalistic integrity, demonstrate ethical behavior, and observe our Critics Code of Conduct. We do not tolerate plagiarism, trolling, discrimination, conflicts of interest, or other breaches of conduct across all platforms, nor do we tolerate the submission of a review whose outcome has been influenced by a financial or other incentive. All Tomatometer-approved critics and publications are subject to an ongoing re-evaluation process to ensure they continue to meet the current criteria. Eligibility Guidelines Individual Critics Written Consistent review output for a minimum of two years. Demonstrated film/TV review coverage at a publication outside of a self-published website. However, we will consider critics who solely self-publish if their site and work reflect our key values. A minimum of 200,000 UMV as reported by SimilarWeb qualifies for wide audience reach. Personal Substacks, Mediums, and other newsletters should have 5,000 subscribers or more to qualify. We will consider critics who solely self-publish if their site and work reflect our key values. Broadcast A regular appearance providing reviews on a major and/or well-regarded local/national/international TV or radio outlet. Video Consistent review output for a minimum of two years. A minimum of 30K subscribers on YouTube qualifies for wide audience reach. We also look to include critics who broaden the discourse around film/TV, even if they may not meet this metric, and will consider these applicants on a case-by-case basis. Podcast Critics exclusively reviewing at a podcast should not apply individually - instead, submit an outlet application on behalf of the entire podcast. Publications Written Consistent review output for a minimum of two years. A minimum of 2 million visits over 6 months as reported by SimilarWeb qualifies for wide audience reach. We also look to include critics who broaden the discourse around film/TV, even if they may not meet this metric, and will consider these applicants on a case-by-case basis. At least three individually approved critics contributing to the publication on a regular basis. Demonstrated consistent social media presence and engagement. Broadcast Eligible TV and radio outlets and programs should be broadcasting reviews on a major and/or well-regarded local/national/international network or station. Demonstrated consistent social media presence and engagement. Video Consistent review output for a minimum of two years. A minimum of 200K subscribers on a video publishing platform qualifies for wide audience reach. We also look to include critics who broaden the discourse around film/TV, even if they may not meet this metric, and will consider these applicants on a case-by-case basis. The show should feature multiple critics. Demonstrated consistent social media presence and engagement. Podcast Consistent review output for a minimum of two years. Publish at least four episodes per month. A minimum of 200 ratings on Apple Podcasts with a minimum score of 4 stars qualifies for wide audience reach. We also look to include critics who broaden the discourse around film/TV, even if they may not meet this metric, and will consider these applicants on a case-by-case basis. Demonstrated consistent social media presence and engagement with audience. Critics exclusively reviewing at a podcast submit an outlet application on behalf of the entire podcast, not individually. We take the integrity of our scores very seriously, and in an effort to continue delivering quality and authentic reviews, all Tomatometer-approved critics and outlets are subject to re-evaluation. Approval status can be removed or suspended, including, but not limited to, when a critic or outlet no longer meets our criteria, or engages in activity that breaches our code of conduct and affects the integrity of the Tomatometer. Video and/or podcast channels newly created by established editorial platforms, whether or not such platforms have been previously Tomatometer-approved, will be evaluated against the above criteria and may be considered separate publications on Rotten Tomatoes. From time to time we change our guidelines, and there may be critics or publications who are still included in the Tomatometer® that may not meet the current set of guidelines. Outlets that are self-published by Tomatometer-approved critics are subject to the guidelines above and will be added to Rotten Tomatoes on a case-by-case basis. In all cases, Rotten Tomatoes maintains the right to approve, reject, include, exclude and remove critics, reviews and publications on a case-by-case basis at any time. We cannot guarantee a response time on applications. If your application is declined, you may reapply after one year. If you have other questions or a customer service issue, please visit our Help Section beta