This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

Netflix's Star Rating Probably Doesn't Mean What You Think It Does

We've been living a lie.

Netflix has released an informative video that has left a lot of users screaming "WHAT?" after it was revealed that their star rating system had absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the content.

Yep, it turns out the stars actually corresponded to how much Netflix thought you'd actually like the content. So say hypothetically you're an adult who occasionally watches the "Shrek" films once every few months. No judgement here. The streaming service would then begin to rate similar content, say the "Spy Kids" movies, with higher star ratings, assuming that's the kind of content you're after.

Meanwhile, other users who stay away from award-winning, quality content starring Antonio Banderas as an animated cat or a spy dad, would see a totally different -- probably lower -- star rating for the same movie. The stars were never an indication of critical response, but a prediction of what you're more likely to watch.

Confused? Outraged? Craving a "Spy Kids" marathon? Aren't we all.

While it finally revealed the mystery behind the stars, Netflix also used the opportunity to introduce a replacement system, "Thumbs". Similar to dating apps like Tinder, the new system will rely on users giving thumbs up or down to content, improving how Netflix understands viewing habits, and will display a "match percent" on content, making recommendations more personalised.

So there you go. Never trust the stars.

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