‘Sinners’ earns perfect Rotten Tomatoes score – but what does that really mean?

• The horror film “Sinners,” directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, has achieved a rare 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, joining an elite group of just 68 films with perfect ratings. The critical buzz has sparked questions about whether acclaim will translate to box office success.
• Rotten Tomatoes data shows that while strong scores can boost box office averages, they don’t guarantee success, with exceptions like “Blade Runner 2049,” which underperformed despite critical praise.
• Horror films like “Sinners” often benefit from positive ratings, with genres like horror and comedy relying on critical reception to attract audiences.

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The new horror film “Sinners” just joined a rare club of movies with a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film is already generating critical buzz — but will that acclaim translate to box office success?

What is a Rotten Tomatoes score?

Rotten Tomatoes is a review aggregation website that rates movies and television shows based on professional critic reviews. Since launching in 1998, it has become one of the most widely used resources for gauging film reception.

A film is labeled “Fresh” if more than 60% of reviews are positive and “Rotten” if below that threshold. However, achieving a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score is extremely rare.

In fact, only 68 films hold that distinction. Some of those titles include “Toy Story,” “12 Angry Men,” and “Before Sunrise.”

“Sinners” lands critical acclaim

“Sinners,” directed by Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, is already being called one of the pair’s best projects yet. According to Screen Rant, the film may be their most powerful collaboration to date.

Does a Rotten Tomatoes score predict box office success?

Rotten Tomatoes data shows that Fresh films with scores between 80 and 100% average about $113 million at the box office. On the other hand, movies with Rotten Tomatoes scores between 0 and 20% average only $40 million.

Still, not every film follows this pattern. Only 42% of wide-release movies that made under $10 million since 2010 had Fresh scores. The data suggests that while a good Rotten Tomatoes score can help, it doesn’t guarantee success.

Take “Blade Runner 2049,” for example. The 2017 sequel starred Ryan Gosling and earned an 88% Rotten Tomatoes score. Despite its critical praise, the film brought in just over $90 million domestically—underwhelming given its blockbuster budget.

A strong Rotten Tomatoes score can boost a film in genres like horror and comedy. However, big-budget action films often perform well, even without critical approval. Star power and marketing often play a bigger role.

So far, “Sinners” is off to a perfect start with critics. The film opens in theaters nationwide on April 18.