A comparative study of the online film ratings of US and Chinese audiences: An analytical approach based on big data

Abstract

Many movies have influenced many societies in various ways, but the factors that affect films’ ratings remain understudied. This article goes beyond examining a variety of factors that determine such ratings by focusing on the interaction effect of the country difference with other predictors of film ratings between the world’s top two movie markets, the US and China, using big data gathered from the Internet. The country difference significantly moderates the effect of predictors such as the film’s year of release, its Motion Picture Association of America ratings, country of origin, and its awards. Predictors such as whether it was adapted from a novel, whether it was based on a true story, its production budget, and its ‘star power’ exert the consistent main effects on film ratings across the countries. However, box office success and sequels were found to be insignificant predictors of film ratings. The article then discusses the implications of these findings and suggests directions for future research.