Feature Suggestion: Requiring Detailed Reviews for Low Ratings (1-Star Reviews)

​Dear IMDb Team,

​I am a long-time user and an avid fan of IMDb, relying on your platform to discover and evaluate movies and TV shows. I am writing to propose a feature suggestion aimed at improving the fairness and accuracy of user ratings.

​Recently, I have noticed an increasing trend of "review bombing," where users leave 1-star ratings without providing any constructive feedback or context. What is particularly concerning is that even highly-rated classic movies and older acclaimed TV episodes are now falling victim to targeted review bombing, which artificially drags down their long-standing scores.

​This practice skews the overall score, misleads genuine audiences, and is unfair to content creators who put immense effort into their work.

​To address this issue, I suggest implementing a policy where users leaving a rating below 5 stars—and specifically 1-star ratings—are required to submit a written review of a minimum word count (e.g., 200–300 words).

​Requiring a brief explanation for extremely low ratings would:

​Discourage automated or impulsive 1-star spamming.

​Protect legacy films and top-rated episodes from unfair score degradation.

​Ensure that low ratings are backed by genuine, constructive criticism.

​Help maintain a fair, transparent, and accurate rating ecosystem for both viewers and creators.

​I believe this update would significantly enhance the quality and reliability of user ratings on IMDb. Thank you for your time and for continuously improving the platform.

​Best regards,