By the Numbers: What 274 Movies Tell Us About What We Actually Watch
We crunched our entire movie database to find the real patterns behind ratings, genres, and audience favorites. The data tells a fascinating story.
Numbers do not lie, and our database of 274 tracked movies paints a clear picture of what audiences love — and what they think they love. Let us dive into the data.
The Top 10 by Trakt Rating
| Rank | Title | Year | Rating | Votes | |------|-------|------|--------|-------| | 1 | The Shawshank Redemption | 1994 | 9.13 | 44,084 | | 2 | The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King | 2003 | 8.89 | 47,446 | | 3 | The Godfather | 1972 | 8.89 | 29,429 | | 4 | The Dark Knight | 2008 | 8.88 | 77,223 | | 5 | 12 Angry Men | 1957 | 8.86 | 13,097 | | 6 | Schindler's List | 1993 | 8.82 | 21,672 | | 7 | The Godfather: Part II | 1974 | 8.77 | 18,524 | | 8 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | 2002 | 8.76 | 46,478 | | 9 | The Matrix | 1999 | 8.76 | 63,673 | | 10 | The Fellowship of the Ring | 2001 | 8.76 | 55,030 |
Shawshank at #1 surprises no one. But look at the vote counts — The Dark Knight leads with 77,223 votes, nearly double some entries. Popularity and quality do not always align.
Genre Breakdown
| Genre | Count | Share | |-------|-------|-------| | Action | 118 | 43% | | Drama | 111 | 40% | | Adventure | 108 | 39% | | Sci-Fi | 86 | 31% | | Thriller | 71 | 26% | | Crime | 50 | 18% | | Comedy | 47 | 17% | | Fantasy | 41 | 15% | | Superhero | 32 | 12% |
Note: Movies can have multiple genres, so percentages exceed 100%.
Action dominates, but drama is right behind. The surprise? Comedy sits at just 17%. We apparently take our movies seriously.
The 1990s Rule
Four of our top 10 films are from the 1990s (Shawshank, The Matrix, Fight Club, Pulp Fiction). The decade punches well above its weight in the all-time rankings. The 2000s follow closely with the Lord of the Rings trilogy claiming three spots.
The Engagement Factor
The most discussed film in our database? The Dark Knight with its combination of high ratings and massive vote count. But the highest rated film, Shawshank, has nearly half the votes. The lesson: not every masterpiece is a conversation piece — and not every popular film is a masterpiece.
Key Takeaway
Our data shows a clear audience preference for serious, well-crafted stories. The top 20 features zero pure comedies and only one animation (Spirited Away). Audiences reward ambition, craft, and emotional weight above all else.
More data deep-dives coming soon. Next up: decade-by-decade trends and the rise of the superhero genre.