The gender gap in film criticism is, unfortunately, holding firm. Dr. Martha Lauzen and the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film have released their annual “Thumbs Down” report. The study concludes that male film reviewers still outnumber women two to one. As of spring 2019, women represent 34 percent of film reviewers in the U.S., about the same as last year’s 32 percent.

Male critics dominate the film reviews published by each media outlet — usually be a wide margin. They comprise 78 percent of general interest magazine and website reviewers, 73 percent of those writing for trade publications, 72 percent of newspaper and wire service critics, 65 percent of movie/entertainment magazine/website critics, and 58 percent of those writing reviews for radio and television. In terms of genre, male critics write 73 percent of reviews about documentaries, 72 percent about action features, 69 percent about science fiction features, 68 percent about dramas, 67 percent about horror features, 67 percent about animated features, 62 percent about comedy/dramas, and 60 percent about comedies.

As Lauzen points out, the gender disparity isn’t only a problem in terms of representation. It also affects the type of reception certain films — especially those about or made by women — receive. “Male film critics outnumber female critics by almost 2 to 1, and continue to dominate the conversation about film across every type of media outlet and about every film genre,” the executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film said. “In this gender myopic movie world, not only do men comprise the majority of our filmmakers, they are also more likely to have the last word on the quality of our films.”

When reviewing films helmed by women, women critics are more likely to mention a woman director’s name than male critics. Thirty-one percent of women’s film reviews name the director, as opposed to 16 percent of men’s reviews. Plus, male critics are more apt to write positively about male directors’ previous work than women helmers’. “Thumbs Down” found that 28 percent of men’s film criticism comments positively on a male director’s filmography, versus the 16 percent that lauds a woman director’s résumé.

A reviewer complimenting a filmmaker’s past work tends to give their new film credibility and a frame of reference, according to Lauzen. It can also influence readers’ perception of the director’s latest work. “The positive discussion of a filmmaker’s previous work helps establish the experience of that director. A glowing mention of a director’s filmography positions that filmmaker as a known quantity with a respected track record, and provides a positive context for the current film under review,” she explained.

Women critics write reviews about women-driven films more often than their male counterparts. Fifty-four percent of women-penned film reviews are about movies featuring at least one female protagonist. In contrast, 38 percent of reviews by male critics cover women-centric films. In other words, women critics are more likely to cover movies about women. The fact that there are fewer women film critics writing reviews suggests women-fronted projects are receiving less buzz overall.

“These gender imbalances matter because they impact the visibility films with female protagonists and women directors receive, as well as the nature of reviews,” Lauzen stated. “This research expands our understanding of how reviews written by female critics differ from those written by men.”

Gender inequality isn’t only an issue in U.S. film criticism. During the Cannes Film Festival, 5050×2020 released a study on gender representation among France’s film critics. Among other findings, the research concluded that women comprised just 37 percent of the critics who wrote film reviews between May 2018 and April 2019. 5050×2020 is expected to publish an overview of gender stats in film criticism across Europe next year.

Key findings from “Thumbs Down 2019: Film Critics and Gender, and Why It Matters” are below. You can read the full study here.

• The majority of print, broadcast, and online film reviewers in the U.S. are male. There are approximately 2 male reviewers for every 1 female reviewer. Men comprise 66% and women 34% of all film reviewers. This represents an increase of 2 percentage points from 32% in 2018.
• Men wrote 68% and women 32% of reviews. For women, this represents an increase of 3 percentage points from 29% in 2018.
• Male writers outnumber female writers in every job title category. For example, men comprise 71% and women 29% of film critics. Men account for 64% and women 36% of freelancers.
• In every type of media outlet, male reviewers outnumber female reviewers. For example, men account for 72% and women 28% of individuals writing for newspapers and wire services. Men comprise 78% and women 22% of reviewers writing for general interest magazines and websites.
• Men comprise the majority of those writing reviews about films in every genre. For example, men write 73% and women 27% of reviews about documentaries. Men write 72% and women 28% of reviews about action features.
• A larger proportion of films reviewed by women than by men feature female protagonists. 54% of the reviews written by women but 38% of the reviews written by men are about films featuring at least one female protagonist.
• Conversely, a higher proportion of the reviews written by men than by women are about films with male protagonists. 62% of the reviews written by men but 46% of those written by women are about films with male protagonists. It is not clear whether these differences are due to writer preferences or to editorial assignments.
• On average, women reviewers award higher ratings than men to films with female protagonists. Women writers award an average rating of 78% and males an average rating of 68% to films with female protagonists. Women writers award an average of 70% and men 77% to films with male protagonists.
• A higher proportion of films reviewed by females than by males are directed by women. 32% of the
  reviews written by women but 17% written by men have women directors.
• Conversely, 83% of the reviews written by men but 68% by women have male directors. It is not clear whether these differences are due to writer preferences or to editorial assignments.
• When reviewing films directed by women, female critics are substantially more likely to mention the name of women directors in their reviews than male critics. 31% of female reviewers but only 16% of male reviewers name female directors in their reviews.
• Conversely, male reviewers are more likely than female reviewers to mention the name of male directors when reviewing films directed by men. 81% of male reviewers but only 66% of female reviewers name male directors in their reviews.
• While female critics are almost equally likely to mention the filmographies of female and male directors in positive ways, male critics are more likely to mention the filmographies of male than female directors in positive ways. In their reviews, 17% of female critics mention filmographies of female directors and 19% mention filmographies of male directors. However, 16% of male critics mention filmographies of female directors but 28% mention filmographies of male directors in positive ways.