From the annual report: reviewer's ratings of Norwegian theatrically released films premiering in 2017

There are minor variations in the average rating for films premiering in the period from 2014 to 2017, as it is stable on a relatively high level between 3.7 (2017), 3.8 (2014) and 3.9 (2015 and 2016). Although it has been a decrease in 2017 compared to earlier years, please note that there are other factors that may influence the result, like the high number of premiering films. 2017 saw as many as 35 Norwegian films, including 14 that did not receive pre-production grants from the Norwegian Film Institute.

One of the main goals for Norwegian film policy is a wide-ranging and varied selection of films of high quality. In the white paper on film, Meld. St. 30, 2014-2015) En fremtidsrettet filmpolitikk, this is elaborated on: “Quality” comprises both of cultural value and artistic quality. Cultural value is about depicting and interpreting the culture and society we live in, and it is about processing cultural phenomena, historical events and social conflicts. This is to be done in a way that make audiences become engaged, entertained and enthusiastic. Artistic quality is about original works that aesthetically and narratively help develop and renew the filmic language, and that further are challenging, enriching and inspiring afterthought.

Quality is difficult to measure, especially in a short period of time. One quality indicator for Norwegian films is the reviewer's ratings. The critics' evaluations of Norwegian cinema through their rating system, are a well used indicator of the films' quality, and is also a tool to measure quality that audiences are familiar with and respond to.

There are minor variations in the average rating for films premiering in the period from 2014 to 2017, as it is stable on a relatively high level between 3.7 (2017), 3.8 (2014) and 3.9 (2015 and 2016). Although it has been a decrease in 2017 compared to earlier years, please note that there are other factors that may influence the result, like the high number of premiering films. 2017 saw as many as 35 Norwegian films, including 14 that did not receive pre-production grants from the Norwegian Film Institute.

The below figure shows that the average rating is considerably lower for films without pre-production grants (3.1) than for those with pre-production grants (4.1).

There are individual films among 2017's 35 Norwegian premiere films that excel in especially favourable reviews. The festival winners Thelma and What will people say are clear winners among Norwegian critics too. The low-budget and New Ways Norway  films Hoggeren and The Rules for Everything were also well-received by the critics, as well as the documentary Ishavsblod /Sealers – One Last Hunt, the powerful animated fiction film, based on real events, Natta pappa henta oss, and the audience favourite Adjø Montebello /The Monkey and the Mouth. These films represent part of the range and diversity in Norwegian cinema, regarding theme, format and genre. Children's films, however, are less appreciated by the critics, with an average of 3.4. About half of the reviews award children's films a rating of 3, which is much more uniform than for films for adults.