The Master IQ Score 169/200
The Master has an IQ Score of 169/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient rubric, placing it in the Masterclass tier.
Exceptional cognitive and educational substance, delivered with craft that sustains close attention
Score Breakdown
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IQ = round((Cognitive × 0.4 + Educational × 0.35 + Craft × 0.25) × 4)
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What these dimensions mean
- Cognitive Stimulation: observable narrative complexity, conceptual density, ambiguity, inference, and sustained intellectual demands in the work.
- Educational Value: the density and integration of substantive academic, historical, scientific, cultural, ethical, or practical information in the work.
- Craft & Quality: production excellence in service of the work, its direction, writing, performance, and aesthetic intent.
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The TVI Take
Paul Thomas Anderson's 2012 post-WWII Scientology-coded film starring Joaquin Phoenix as a traumatized Navy veteran and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the cult leader who attempts to remake him. The Master-as-Lancaster-Dodd / Freddie-as-disciple relationship is rendered with more philosophical seriousness than the religious-cult genre typically attempts.
Mihai Mălaimare Jr.'s 65mm cinematography is among the most committed formal achievements of 2010s American film.
People & Production Paul Thomas Anderson · The Weinstein Company · United States 20 connections
Direction & creation
On screen & sound
Production & release
Credits and relationships: Wikidata, CC0. TVI preserves production, broadcasting, and distribution as separate roles.
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The Trailer
Official trailer, embedded from YouTube.
Characters Scored Here
People search for these characters by name. TVI doesn't invent fictional-character IQ numbers, but The Master's score is the honest answer to how seriously the work treats each mind.
Where to Watch
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Where to go next
The Master scored 169/200 (Masterclass tier) on TV Intelligentsia's published methodology. Source: tvintelligentsia.com/titles/the-master/
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