What is Zodiac's IQ Score?

Zodiac has an IQ Score of 167/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient framework, placing it in the Masterclass tier. The score breaks down to 45/50 Cognitive Stimulation, 33/50 Educational Value, and 49/50 Craft & Quality.

Is Zodiac educational?

Zodiac is moderate on educational value, 33/50 on TVI's rubric. Some learning happens, but it isn't the show's primary work.

How does TV Intelligentsia calculate IQ Score?

TV Intelligentsia's IQ Score is calculated as round((Cognitive Stimulation × 0.4 + Educational Value × 0.35 + Craft & Quality × 0.25) × 4), scoring titles from 0 to 200 across five tiers: Masterclass (≥160), Stimulating (≥130), Competent (≥100), Passive (≥70), and Numbing (<70). The framework is published at tvintelligentsia.com/methodology/.

Zodiac , IQ Score 167/200

Zodiac has an IQ Score of 167/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient rubric, placing it in the Masterclass tier.

By Jordan Robinson, MPH·Updated 2026-06-06·Methodology

crimedramamysterythriller

167/ 200

Masterclass

Measurably increases domain knowledge or cognitive capacity

Score Breakdown

Cognitive Stimulation/50

Educational Value/50

Craft & Quality/50

Cinematic Score/50

IQ = round((Cognitive × 0.4 + Educational × 0.35 + Craft × 0.25) × 4) · How we score →

Saves to your browser. See your Personal IQ on My IQ →

Why you should trust this score

Methodology reviewed by Jordan Robinson, MD, MPH

Physician scientist. Master of Public Health, with substantial coursework in research methodology. Reviews the rubric and its application across the adult catalog.

Methodology

Published rubric, v1.2

Formula

round(C × 0.40 + E × 0.35 + Q × 0.25) × 4

Database scale

2,324 titles, version-controlled

TVI Canon

David Fincher →

How we stay independent. We accept no studio money. We pay for our own streaming subscriptions. Our reviewers see no sponsor data, no affiliate revenue, and no screener access in exchange for coverage. More about how we work →

The TVI Take

David Fincher's procedural about the actual decade-plus hunt for the Zodiac killer, structured around the men who became consumed by the investigation rather than the killer himself. Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal), Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.), and Detective Toschi (Ruffalo) each lose pieces of themselves to a case that resists resolution.

Harris Savides shot on early digital; James Vanderbilt's script tracks the documented evidence meticulously. The film's argument is that some investigations destroy the investigator before they yield the answer.

Where to Watch

Stream