← Apex Mountain

The China Syndrome

1979 · directed by James Bridges · 122 min
24,811 feet · Prominence
548th of 15,261 films scored
Not coveredNo Rewatchables episode on file.

How this film scores

Draw62

$52m worldwide in 1979 — $235m in today's money.

As released$52mIn 2026 money$235mRank1,430 of 8,589In 197915 of 61

How Draw works

Inflation-adjusted worldwide box office, on one global curve, and nothing else. It does not know whether a film was good.

Praise89

Critics 85, awards 60. Half each, so Praise lands at 89.

Critics85 → 42Awards60 → 30

Oscars4 nominated Actress, Actor, Original Screenplay, Production Design
BAFTAs1 won Actor
How Praise works

Half critics, half a tiered award record where Picture and Directing carry most of the weight. Praise is the verdict at the time; Legacy is the verdict since.

Legacy52

Judged directly: Three Mile Island timing, phrase entered language.

Verdict52 of 100IMDb7.4 from 34kWikipedia17k views a monthAge47 years

Scored beside it · 732 of 3,430 films judged

If it does not belong in this company, the number is wrong.

How Legacy works

Legacy is a judgment, not a formula. A film can be adored by critics and culturally quiet, or lightly reviewed and permanently lodged in the culture, and no arithmetic over IMDb numbers tells the difference. Every signal behind it keeps updating.

draw 62 praise 89 legacy 52averages 68, which places it at24,811 ft
How the three become one number

Added, not multiplied, so a film transcendent on one pillar and weak on another is not zeroed out. A compression curve then squeezes the top, because the seven greatest films ever made should not be four thousand feet apart.

Whose apex this is

Jane Fonda

In these careers — elevation for this film

Jane Fonda22,654 ftMichael Douglas22,220 ft