IS IT WOKE?

Compare only works for titles already in our database with a verdict. If something doesn't show up in the lists below, find it from the home search, run analysis first, then come back to this page.

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Category
First title

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

2003

Category
Second title

The Shape of Water

2017

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King vs The Shape of Water: Which Is More Woke?

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The Shape of Water appears more woke than The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King based on AI analysis, with a difference of about 28 points. Community votes are split or too thin to call a clear winner yet.

MovieThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King2003
4Score
Absolute Cinema

Community (votes): ~70/100

See full breakdown for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
MovieThe Shape of Water2017
32Score
Very Little Woke

Community (votes): ~70/100

See full breakdown for The Shape of Water

AI vs community

AI verdict

The Shape of Water is more woke than The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (AI).

The Shape of Water leads by 28 points on the AI scale.

Community verdict

Community averages are too close to call (or one side has no votes yet).

Vote-weighted spread: about 0 points (70 vs 70).

Why the scores diverge

  • The 28-point gap reflects how much ideology steers each story on our six-dimension pass, not just vibes.
  • The Shape of Water highlight: The dialogue occasionally leans into moralizing, particularly around themes of acceptance and love.
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King highlight: Dialogue serves the epic narrative rather than pushing a message.
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Characters are deeply rooted in Tolkien's lore, not mere symbols.
  • The Shape of Water: While characters are well-developed, some feel like they exist to represent broader social themes.

The Shape of Water reads higher on message-first dialogue than The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which nudges the overall profile message-forward. The Shape of Water reads higher on ideology over story than The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which nudges the overall profile message-forward. The Shape of Water reads higher on anti-traditional framing than The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which nudges the overall profile message-forward.

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Frequently asked questions

Which is more woke, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King or The Shape of Water?
The Shape of Water scores higher on the AI pass (32/100 vs 4/100).
What do community votes say?
Community averages are within the tie band or too close to call (70 vs 70 on our vote-weighted scale).
Why might AI and votes disagree?
AI scores come from a structured model pass; votes capture how people read the politics or messaging. Trailers, culture-war framing, and release timing can push votes away from the model.