The 3.6 rating is a social safety blanket. If you tell someone you love a 2.0 movie, you expose your bad taste. If you tell someone you hated a 4.5 movie, you expose your Philistinism. But a 3.6? It is defensible. You can say, "The acting was great, but the third act dragged," and everyone nods sagely. The 3.6 is the rating of the critic who wants to sound smart.
When you watch a 3.6 movie, you are not passive. You are an active participant. You leave the theater or close the laptop with a furrowed brow. You turn to your friend and say, "I don't know how to feel." 3.6 movies
The Mystery of the 3.6 Rating: Why Mediocre Movies Are Fascinating But a 3