What is Cape Fear's IQ Score?

Cape Fear has an IQ Score of 145/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient framework, placing it in the Stimulating tier. The score breaks down to 37/50 Cognitive Stimulation, 34/50 Educational Value, and 38/50 Craft & Quality.

Is Cape Fear educational?

Cape Fear is moderate on educational value, 34/50 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/.

Cape Fear , IQ Score 145/200

Cape Fear has an IQ Score of 145/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient rubric, placing it in the Stimulating tier.

By Jordan Robinson, MD, MPH·Updated 2026-06-17·Methodology

thrillerdrama

145/ 200

Stimulating

Consistently challenges the viewer and rewards attention

Score Breakdown

Cognitive Stimulation/50

Educational Value/50

Craft & Quality/50

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

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Why you should trust this score

Scored under Jordan Robinson, MD, MPH

Physician and founding editor. Maintains the adult catalog against the published rubric and reviews the rubric application.

Methodology

Published rubric, v1.2

Formula

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

Database scale

2,338 titles, version-controlled

TVI Canon

Martin Scorsese →

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The TVI Take

Scorsese's 1991 remake of the 1962 J. Lee Thompson film, with Robert De Niro's Max Cady as one of the most fully-committed villain performances of the era.

The film's IQ reflects pure craft (Freddie Francis cinematography, Elmer Bernstein adapting Bernard Herrmann's original score) more than structural ambition, this is Scorsese in mainstream-thriller register. Juliette Lewis's breakout performance is the film's most-overlooked achievement.

Where to Watch

Rent