It seems few people will see a film these days without commenting on the experience online. After all, if we don’t write something about the film, how will other people know that we actually saw it? How will we know that we saw it?
Ticket stub collections are a thing of the past, so naturally we turn to social media to keep track of our cinema-going. Since 2011, Letterboxd has been one of the highest growing social media platforms for cinema, with a dedicated database of every film and an easy-to-use star rating system.
Its simple and attractive approach to film-logging – where every user gets to proudly display their top four films – has been so effective that’s it now garnered 17 million users worldwide. I’m on the app too, and I love it.
As the app enters its 14th year of operation, let me break down five reasons why Letterboxd has become a must-have for film watchers.
Why I love Letterboxd:
It keeps a comprehensive film database
Letterboxd‘s database contains millions of films (the exact number is not publicly stated), which is verified from data collected by TMDB and IMDB. If you’ve just seen an obscure Ethiopian mumblecore horror-fantasy flick*, you can open up the app and find it in seconds – as well as information on who directed it, who rigged the lighting, who designed the sound, and who played that one side character that only showed up for three minutes but left an impression you’ll never forget.
*this film doesn’t exist yet, but I’m manifesting it.
You can also see who else has seen the film, and what they thought of it, which leads me to …
ScreenHub: Companion review: an entertaining Valentines revenge thriller
The community is fun and inviting
Letterboxd users are mostly comprised of film lovers (whodathunk?), who have cultivated a community that’s characterised by funny one-liner reviews. Unlike other sites that are restricted to verified critics only, or are plagued by issues like racist, sexist and transphobic review bombing, Letterboxd is open to a wide range of public opinions and, thankfully, free of vitriolic spam.
It’s just got a good vibe, which seems to be kept afloat purely due to its user base being likeminded in their respect for cinema as an art form. You might even spy filmmakers and actors like Sean Baker, Edgar Wright, and Ayo Edebiri on the platform.
It also has a tonne of interesting, user-made lists that categorise films by things like ‘Films About Films‘, ‘WW2 Cinematic Universe‘, and, my personal favourite, ‘VISUALLY INSANE‘. Not only are these lists useful for discovering your next watch, they’re also beautiful to look at. Speaking of …
The app has a sleek, attractive design
You will surely recognise by now the three overlapping circles of orange, green and blue that make up Letterboxd’s logo. When I finish watching a film, I don’t wait another second before whipping out my phone and clicking on those circles to open the app and jot down some initial thoughts.
When I’m done, I take another moment to look at my profile and the last handful of movies I watched, just to see all the posters side by side and appreciate how eye-catching it is.
It’s so easy to use and nice to look at that it makes me wish I invented the app myself. I particularly love the Top Four Films feature, where you can plug in the best four films you’ve ever seen and display it at the top of your page, to let others know at a glance what kinds of film lover you are.
What’s not easy, though, is actually selecting your top four films and sticking to it! That’s why I change mine all the time!
Letterboxd has a big cultural presence
I empathise with all the actors, directors and critics that get accosted by Letterboxd on red carpet events and asked to divulge their top four films on the spot. To date I haven’t seen a single interviewee who’s certain they’ve made the ‘right’ choices – which is a good thing! No one’s film journey is ever complete, which is why it’s vital that we can change our minds at any point.
That said, Letterboxd’s ‘top four films’ interviews have definitely gained a reputation for their rapid-fire interrogation methods. They’re super fun to watch, and always give a good insight to what your favourite actors and directors like to watch and why. If I see that orange, green and blue microphone coming my way at the next festival, I’ll be ready.
The metrics are actually interesting
Aside from the always-useful average review scores and statistics on how many people have seen every film in the database, Letterboxd also releases an end-of-year ‘wrapped’ presentation for each user.
This presentation contains data on the best ranked films of the year (overall, by individual genres, by director gender, and more), the most liked user reviews, the most liked user lists, and then individually tailored data to show how your opinions compare to the wider user base. It’s always cool to see whether you buzz with the hivemind or march to the beat of your own drum.
As a film critic, I find that Letterboxd is one of the most useful online tools out there for keeping track of what I watch, when I watch it, and what I thought of it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to come up with something funny to say about the movie I just watched …
For in depth film reviews and analysis, head to ScreenHub’s review section.
