The Ultimate Movie Lover's Hub: Unveiling the Power of Letterboxd

If you're a movie lover, instead of sharing what you're watching on various social media platforms, consider joining Letterboxd. It's the only social network specifically designed for movie enthusiasts and although it's not widely recognized, it's growing rapidly.

Letterboxd was founded in 2011 by two cinema enthusiasts from New Zealand and has now amassed a user base of 9 million. It manages to maintain a curated and intimate community atmosphere. Personally, I've been a member of Letterboxd since its beta phase, witnessing its expansion and having the chance to introduce it to my friends and colleagues.

Keep Track of What You Watch and Want to Watch

The primary function of Letterboxd is to record the movies you have watched. You have the option to simply mark movies as watched or utilize the diary feature to note the exact dates of each viewing. Some users have even gone through the effort of retroactively logging their movie viewings from years or even decades ago, based on their personal record-keeping.

When I initially set up my Letterboxd account, I relied on my personal lists dating back to 2007 to fill in the movies I had seen and when I watched them. I still refer to this information when deciding what to watch. However, you don't need to be that meticulous in order to find Letterboxd useful. It can still be valuable to create a snapshot of your viewing history over time.

Share Your Opinions

Easily keep track of the movies you want to watch by adding them to your personalized watchlist. Whether you have a few or thousands of movies in mind, Letterboxd allows you to stay organized and focused on the films you're interested in. Plus, with the integration of JustWatch, you can access information on where each movie is available for streaming, rental, or purchase. Take advantage of the versatility of sorting your watchlist based on different criteria, so you never have to worry about choosing the perfect movie for your next movie night.

Introducing Letterboxd: the perfect platform for self-expression on social media. Whether you prefer sharing a brief rating out of five stars or expressing your thoughts with a detailed analysis, you have the freedom to choose. Moreover, follow your friends to stay updated on their movie choices and discover if your preferences align with theirs. Let your movie-loving persona shine on Letterboxd!

I utilize Letterboxd as a platform for various purposes. Being a critic, I share links to my reviews, essays, and podcast episodes on this platform. Additionally, I also share personal reflections and witty one-liners. Letterboxd serves as an excellent tool for discovering unfamiliar movies. This is especially true when a friend or fellow movie enthusiast writes a captivating review. Moreover, you can create lists to collect your favorite movies within a specific genre, or to curate amusingly specific lists that highlight unusual connections between groups of films. By utilizing tags, you can effectively organize your entries. This allows you to keep track of movies watched in theaters, at home via different streaming services, physical media, film festivals, or with friends. Personally, I find tags particularly helpful in compiling a comprehensive list of films I have seen at various festivals throughout the years. It provides me with a holistic view of the diverse offerings at different events.

Join a Supportive Community

Letterboxd

Although Letterboxd has millions of users and continues to grow, it remains a relatively small corner of the internet with a much healthier discourse compared to larger social networks. While disagreements about movies do occur, most discussions are respectful. Letterboxd has implemented a proactive community policy that effectively roots out trolls, scammers, and other malicious individuals. In fact, I have experienced more hostile reactions to my reviews in professional publications than on Letterboxd. Additionally, it is simple to block and dismiss anyone who bothers or harasses you.

Letterboxd attracts a wide array of users, including passionate film aficionados, professional critics, independent filmmakers, and even select celebrities who love movies. Unlike other social networks where celebrity presence is meticulously managed by public relations teams, celebrities on Letterboxd adopt a more relaxed and unpretentious approach. You can follow individuals like Ayo Edebiri (known for her role in "Bottoms and The Bear") and her father, acclaimed filmmakers Sean Baker ("The Florida Project") and Jim Cummings ("Thunder Road"), as well as Saturday Night Live's Bowen Yang and Sarah Sherman. It is quite entertaining to stumble upon a random film, such as the widely criticized comedy sequel "Caddyshack II," and discover that the director himself has posted a scathing review.

Celebrate Film Culture

Although Letterboxd is free to use, subscribers who opt for the Pro or Patron tiers enjoy an ad-free experience and additional benefits such as access to intricate statistics about their movie-watching habits and the ability to customize display posters for any film. I have always found the Pro subscription to be well worth the modest investment. Notably, Letterboxd is not a massive corporate entity (although it was recently acquired by a larger firm). Moreover, the company boasts one of the finest online film publications, featuring interviews, coverage of film festivals, recommendations, podcasts, and more. Frequently, the Letterboxd team can be spotted at film festivals and on red carpets, carrying their distinctive three-color microphones, as they engage celebrities in conversations about their top four favorite movies.

Letterboxd is ultimately a platform that celebrates the beloved art of film, aiming to democratize the appreciation and expression surrounding it. Since joining, I have experienced a transformation in my film-viewing habits, becoming more daring, contemplative, and engaged (occasionally adding a touch of sarcasm). Whether you are captivated by mainstream blockbuster hits, immersed in the depth of film history, or intrigued by the obscure corners of genre movies, Letterboxd is here to enhance your movie-watching experience.