Why Letterboxd is the perfect app for movie lovers

Main points

• Using Letterboxd you can keep a log of your movies with ratings.
• You can also easily organize watchlists, follow friends, view comments, and more.
• It’s the perfect social app for movie lovers and a great movie discovery tool.

As a movie lover, I have watched many movies. Letterboxd is my best friend, it records what I watch and what I thought about each movie. It’s a social platform, available on the App Store and desktop, that lets you log every movie you watch, how long you watch it, and your ratings and reviews for each movie (if you choose to do so).

All this information can be found in the “Diary” section of your profile.

1 Make a movie watchlist

Never forget a movie again

Letterboxd lets you easily add any movie you want to watch to your watchlist. Before using the app, I used to scribble movie recommendations on napkins or receipts, or keep various lists in my notes app, never to be looked at again. This feature brings together all the movies you want to watch in one place, and once you’re done, you can also click on the heart icon to add it to your Liked list of movies. You can even organize your watchlist based on when the movie was added, when it was released, popularity over time, top ratings, and more.

2 Organize your movies

Rankings, genres and everything else

Letterboxd allows you to create lists for any genre, mood, ranking, or any other topic you want to compile your movies to. I use this feature to make lists, such as ranking Marvel movies from best to worst, and putting all 45 of my favorite movies in one place.

You can also search and find other users’ listings. Whether you want to watch a girl-power themed movie, a classic Christmas movie, or a 2004 comedy, Letterboxd’s list has you covered. Users can create movie lists on any topic. I use other users’ lists to find old Halloween movies that I haven’t watched yet or to see how others rank Marvel movies.

3 See what your friends think

Follow friends and see their top picks

While you can make some features private on your profile, my favorite part of the platform is seeing what my friends are watching and how they’re commenting on it. Just like any other social media app, you can follow your friends and see what they post on Letterboxd. When you search for a movie on the app, there will be a section on the page titled “Watchers,” which will show which of your friends have seen the movie and whether they have rated and reviewed the movie.

Because many of my friends and I tend to have similar tastes in movies, I like to see how many out of 5 stars they rate a movie before I take the time to watch it. After watching a movie, I love reading my friends’ comments, whether they’re serious, insightful, or funny. When you visit a Letterboxd user’s profile, you can also view their top four favorite movies, recent Letterboxd activity, older ratings and reviews, their favorite movies, their watchlists, and who they follow.

4 Discovered by search

cast, crew and studio

You can learn more about the cast, crew, and studio by searching on Letterboxd. I often use this feature to search for actors and directors to see the movies they have acted in and directed. Searching for a studio will display all movies produced or distributed by that studio.

You can search for stories, articles, and podcasts, including the title, actor, or director you searched for. It’s a great way to catch up on movie news and fun facts or find professional reviews. As I said before, you can also search other users’ listings.

5 Find a place to watch a movie

Choice of streaming options

After you find a movie through Letterboxd’s search tool, when you scroll down on the page, you’ll see a section titled “Where to Watch.” Here you can find out which streaming platforms offer the rental or purchase of the movie of your choice. If you subscribe to Letterboxd’s Pro version, you can even set a preferred store.

6 Letterboxd Pro and Patrons

A more personalized and customizable experience

For serious movie watchers and reviewers, Letterboxd offers paid Pro and Sponsored versions of the app. While the free version of Letterboxd met my needs with unlimited reviews, listings, and ratings, Letterboxd Pro and Patron offer a more personalized and customizable experience.

Letterboxd Pro is only $19 per year, and offers benefits like personalized statistics about your movie-watching habits, notifications when a movie is added to your favorite streaming service, and a variety of other customization features.

Patron offers the benefits of Pro while also allowing users to customize the movie posters they see, add backgrounds to various sections of their profile, and gain access to some of the platform’s beta features. Patron fees are $49 per year.

When I started using Letterboxd four years ago, it instantly became my favorite social app. Being able to record not only what I watched and wanted to watch, but also what my friends and I thought about each movie adds another layer of fun to watching movies. If you are a movie fan, download Letterboxd. It only enhances your moviegoing experience and adds a level of community to your love of movies.

My most popular movies on Letterboxd

1. Truman Show
2. Amelie
3. Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
4. Barbie