All the cinephiles out there who refer to movies as “films,” constantly rave about “Fight Club” and “Kill Bill” and write reviews for every movie they watch should consider taking their opinions to Letterboxd.
Launched in 2011 to create a “Goodreads for film,” the app provides a space for moviegoers to track, rate, and review the films they’ve seen.
“I downloaded it back in 2020,” sophomore Evelyn Gelman said. “I used to track movies I watched on my notes app, and then I found out there was an app that records all of it.”
While you’d expect the platform to be rife with film buffs writing essays about “The Godfather,” there are just as many users who are there to write funny reviews about movies like “Ratatouille.” This is most likely because Letterboxd is a uniquely Gen-Z app: a quarter of all its users are between the ages of 16 and 24. Though Letterboxd is a review website it also serves as a social network as well.
“I initially downloaded it just to keep track of movies,” junior Natalie Moss said. “But now I use it for both that and also to be part of the cinephile community and see if other people agree with my opinions, or just to laugh at funny reviews.”
You might recognize the distinctive triple-dot logo through Letterboxd’s famous “four favorites” interviews, in which popular actors and filmmakers are questioned about their top films. While some have been criticized for “pretentious” picks, the promotion of complex and difficult movies feels necessary in a time where media literacy is at an all-time low. But even if niche cinema is not your forte, on Letterboxd you can cosplay as a celebrity and pick four favorites, displaying them on your profile for the world to see.
“My four favorites are ‘Stand by Me,’ ‘Little Women,’ ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and ‘Juno.’” sophomore Kelzang Tobgoyel wrote.
Shrinking the silver screen to smartphone size provides an important space for film in the streaming age. Across the nation, movie theaters are closing and filmmakers are struggling; a focus on TV and immediate gratification has deteriorated the movie industry. The growth of Letterboxd gives actors and directors alike a platform and places importance on the traditional culture of moviegoing, effectively yanking Hollywood into the instagram era. And most importantly, it’s fun.
“You get to see what your friends are watching and bond over movies,” Gelman said. “It’s fun and interesting, and I get to see what other people think of the movies I watch.
The great thing about Letterboxd is whether you’re looking to write thoughtful reviews about older films or silly ones about new blockbusters, there is a space for you to do so, often concurrently. So whether you’re the friend obsessed with french cinema or the friend who solely watches disney movies, I would suggest downloading Letterboxd and expanding your tastes. Who knows: maybe you’ll be quoting “Fight Club” soon too!
