Who said watching and appreciating films should be solitary? Nowadays, there are many platforms where you can talk about your favorite films (or rant about the ones you hate). You can take to Twitter, Facebook, or even Discord and find like-minded people to interact with. But what if we told you there was a place made completely for film lovers? Enter Letterboxd.
With Letterboxd, you have access to a myriad of the best movies to watch. In this guide, you’ll learn all about the social film platform Letterboxd. This includes how to find your next favorite movie and keep track of the movies you are currently watching.
What is Letterboxd?
Letterboxd is the best social platform for film lovers. Reviewers call Letterboxd the “Goodreads for film.” Thanks to its intuitive design and myriad of features, it’s the best way to keep track of the films you’ve watched and will want to watch. Made by film buffs for film buffs, you will definitely enjoy the service this platform offers if you love movies.
Letterboxd is available on any desktop browser. You can also get it on Google Play and the App Store for mobile downloading
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Letterboxd Features
Review Films
Letterboxd’s main feature would be that it lets you make reviews of films you’ve watched. You can rate certain movies out of 5 stars, list down when you watched it, and post it for everyone to see. As a film community, Letterboxd will also let you see the reviews of other users.
From trusted film critics to casual film enthusiasts, you’ll find a diverse range of reviewers. Hopefully, their reviews will lead you to your next favorite film in no time.
Add Films to Watchlist
If you’ve found other movies that pique your interest, Letterboxd has a handy “Add to Watchlist” feature to let your keep track of all the films you want to see. Letterboxd’s film roster is not just limited to the United States; you can find a great wealth of films from all across the globe, all for your perusal.
You can even view the watchlists of the people you follow. It’s a useful way to find movies you haven’t even thought about or known of before. The next time you find yourself wondering what to watch on movie night, all you need to do is pull up your watchlist and make your pick. Problem solved.
Find Specific Lists
Letterboxd has a plethora of very specific lists where you can find categories of various films. These lists are curated and compiled by Letterboxd users themselves. You can find these lists from the Lists category on the Letterboxd menu, which we will teach later in this piece.
What’s great about this feature is that for every movie, you can find lists where the movie is included in. You can usually find the top-liked lists voted on by other community members. And when we say “specific lists,” we really mean it. One of our favorites include a list about critically acclaimed films that are available to watch on YouTube. If you want to watch these films offline, you might need to learn how to download YouTube movies.
View Details About Each Film
When it comes to movie details, Letterboxd has you covered. The app lists down all of the basic information you need to know about a certain movie. You’ll find a list of the cast and crew, and you can even view each individual profile made for them. These individual profiles contain a list of other movies you may be interested in seeing from them.
You can even find other metadata, such as studios involved in the filmmaking process and the genres the movie encompasses. Not only that, but Letterboxd also provides a list of all the streaming services you can find the films on. If you’ve ever wanted to see how great a movie is yourself, you can do so here. In just one click, you’ll have access to each film at your fingertips.
How to Use Letterboxd
How to Add a Review on Letterboxd
Adding a review on Letterboxd is easy. Thanks to the app’s intuitive interface, you can add reviews at any time.
- Look for the movie you want to leave a review on.
- On your desktop browser, there is a gray box on the left-hand side. Simply click “Review or log…”, and a review box will automatically pop up.
- On mobile, tap the green “+” button on the bottom-right corner.
- The review box has various blank slots you can fill out details such as when you watched it, your star rating, and tags.
How to Upload Your Profile Picture with Gravatar
When you set up your Letterboxd profile, you may notice that there are two ways to upload your profile picture. First is through the regular way, and the other is through Gravatar. If you already have an existing Gravatar account, there is an easy way to link your profile to Letterboxd.
To do so, you’ll have to connect to the third-party app, and create a personalized vector avatar provided by the site. To do this, follow these easy steps.
- On your desktop site, click on your username on the bar at the top. A drop down list will appear. Click on Settings.
- Click on the Avatar tab in the middle, and the site will redirect you to the avatar uploader page. On the bottom, click on “Load from Gravatar” and fill in your log-in details.
- On mobile, click on the three-line menu icon on the top left of the app. From the menu, choose Settings.
- Scroll down until you see the “Avatar” section. The app will give you a choice on whether you upload your own profile picture or Gravatar. Clicking on the Gravatar link will take you to your phone’s browser and to the Gravatar website. From there you can sign-in and update your profile picture.
How to Create Lists and Add Favorites
As mentioned earlier, users can create their own lists on Letterboxd to further categorize movies beyond the site’s genre listings. As of writing, lists are not collaborative yet. However, CEO Matt Buchanan revealed that a plan is in the works for more collaborative features.
Creating lists are pretty simple and easy.
- On desktop, you can find the lists on the menu bar at the top. By clicking on “Lists”, you can view the most popular lists in the community.
- On mobile, you’ll find the “Lists” option by pressing on the hamburger menu icon on the top-left corner.
- To find lists from friends, you can click on their profile and go to the lists on the menu tab. You should see this on your Letterboxd homepage.
To make your own, follow these steps:
- On desktop, hover over your profile and choose “Lists” from the drop-down menu.
- There you will find a button on the right saying “Start a New List.” From there, a box will appear with various fields that you can fill out, such as the list name and description.
- To add movies, simply type in the movie of your choice in the corresponding box and it will appear on the list. You can even import movies from IMDb by clicking the “Import” button.
- On mobile, click the hamburger menu icon button once again and choose “Lists.” Click on the green plus sign at the bottom, and it should be the same as the desktop version. The only difference is that you can’t import from IMDb through your mobile device.
Highest Scored Films on Letterboxd
Little Women (2019)
This remake of an old classic is one of the best films of 2019. It’s no wonder why it’s rated so highly on Letterboxd. Set during the Civil War, Little Women is about the four March sisters. It’s a coming-of-age film that centers on love, family, and loss. Many Letterboxd users lauded the movie for its charm and heartwarming vibe.
The movie has an excellent score, set design and has won six Oscars in various categories. Director Greta Gerwig and actress Saoirse Ronan are an absolute dream team in this movie. The two have previously worked together on another excellent coming-of-age movie called Lady Bird.
Steven Universe: The Movie (2019)
This thrilling silver-screen adaptation to the beloved cartoon series has fans weeping. From the talented mind of Rebecca Sugar, Steven Universe: The Movie was a much awaited film in 2019. The movie dives deeper into the world of the Crystal Gems, Steven’s lineage, and the Diamonds. It takes place after the main series, a few years into the future. It is one of the best movies for kids and adults, making it a perfect choice for your next movie night.
Even Letterboxd fans agree that the movie itself was much better than they could have expected. Aside from the wonderful world-building and brilliant cast of characters, the movie perfectly reflected what Steven Universe has always been about, compassion and caring.
The Godfather Parts I and II
Even if you haven’t seen it yourself, chances are you’ve heard of The Godfather trilogy. This series of movies is so iconic that it is deeply embedded into pop culture, and rightfully so. The films explore morality and family dynamics all in the backdrop of the 1940s mafia scene. Its signature dark lighting even pioneered an entire movement of cinematography.
There’s really nothing more that we can say that has already been said. This movie will put you in shock and awe, and leave you questioning your own moral beliefs. It’s no wonder Letterboxd critics rave about this movie: it is simply an offer that you can’t refuse.
Parasite (2019)
Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is an absolute film critic’s dream. The movie is riddled with hidden symbolisms and brilliant camerawork that it’s not hard to love. One of the most popular movies of 2019, Parasite is a film about class divide and privilege. The story revolves around the Park family’s blissful ignorance of the turmoil going on quite literally beneath them.
The movie grew in popularity, even rating higher than the Godfather trilogy on Letterboxd. The film won six Oscars for its direction, cinematography, writing, and more. With artful set design and well-thought dialogue, Parasite is surely one of the best movies you’ll ever see.
Spiderman: Into The Spider Verse (2018)
His name is Peter Parker, and he is the one and only Spiderman… at least he thinks so. In this action-packed and fun animated film, we follow the hijinks of multiple Spidermen from multiple universes. But most importantly, we follow the story of the young Miles Morales as he realizes what it means to be a superhero.
With an amazing musical score and unique animation style, this movie quickly became a 2018 favorite. It’s a movie that brings to life one of the most beloved comic book series of all time, and Letterboxd fans completely agree.
