Being a fan of movies has become much more rewarding that it has been in the past. From the return of Star Wars to the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the number of topics to talk about is never-ending. As such, the need to voice your opinions in the growing digital space has also increased. So if you’re looking to socialize with fellow film buffs, look no further than Letterboxd, a social network that’s built just for that.
Letterboxd is basically to movies what Goodreads is to books. Users can create an account and start logging in movies that they’ve watched. Every time you log a film, it’s entered into a digital diary of sorts. From there on, you can rate and review the film. And really, the platform is known better for acting as that, as users can also create unique lists, a la IMDb. So what makes it different from IMDb?
For starters, the website is made for the audience, with much more approachable design. Clean UI is one of the biggest things that pushes people to use a new service. Here, Letterboxd has used it to its advantage. While IMDb has more information in there, which is curated very regularly, Letterboxd lacks that. Almost all of the content here is user-generated, which has its own flaws.
So, how did this service come to be? Time for a little history lesson.
The Origins of Letterboxd
Letterboxd was founded by Matthew Buchanan, with the intent being “wouldn’t it be cool to look back after a year of cinema-going and recall what you watched, what you loved, and perhaps, what you wrote?” Essentially, it was supposed to be a one-stop blogging destination for movie lovers to share their opinions on. After going live in 2011, the site was kept under beta for about 2 more years, with membership being invite-only. In February of 2013, the website was made available for public use.
Since then, the website has risen through the ranks to become a go-to destination of filmgoers to share their reviews, lists, and opinions on any particular movie. Even apps like Stardust have been made in order to cash in on the trend.
Although it is to be noted that there is still some polishing left to be done. The website gets updated pretty frequently, but there are still some fan-favorite features that are missing. Topping that list is the absence of forums. Remember IMDb Message boards? Well, you won’t find anything like that here. As of right now, the experience on the platform is pretty individualistic. Sure, you can add friends and follow people, but there’s no real agency for interaction after you do it.
Right now, you can sign up for free, however, there is a pro model that you can pay up for. Letterboxd Pro comes with the promise of no ads, as well as personalized statistics for all the actions you do on the platform. With a Pro account, you can even find out if a movie you’re looking for is available on Netflix or Amazon Prime. It’s not much, but it’s still a start.
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