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How I Find New Movies and Shows on Letterboxd
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There Are Other Benefits of Letterboxd, Too
Most online discussions surround the latest movies and shows, but that’s not what I want to watch. I’m always on the watch for those unique hidden gems and cult status shows that fit my niche interests—and that’s why I use Letterboxd instead of Rotten Tomatoes.
What Is Letterboxd?
Letterboxd allows you to track movies and TV you’ve seen, write reviews and ratings for different media, create lists, and view others’ reviews. It shows trending movies for that week to help you find something new to watch, has many recommendations for new and old movies and shows, and allows you to keep up with what friends are watching.
While Rotten Tomatoes is great if you like to read critics’ reviews, I find Letterboxd to be the better platform overall. Most times, my interests do not align with critics’ interests. Historically, I’m a fan of movies that don’t achieve critical acclaim. Additionally, movies like Five Nights at Freddy’s and The Super Mario Bros. Movie were highly rated by fans, but critics were underwhelmed.
On Letterboxd, I can curate a feed that directly aligns with mine (and my friends’) interests by using it as another social media platform. My friends and I have similar tastes in all forms of media, so if I see one of them rated a movie highly, I know I’ll probably like it. Rotten Tomatoes ratings may work for some people, but I’ve moved on.
How I Find New Movies and Shows on Letterboxd
Under the Films tab, Letterboxd will show you the trending movies this week. However, if you want a more specific search, you can click the Magnifying Glass at the bottom of the screen and select specific filters.
For example, you can see every movie released in 2001, the highest-rated movies on Letterboxd, or search through a specific genre or country (among heaps of other options). You can select Featured Lists to see specific categories, like the Top 250 films by Women Directors and the Top 250 Anime TV Miniseries.
Letterboxd also features articles in its Journal that cover movies and shows you may be interested in. They post a Year in Review with categories including women directors, the most popular movies by month, trends from the year, and longer-form articles on new releases and content editors are rewatching.
In the same vein as customized Spotify playlists, you can look at custom lists on Letterboxd, too. There are some oddly specific compilations like “You’re not the same person once the film has finished,” featuring titles like Poor Things and The Substance.
Another unique feature is the Showdown, where Letterboxd editors compile a topic every two weeks. When a new topic is released, users can submit their own list of movies that they think best encompasses the prompt. For example, Letterboxd used the topic of “The Warriors,” looking for the best battle-royale scenes, where people submitted movies like Kill Bill and Gladiator. After the results are released, you can search through the most mentioned movies in a category and find new movies to watch if you’re especially interested in that category.
There are so many more user engagement opportunities than on Rotten Tomatoes, making Letterboxd feel like you’re personally acquainted with a like-minded community of movie lovers. That community feel is really important.
There Are Other Benefits of Letterboxd, Too
In addition to finding new shows and movies to watch, there are also some neat social benefits. You can follow your friends on Letterboxd to keep track of what they’re watching.
You can also create a watchlist and then filter through those options based on what you’re in the mood to watch. If you only want to see mystery movies, you can do that! To catalog your movies and shows, you can create custom tags denoting who you watched a movie with, how you watched it, and more.
Finally, with a Pro subscription, you can unlock an ad-free user experience, access your all-time watch stats, and even filter media by which streaming service(s) you use. Letterboxd subscriptions start at $18.99 per year.
If you’re tired of turning on your TV and not knowing what to watch, Letterboxd can help. With its extensive catalog, you can find the perfect movie or show by checking out reviews, browsing your watchlist, and seeing what your friends have been watching!
