What Is Letterboxd?

Letterboxd is a social network designed specifically for people who love movies. The platform allows users to maintain a personal diary of the films they watch while interacting with a large community of movie fans.

You can mark films as watched, give them a rating from half a star to five stars, write reviews, add tags, and organize movies into custom lists. You can also follow friends, critics, writers, and other film enthusiasts to see their activity in your feed.

Letterboxd is available through its website as well as dedicated apps for iOS, Android, and Apple TV.

How Does Letterboxd Work?

Letterboxd is designed to be simple for both casual viewers and serious film enthusiasts. After creating an account, you can begin building your personal movie history.

When you watch a movie, you can mark it as watched or add it to your diary. When logging a film, you can include the date you watched it, your rating, a review, and optional tags.

You can also follow other users and interact with the community by reading reviews, liking content, commenting, and exploring movie lists.

Over time, your Letterboxd profile becomes a personal record of your movie-watching history.

Key Features of Letterboxd

1. Personal Movie Diary

One of Letterboxd’s most useful features is its movie diary. You can log films as you watch them and record the date, rating, review, and tags.

This creates a personal archive that allows you to look back at your viewing history and remember which movies you watched over time.

2. Movie Ratings

Letterboxd uses a five-star rating system that also supports half-star ratings. This gives users more flexibility when rating movies.

For example, instead of choosing only between four and five stars, you can give a movie 4.5 stars.

3. Movie Reviews

Users can write and publish their own movie reviews. You can also read reviews written by other members of the community.

The social nature of Letterboxd means that you are not limited to professional movie critics. You can follow users whose taste is similar to yours and discover movies through their opinions.

4. Watchlist

The Letterboxd watchlist allows you to save movies that you want to watch later.

This can be useful when you discover an interesting movie but do not have time to watch it immediately. Instead of trying to remember its title, you can add it to your watchlist and return to it whenever you are ready.

5. Custom Movie Lists

Letterboxd allows users to create custom movie lists around almost any theme.

For example, you can create lists for your favorite horror movies, the best films of a particular decade, movies from a specific director, or films you want to watch during the holidays.

6. Social Activity Feed

Letterboxd is more than a movie database. It also works as a social platform.

You can follow friends and other movie lovers and see their ratings, reviews, diary entries, and lists in your activity feed.

7. Movie Discovery

The platform offers several ways to discover new movies. You can browse popular films, highly rated titles, community-created lists, reviews, and the activity of people you follow.

This community-driven approach can help you discover movies that you might not find through traditional movie recommendation services.

Letterboxd Features at a Glance

Letterboxd Free vs. Pro vs. Patron

Letterboxd offers a free membership as well as two paid subscription options: Pro and Patron. The free plan includes many of the core tools needed to track movies and participate in the community.

The official Letterboxd website currently lists Pro at $19 per year and Patron at $49 per year, before applicable taxes. Prices and features can change, so users should check the official subscription page before purchasing.

Is Letterboxd Free?

Yes. Letterboxd offers a free membership that provides access to many of the platform’s main features.

Free users can track movies, create diary entries, rate films, write reviews, create lists, maintain a watchlist, and interact with other members.

Paid subscriptions are mainly aimed at users who want advanced statistics, an ad-free experience, additional discovery tools, streaming-service filters, and extra customization options.

For casual movie watchers, the free version may provide everything they need.

Letterboxd Pro Features

Letterboxd Pro is designed for users who want additional tools beyond the standard free experience.

Depending on the current subscription offering, Pro can provide features such as personalized statistics, an ad-free experience, streaming-service filters, notifications when watchlist movies become available on supported services, and additional list and activity tools.

These features can be particularly useful for people who watch movies regularly and want more detailed information about their viewing habits.

Letterboxd Patron Features

Patron is the higher-level subscription option. It includes Pro benefits and adds additional features aimed at dedicated film enthusiasts.

Patron can include extra statistics, profile customization, poster and backdrop customization, access to selected early features, and other benefits offered by Letterboxd.

For someone who simply wants to track movies, the free version may be sufficient. Patron is more appropriate for users who spend a significant amount of time on Letterboxd and want additional customization.

Letterboxd vs. a Traditional Movie Database

Traditional movie databases are often designed primarily around movie information such as cast members, directors, release dates, genres, ratings, and other film details.

Letterboxd takes a more social and personal approach. The platform focuses heavily on the user’s own viewing history, reviews, lists, and interactions with other film fans.

Letterboxd vs. Watching Movies Without a Tracking App

Letterboxd for iPhone and Android

Letterboxd is available across several platforms, including iOS, Android, and Apple TV.

The mobile apps allow users to browse movies, log films, rate and review them, create lists, follow other members, view activity feeds, and search for movies and people.

The iOS version is available through the App Store as a free download with optional in-app purchases.

Is Letterboxd Good for Discovering Movies?

Movie discovery is one of Letterboxd’s strongest features.

Instead of relying only on automated recommendations, users can discover films through real people. You can see what your friends are watching, read reviews from users with similar tastes, browse community-created lists, and explore highly rated movies.

This makes the platform particularly useful when you are looking for something different to watch and do not know where to start.

Who Should Use Letterboxd?

Letterboxd can be a great choice for people who watch movies regularly and want to keep a record of their viewing history.

It may be especially useful for:

• Movie enthusiasts.
• Film students.
• People who enjoy writing reviews.
• Users who want to maintain a movie diary.
• People looking for movie recommendations.
• Users who enjoy creating movie lists.
• People who want to follow other film lovers.

If you only watch movies occasionally and have no interest in tracking or reviewing them, many of Letterboxd’s features may not be necessary.

Pros and Cons of Letterboxd

Pros

• Free membership available.
• Excellent platform for movie enthusiasts.
• Personal movie diary.
• Five-star ratings with half-star increments.
• User reviews and social interaction.
• Useful watchlist.
• Custom movie lists.
• Community-driven movie discovery.
• Available on iOS and Android.
• Advanced statistics available with Pro.

Cons

• Some advanced features require a paid subscription.
• The amount of community content can feel overwhelming for new users.
• Casual movie watchers may not need all of its features.
• Some advanced tools are primarily useful for frequent movie watchers.

Is Letterboxd Safe to Use?

Letterboxd is a social platform, so users should follow the same basic privacy practices they would use on other social networks.

Avoid sharing sensitive personal information in public reviews or profile content, and review your account settings to understand what information is visible to other users.

Users should also review Letterboxd’s current privacy policy and terms before using the platform.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Letterboxd

If you’re new to Letterboxd, you don’t need to use every feature immediately.

Start by adding movies you’ve already watched and rating some of your favorites. Then create a watchlist for films you want to see in the future.

Once you’re comfortable with the platform, you can start writing reviews, creating lists, following other users, and using your diary to track your viewing habits.

If you watch movies frequently, the statistics and organization tools may become particularly useful over time.

Which Letterboxd Plan Should You Choose?

Frequently Asked Questions About Letterboxd

What is Letterboxd used for?

Letterboxd is used to track movies you’ve watched, rate and review films, create watchlists and lists, discover new movies, and interact with other film lovers.

Is Letterboxd free?

Yes. Letterboxd offers a free membership with access to core features such as movie tracking, diary entries, reviews, ratings, lists, and the watchlist. Optional Pro and Patron subscriptions provide additional features.

Can I write movie reviews on Letterboxd?

Yes. Users can write and publish movie reviews and interact with reviews written by other members.

Can I create a movie watchlist?

Yes. Letterboxd users can add movies to their personal watchlist and return to them later.

Can I rate movies on Letterboxd?

Yes. Letterboxd allows users to rate movies using a five-star system that includes half-star ratings.

Is Letterboxd available on Android?

Yes. Letterboxd provides an Android application in addition to its iOS and Apple TV apps.

What is Letterboxd Pro?

Letterboxd Pro is a paid subscription that adds features such as personalized statistics, an ad-free experience, streaming-service filters, watchlist notifications, and other advanced tools.

What is Letterboxd Patron?

Letterboxd Patron is the higher-level subscription option. It includes Pro benefits and additional customization, statistics, and other features for dedicated film enthusiasts.

Final Verdict

Letterboxd is more than a traditional movie-rating application. It combines a personal film diary, movie discovery tools, reviews, custom lists, and social networking features into one platform built around the movie-watching experience.

The free version already provides many of the features that most movie fans need, while Pro and Patron offer additional tools for users who want deeper statistics, customization, and advanced discovery options.

If you regularly watch movies and want an organized way to remember what you’ve seen, discover new films, share your opinions, and connect with other movie lovers, Letterboxd is definitely worth trying.

Letterboxd App at a Glance