Letterboxd: Beginner’s Guide

What if everyone was a critic? Letterboxd is both a movie log and a place to share your cinematic five cents with other aficionados. Learn all about this social platform and its useful features.

Once you sign up, your feed will show popular movies of the week. Connect with fellow movie buffs to see their viewing adventures on your homepage. Intrigued by a title? Tap on the film for its synopsis, Letterboxd members’ average rating, and plenty of reviews. Then make use of handy tabs like “Where to watch” and “Cast + Crew” – your backstage pass to deeper film knowledge.

On Letterboxd, you rate as you see fit. There’s a classic five-star system, but you can also write a review or “heart” a movie. These options appear by clicking the plus sign on the bottom right. Any film you’ve logged or reviewed will be added to your Diary, organized by date and easily navigated with filters. You can also just mark films as watched without logging them to “backfill” your profile.

Feel free to use tags as you would in any other social media, with one notable exception: using the Darth Vader icon on the bottom right to signal that your review contains spoilers. Doing so will obscure your film review from other people so they can hold onto the surprise and suspense until they watch it. If you want to read a review that contains spoilers, tapping on it will reveal it.

Now that you’ve got the hang of it, it’s time to get social. You can follow friends, strangers who share your taste, or even celebrities like Ayo Edebiri. If you want to get followed back, don’t forget to add your top four favorite movies to your profile. This is quintessential Letterboxd and your chance to showcase your taste and film identity.

Follow Letterboxd on Instagram (@letterboxd) to see directors and actors spill their top four on the red carpet.

All members get their very own Watchlist – think of it as your personal cinematic to-do list. It’s perfect for tackling those iconic films that have been on your radar and also keeping track of new releases. Just tap the clock icon to add a film to your Watchlist.
If you’re the kind to categorize, take it one step further by freeing your inner curator and creating themed lists for members to browse.

Once you get into it, try participating in a “Showdown.” Every fortnight, Letterboxd announces a theme and you can submit your List as an answer to their Showdown prompt. Even if your list isn’t chosen as a winner, it’s always fun to check out the chosen movie collections.

Find a fountain of information on festival releases, film analyses, release anniversaries, genre recommendations, and more in the Journal tab. The editorial articles found here are the underrated gem of Letterboxd, keeping you updated on cinema from past and the present.

Letterboxd makes it easy for anyone to take cinema seriously. If you’ve really taken a liking to it, consider a paid subscription for extra benefits. These accounts have no ads and enjoy benefits like extra customization to profiles and personalized stats.