Hello, Letterboxd

I've been struggling over whether or not to write this post for a little while now. Part of me wants the world to hear about my latest discovery so it can become a truly spectacular film community. The other part is fearful of the inevitable effects an influx of the dreaded Internet youth will bring out. I'm directly referring to the fateful day when Twilights average rating of two stars shoots up to and average rating of five stars. Chilling, isn't it?

Nonetheless, here I go. Letterboxd.

Letterboxd is possibly one of the most exciting and enjoyable websites I've stumbled upon in recent times. At its core, the website is a film database which allows users keep track of ever film they have ever seen. What makes Letterboxd even more enjoyable though is the numerous functions it has on offer. You can not only log a film that you have seen, you can rate it, like it, review it and input the date that you watched it in order to build up a film diary.

As much as I love the concept of having a single spot where I can keep track of ever film I've watched, the community aspects of the site truly elevate it. Being able to view every film a friend has watched means that you are instantly able to get a verdict on a film you've wanted to see from someone you trust, as well as the competitive aspect of seeing who among your friend group has watched the most films.

The site offers of plenty of other features, such as the ability to build a Watchlist (long gone are the days of forgetting what the film you wanted to see was called, now you can add it to your Watchlist instantly). Users can also compile lists of favourite films, least favourites or of any other topic they can come up with. The homepage is also constantly updating with currently popular films, friends recent veiwings and an assortment of recent reviews, so you will be exposed to an array of new titles almost every time you check the site.

I genuinely love this website, and cannot be happier to have stumbled upon it through dumb-luck on Twitter. As a film student this site obviously carries immediate pros for myself, but I know it is a website any film lover can gain something from. The site is currently in its beta stage and by the looks of their Twitter account the team are thankfully working on a phone app.

I would recommend this website to absolutely anyone with a passion for film, there is just so much to gain from it, especially the incredible moment when you remember an obscure film you watched five years ago that you can add to your films.

You can check out my Letterboxd profile here.