For many students at Lake Forest High School, the movie ends right as the credits roll. But for a select few, the phones fly out, and within seconds the film is logged, rated, and sometimes even reviewed on Letterboxd, a social media platform dedicated entirely to movies.
Letterboxd allows users to track every film they watch, rate it one through five, write reviews, and build their own personal profile and watchlist. The platform has grown rapidly among movie lovers young and old, especially attracting people who want to keep track of what they’ve seen while discovering new films along the way.
For LFHS junior Maxim Cusack, the app has become a regular part of his weekly routine.
“Before I had Letterboxd, I definitely didn’t watch as many movies,” Cusack said. “Now that I can track everything I watch, rate them, and look at other people’s movie portfolios, I watch a lot more. I try to watch three or four movies a week now, so it’s really become part of my routine.”
Part of Letterboxd’s appeal comes from the fact that users can see what others thought about a film compared to their own opinions. Members can browse reviews before and after watching the film with a cool tool that filters out spoiler comments if you find yourself looking at reviews beforehand.
“They have really cool features where reviews with spoilers get blurred out,” Cusack said. “I’ll look at reviews sometimes just to see what others are thinking and set my expectations for the film.”
The social part of the platform is also a major reason people are turning to Letterboxd. Instead of relying on professional critics, Letterboxd includes reviews from your every day people.
LFHS senior Ford Davie said the community element has encouraged him to watch more movies than he did before.
“Sometimes I’ll see reviews on Letterboxd that make me interested in a movie, so ill go check it out,” Davie said. “I also like talking about movies with other people on the app and seeing what they think. Being a part of that movie–reviewing community definitely makes me watch more films.”
While some argue that rating systems like this can reduce movies to simple scores, others believe that Letterboxd adds discussion rather than limiting it.
“I don’t think it’s ruining movies,” Cusack said. “Theres a big clash of different opinions. Some people may hate a movie while others love it for different reasons.”
Davie agrees with this sentiment, and he believes that other sites do a worse job at representing a film’s rating.
“I wouldn’t say Letterboxd ruins movies. Rotten Tomatoes does that way more,” Davie said. “People judge a movie based on its Rotten Tomatoes, but that number just means the percentage of professional critics that liked it. Letterboxd is better because its critics and regular people sharing their opinions.”
Beyond ratings and reviews, Letterboxd profiles often reveal something about the person behind them. Each user’s page highlights their top 4 favorite movies and their watch history.
Cusack explained how his profile reflects his taste for older cinematics and visual storytelling.
“If someone looked at my profile, they’d probably notice that I watch more classic or older movies,” Cusack said. “Im really interested in the cinematography of films, sometimes even more than the plot itself.”
Davies’ page, on the other hand, shows a wide range of genres and personal favorites. His top four films include the christmas classic It’s a wonderful life, the romantic comedy Love Actually, the blockbuster Spider–Man: No Way Home, and the classic favorite Dazed and Confused.
“People might be surprised by some of the movies I like,” Davie said. “But I enjoy trying a bunch of different genres and seeing what’s out there.”
As movie culture continues to grow online, platforms like Letterboxd are continuing to change how audiences interact with the films they watch. Instead of just simply watching a movie and leaving it behind forever, users are able to log their thoughts, discover recommendations, and join the larger conversation behind movies.
For students at LFHS, that means the movie experience doesn’t stop when the credits roll–it continues with the next rating, review, and recommendation.
