From 1.8 million users in 2020 to 20 million users as of September this year, Letterboxd, a New Zealand-based app designed for film lovers, has experienced massive growth in its audience. Gemma Gracewood, the editor-in-chief of the app, claimed that “A new user joined every five seconds,” in reference to their spike in 2024.
What started as a niche hub for film connoisseurs to leave reviews, log recently viewed films, and check out what their friends watched has turned into an app almost everyone knows about. With TikTok trends of users posting which movies they gave 5 stars, and X users simply posting their Letterboxd usernames, the app has gained a lot of traction—some even saying that the app is like a subreddit for all things film!
The app shines a light on indie, foreign, and animated films that are all waiting to be recognized. It is almost guaranteed that the biggest cinephile you know can open the app and look under the array of films to find at least one they have never heard of. Even Martin Scorsese, a well accoladed director and a notable figure in the New Hollywood Era, updates his Letterboxd profile several times a month. If one of the most famous directors of all time has more to see, so do you.
What most new users don’t know, however, is that Letterboxd can be enjoyed by people who don’t like movies but love a good show. The app carries more than just blockbuster movies. They also have your favorite series! Yes, that one series that you watched, but none of your other friends did, leaving you no one to talk to about what happened in the finale. Well, Letterboxd is sure to have reviews waiting to be read by people who loved the series. And who knows, you might find a friend who watched that show you swore only you knew about.