I recently became a Film, Television and Interactive Media minor, which means people have to start taking my movie opinions seriously—since they now qualify as an “academic pursuit of knowledge and expertise.” Inversely, I also feel compelled to check on my friends and their movie standards and have realized there is a lot to judge …
I only started using Letterboxd a few months ago after hearing about the app for several months prior from other “cineophiles.” For those who have never used the app or were just as intimidated as I was at the time by the concept of remembering my opinions on every film I’ve ever watched, it’s actually more fun than you would think. The U.I. of the app makes it really easy to get through many movies at once through their Tinder-esque swiping feature, where you can swipe through the most popular movies on the app and quickly add your thoughts. I personally have yet to leave public comments on the films I rate, but I always make sure to add stars and add movies I’m interested in to the “watchlist.” The watchlist has come in handy when I sit down to watch a movie and can’t decide what I’m in the mood for. You can use that swiping feature for your own list as well, making it easy to find a movie you are excited about in the moment. I have even gone so far as to make my own themed movie lists, such as my favorite European travel romance movies, such as “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” “Chasing Liberty,” “Mama Mia” and “Letters to Juliette,” just to name a few. For the movie lovers triggered by the fact that I haven’t included “Before Sunrise” in that list, I haven’t watched it yet; I’ll get to it!
Now that you know roughly how the app works on the individual level, we can get to the real kicker—you can follow your friends and see what movies they have recently watched and rated. You can see how this might stir up some trouble. First, let me tell you the positives of this feature: I’ve learned that my friends watch a lot of movies that I would never have guessed they were interested in. For example, I have one friend who watches very psychological movies, and not only was I surprised, but I’ve even added movies to my watchlist based on her ratings. I have another who has been delving into classic animated movies and seeing some of my childhood favorites, or nightmares, appear on my friends’ list has been an amusing experience.
So, the bad part, some of their rankings suck.
The biggest problem with seeing other people’s rankings on this app, in general, is that you don’t know how they view the star system. By what paradigm do they assess each star? Is one star simply bad or unwatchable? Is three stars a good movie or an average movie? Do five stars mean you would watch this movie every day for the rest of your life, or that you liked the cinematography and artistry, but the plot was not your usual taste? For example, one friend (who is probably reading this right now) gave “She’s the Man” (a classic rom-com with Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum, where she dresses like a man to join the boys’ soccer team) half a star. HALF! This is a classic! Sure, it’s not a cinematic masterpiece and the acting is pretty subpar, but that’s not the point! It’s fun, it’s an adventure, it’s Channing Tatum in his prime physique-wise! So, if you couldn’t tell, I’m hurt.
This leads me to what may be the most educational part of this article: decide what your star system is, and stick with it. At least then you can better explain why you gave HALF A STAR to “She’s the Man” but “Anyone but You” TWO STARS. And for all you KPOP Demon Hunters Fans—they gave it a star and a half … I rest my case. My system is as follows:
Anything below one star: Unwatchable, I wish I could get those hours back. This should never have been made.
One star: I may have laughed once or twice, but I wouldn’t recommend it and wouldn’t want to watch it again.
Two stars: It was a below-average movie that had some great moments or actors that carried most of the weight. And at least a few good moments.
Three stars: It was a good movie, I liked it, and I would watch it again if I were in the mood for that specific movie.
Three and a half stars: I really liked it, might recommend it to the right person, didn’t think it had anything super special about it.
Four stars: It was a good quality movie with great acting, plot or soundtrack. I would re-watch it and recommend it.
Five stars: One of my new favorite movies. It has merit in the realms of cinematography, script, messaging, impact and innovation. The main point it hits is that it stuck with me past the actual watching of the movie.
Long story short, I like Letterboxd, but friend people wisely—the term “friends list” can easily turn to “hit list” with the push of a button.
