Letterboxd is the social network that turned watching movies into a community experience. Founded in 2011 by Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow in Auckland, New Zealand, the platform lets users log films they’ve watched, rate them, write reviews, create lists, and follow other film enthusiasts.
The app saw explosive growth during the pandemic when people were watching more movies at home and wanted to share their experiences. Active users grew from around 3 million in 2020 to over 15 million by 2024. The growth hasn’t slowed — Letterboxd has become the default platform for movie conversation, especially among younger film fans.
What makes Letterboxd work is its simplicity and focus. You log a film, give it a star rating (half-stars included), optionally write a review, and it goes on your diary. That’s the core loop. Lists add a creative dimension — “Best Films of 2024,” “Movies Where the Dog Doesn’t Die,” “Every Film Shot in New Zealand” — and they’re endlessly browsable.
The community aspect is what keeps people coming back. Reviews range from serious film criticism to hilarious one-liners, and the most popular reviewers have built substantial followings. The platform has become culturally influential — studios and distributors pay attention to Letterboxd ratings and buzz, and it’s become a marketing tool for indie and arthouse films.
Letterboxd’s business model relies on Patron and Pro subscriptions ($19.99/year and $49.99/year respectively), which offer features like filtering by streaming service, activity stats, and custom posters. The platform doesn’t show ads in the traditional sense, though it does run sponsored content from film distributors.
The company was acquired by Tiny, a Canadian holding company, in 2023. The team remains small — under 30 people — but the product’s influence on film culture is outsized. Letterboxd has succeeded by doing one thing well and building a passionate community around it, proving that niche social networks can thrive when the execution is right.
