Letterboxd: The Gen Z “Film”omenon

Reported By: Benny Schorie

Illustrated By: Addie Patterson

Launched in 2011, Letterboxd describes itself as “a global social network for grass-roots film discussion and discovery” and a social media platform for recording and sharing a user’s recent and favorite movies. Users rate and review movies for their friends and the public to see while discovering new flicks to watch.

Initially, Letterboxd attracted cinephiles and critics, but as the movie industry buckled under the pressure of COVID lockdowns, Letterboxd thrived, and according to one of the founders, Matthew Buchanan, it amassed over 10 million members by 2023. The combination of social media and movie reviewing proved to be the secret sauce for attracting Gen Z to the site. Half of Letterboxd’s users are under 35, and half of that group is between 18 and 24 years old.

The pandemic drummed up a love for movies as a form of connection in younger generations, and Letterboxd seized the opportunity by marketing directly to that audience. According to Variety Magazine, Letterboxd started hiring younger film journalists to guide the site’s promotions by interviewing and screening Gen Z’s favorite filmmakers. Red carpet interviewers even ask celebrities about their “four,” a favorite film feature on the site. 

Thanks to Letterboxd, Gen Z’s taste in films has evolved to appreciate twentieth-century classics and their directors. However, this has created pretentiousness in young people as they attempt to gatekeep their favorite movies and even Letterboxd itself.

In late 2023, Letterboxd announced that it planned to add a TV ranking feature in 2024. This was already the most downvoted item on their feedback site and caused a massive uproar on X and Reddit. Users worried about the site becoming cluttered, harder to use, and unspecialized.

  The media and the internet have played a large part in contributing to Gen Z’s identity. Mainstream media, however, no longer appeals to Gen Z. In a survey by Horizon Media, 91% of 18 to 25-year-olds felt that mainstream culture was obsolete, and subcultures were more relevant. Letterboxd and its cinephiles are one of those subcultures. In the age of information, Gen Zers feel more relevant when they can be part of an “in crowd” and are ahead of trends. Being cool isn’t a politic of inclusion; it’s one of exclusivity and gatekeeping.

  In its current state, Letterboxd represents prominent Gen Z traits. You can curate a taste profile to prove your coolness, and it’s a small, niche community that harkens back to the wild, free days of the internet. By expanding its platform, Letterboxd risks its obscure internet culture status and what its users love about it: only “cool people” with good taste can use it.