Twitter, believe it or not, used to be a lively, relatively safe place for filmgoers to engage in spirited conversations about movies.
As the platform has devolved over the past year into an increasingly polarized and toxic forum, Letterboxd has extended a red carpet, luring these communities to its platform where they can find likeminded people with whom they can share what they’ve seen, what they think about it, and what it says about them.
The company, which had begun surging in popularity during the pandemic, has gone from 1.8 million users in March 2020 to more than 10 million today, across 200 countries.
In January 2023, it began making unprecedented moves to offer its movie-loving users an even more enriching experience: A partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has led to a dedicated new Letterboxd channel with exclusive and specially curated Oscar content (including footage from the annual Nominees’ Luncheon, where Academy Award nominees now read from Letterboxd user reviews of their films). A partnership with Netflix that same month now lets Letterboxd users build “watch lists” right on the Letterboxd site.
In September, Canadian holding company Tiny snapped up a 60% majority stake. Currently, the company is valued at more than $50 million, with the founders retaining equity and continuing to lead Letterboxd independently. In December 2023, the company began incorporating movie showtimes, helping users connect with their passion in real life.
According to Letterboxd, review activity is up 71% year over year, and it’s gearing up for further growth in 2024, when it will start letting users review and recommend TV shows.
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