Make movie reviews fun again

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Letterboxd is a unique social media app that allows film lovers of all kinds to rate and review movies.

Being a film lover can come in many shapes and sizes in modern society. Whether someone watches one to two movies a month or around one to two movies daily, the term “film lover” is self-proclaimed by both. The two ends of this spectrum should receive the same respect, but often, this is not the case. 

While the film community is full of welcoming people with encouraging words, some cinephiles actively engage in gatekeeping and believe there are requirements to be a part of the film-loving community. I think this trend needs to be shut down, and members of society should be free to share their love of movies without any backlash. 

Those who enjoy watching and rating movies might know of a platform called Letterboxd. This app allows users to review movies on a five-star scale, include comments explaining why they rated them as they did, and categorize the movies under custom tags. 

Letterboxd is unique because users can follow others on the platform and even “like” another user's review. Due to its unique usage, this has created a social media platform within the app without the pressure of other social media forms. 

I started using Letterboxd in my freshman year of college, so I acknowledge that many users have been on the app longer than me; but ever since creating my profile, I have greatly enjoyed logging my movies with friends, family, and myself. 

Some movies warrant a high rating because of the cinematography or the actors, but I give movies five stars when I simply have fun watching them. If a movie made me laugh, even if it was because the plot was atrociously bad, it gets a good review from me.

I often find myself enjoying media that I can relate to in several different ways. Because of this, I often enjoy movies where I can see myself in a character in some way. I do not care if everyone thinks the movie is terrible. I will give it five stars. 

I immensely enjoy feeling nostalgic about movies. This nostalgia often arises when I rewatch a movie from my childhood that I watched with family or even by myself. “Kids” movies can still have such deep meaning and intense plots that I will always give them five stars.

A prime example of what I am talking about can be seen with the popular movie franchise The Muppets. My Letterboxd is littered with five-star reviews from various Muppet movies, both old and new. Many people think the recent spin-offs have lost their spark, but not in my book. 

I enjoy so many other examples of movies and have given five stars that others may scoff at. This entire article is an elaborate way to say this: watching movies is supposed to be fun! Of course, some movies are made to provoke different emotions, but so many are just plain silly. 

Media options in society are now absolutely endless, and every person has their individual opinion. You should never feel embarrassed for liking a specific movie, song, or any other form of media. Love whatever media makes you feel good about yourself or life, and give that movie five stars!