Letterboxd made its first appearance in 2011 by co-founders Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow. Together with an eye-catching UI design, the ability to browse, review, and keep track of various films has attracted many users to the platform for years.

There are plenty of options displayed with one simple click into the app. Similar to a majority of social media websites, Letterboxd contains a home, search, activity, and profile tab, all of which are easily accessible. Most notable of these features would be the search tab; users are able to browse through a category of their liking, whether it be by the ‘most popular’ or ‘highest rated’ films. The various and endless amount of cinema these categories expose to its users has expanded, as well as refined, the tastes of many.

Of course, the ever-changing opinions of audiences bring us to an exciting aspect of the platform: reviews. Each film showcases its overall rating from its viewers along with a count of how many reviews have been made so far. People who are curious about the public opinion are given the opportunity to read an abundance of honest reviews and, additionally, make one of their own. Leaning into its social media traits, Letterboxd has also made it possible to engage and develop a bond with others by liking or replying to their reviews.

In my personal experience, Letterboxd has been an entertaining platform for all things cinema-related. Adding films to my watchlist and browsing through reviews during my moments of free time have deepened my connection to–and interest for–the film industry.

Letterboxd has steadily developed a unique community on its platform while simultaneously expanding the tastes and critic reception of its users overtime. If you’re looking for something to watch, people to engage with, or a place to let out your feelings on a movie, I highly recommend this app!

Related

‘Thalavan’, directed by Jis Joy and starring Biju Menon and Asif Ali, has hit theatres today, delivering an entertaining investigative thriller. Recently, Malayalam cinema has seen an influx of police-themed movies, raising the question of what ‘Thalavan’ has to offer. Biju Menon’s last release, ‘Thundu’, another police movie, received a lukewarm response at the box office, so audiences were curious about ‘Thalavan’. This film is well-crafted and contains enough substance to be considered a solid investigative story.

The story revolves around two police officers, Jayashankar (Biju Menon) and Karthik (Asif Ali), and how one becomes a suspect in a murder case. While the movie may not be excessively gripping, it certainly manages to capture your attention. From the outset, the film dives into the investigative phase, immediately hooking you to the story. There is also an ongoing ego clash between the two officers, though this subplot doesn’t significantly impact the main story.

2/5 stars

Mere months after Hollywood’s actors and writers reached an agreement with studios to protect their likenesses and creative output, it appears Netflix is already doubling down on its advocacy of artificial intelligence.

It is set in a near future when Earth is at the mercy of the world’s first “AI terrorist”. Lopez’s jaded heroine must overcome her distrust of technology and put her life in the hands of a sentient machine to save the planet from Armageddon.

Atlas adopts a decidedly more positive stance, suggesting that humanity’s continued survival relies on achieving synergy between man and machine.

As in that film, a female protagonist with prior experience of a non-human threat accompanies a squad of heavily armed marines on an off-world combat mission.

Rather than extraterrestrial xenomorphs, the antagonist is rogue android Harlan (Liu), who has vowed to stop humanity destroying the Earth by any means at his disposable. When the rest of the squad is wiped out upon arrival, it falls to Lopez’s data analyst Atlas Shepherd to take up arms herself.

Her survival relies upon forming a successful neural link with an AI-powered mech suit named Smith (voiced by Gregory James Cohan), something she is initially loath to do because of her innate distrust of technology – the result of a tragedy from her past.

Lopez has built a career playing mature, feisty women navigating a male-dominated world, and is absolutely in her element here.

Despite appearances from Sterling K. Brown and Mark Strong in supporting roles, it is Shepherd’s frosty banter with Smith that provides the film’s strongest relationship in an otherwise effects-heavy, overlong action thriller offering few surprises.

One could argue that the film is allegorical, addressing society’s attitudes towards any number of marginalised demographics.

At a time when AI is becoming frighteningly ubiquitous in daily life, however, Atlas perhaps should be taken at face value, while its overwhelmingly positive stance is cause for genuine concern.

Atlas is streaming on Netflix.