Letterboxd is the new movie review website that Gen Z loves to leave scathing reviews on Mean Girls and Saltburn (and even Martin Scorsese is a fan!)
Over the past decade, Rotten Tomatoes has emerged as one of the most respected movie review websites, with millions of users each year.
But it appears this digital heavyweight is facing some competition from a rival platform that is gaining cult status among Generation Z.
Letterboxd describes itself as the “social network for movie lovers” in the way it allows users to document all their favorite films and share candid, snappy reviews.
Like GoodReads and X, formerly known as Twitter, Letterboxd users can gain followers and also collect likes for their reviews.
The website was first founded by app developers Karl von Randow and Matthew Buchanan, both from Auckland, New Zealand, in 2011.
Pictured: Actor Jacob Elordi stars in Emerald Fennell's favorite film Saltburn, also starring Barry Keoghan and Rosamund Pike
A Letterboxd user recently joked, “A movie about how Jacob Elordi is just so freaking hot that his mere existence is enough to make anyone legally insane.”
Since then, Letterboxd has attracted around 10 million users, including legendary director Martin Scorsese and The Bear actress Ayo Edebiri.
Although the website was originally developed for movie buffs to share their criticisms and recommendations, it has also proven to be a hit with Gen Z, who prefer to leave comedic one-line summaries of current releases.
According to Mia markethalf of the platform's users are under the age of 35 – and usually between 16 and 24 years old.
Describing Emerald Fennell's hit film Saltburn, one user joked: 'A film about how [actor] Jacob Elordi is just so freaking hot that his mere existence is enough to make anyone legally insane.”
Referring to one of the film's most infamous scenes, another added: “Does for bathtubs what Call Me By Your Name did for peaches.”
This scene also prompted Ayo Edebiri to hint at a possible plot, writing, “My husband does all this but can't eat liquid eggs?”
Meanwhile, a third wrote: 'Felix makes Saltburn walk around like he's in 73 Questions with Vogue…'
Additionally, the recent re-release of Mean Girls – which divided critics – has also been the subject of lighthearted discussion on Letterboxd.
Pictured: Renee Rapp plays Regina George in the 2024 remake of the hit 1990s film Mean Girls
Although the website was originally developed for movie buffs to share their criticisms and recommendations, it has also proven to be a hit with Gen Z, who prefer to leave comedic one-line summaries of current releases.
One of the brands featured in the film jokingly highlighted, “There was so much product placement that this movie could probably be made for free.”
Another quoted one of the most famous lines, adding, “Stop trying to live up to Gen Z Mean Girls! It's never going to happen!'
“This is getting out of hand,” said a third. 'NOT EVERY FILM NEEDS A REMAKE, for God's sake leave the classics alone.'
Additionally, Poor Things – starring Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo – has sparked some comedic reactions, with one calling it “the Barbie movie for mentally ill people.”
Emma Stone plays Bella Baxter in the new film Poor Things about a woman who is brought back to life
Fans of the film joked that Poor Things is like the “Barbie movie for mentally ill people” and sometimes warned about its graphic nature
Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla and Jacob Elordi as Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola's new film Priscilla
The new Sofia Coppola film Priscilla received high praise on the website Letterboxd
The critically acclaimed film is about a woman named Bella who is brought back to life and runs off with a lawyer to explore the new world.
One viewer wrote: 'The people who don't like sex in movies are going to have an aneurysm when they see this.'
Along the same lines, another joked, “I saw this with my mom….”
Referring to a famous scene from the Twilight franchise, a third said: “Bella, where the hell have you been, loca?”
Killers of the Flower Moon director Martin Scorsese posted on Instagram three months ago calling on fans to follow him on Letterboxd
Ayo Edebiri, winner of the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series award for “The Bear,” poses in the press room during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards earlier this month
Last year, The Bear actress Ayo Edebiri shared a favorable review of the moving love story Past Lives
The new Sofia Coppola film Priscilla received a lot of praise on the website.
Comparing it to the recent Barbie movie, someone said: 'She's everything, he's just Elvis.'
“It made me want a man and never want to see one again for the rest of my life.”
Director Marin Scorsese is one of the most high-profile users of the website, with a whopping 330,000 followers.
In November 2023, the director of Killers of the Flower Moon created a list of 'Companion Films' – featuring films that share similar themes and inspirations.
Last year, The Bear actress Ayo Edebiri shared a favorable review of the moving love story Past Lives.
She wrote: 'You know when a movie is made in such a way that you feel like you're being torn into a million pieces, but that feeling alone makes you feel like a complete person and then you get to drive home alone and have to cry at Radiohead?
'Yes 🙂 yes, one like that for little Edebiri (me!)'
The actress has 263,000 followers and counts Notting Hill, Babe, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Phantom Thread among her favorite films.
The platform is called Letterboxd in tribute to the founders' love for widescreen films.
Letterboxing transfers a widescreen movie to standard-width video formats while maintaining its original aspect ratio.