My Letterboxd Top 4

This week I wanted to do something a little different. I want to discuss my top 4 movies* that are featured on my Letterboxd profile. Letterboxd is an social media platform for film discovery and discussion where you can log, rate, and review movies. It also allows you to follow your friends and other users to see what films they’re watching, liking, and discussing. I started using it about two years ago after a coworker recommended it to log the movies I liked and disliked, and now I use it anytime I watch a movie, or am about to watch one to see how others feel about it. Their rating system is technically out of 5, but you can give films 1/2 ratings like 1.5/5 or 3.5/5. I manually chose these 4 films to present on my profile as my personal favorite movies so there is very obvious bias’ involved, but if you want to explore some different movie options here’s my list of favorites!

*This is not in an order of my favorite-least favorite, just how they appear on my Letterboxd profile. I rate all these films a 5/5.

1. Get Out

Pictured: Daniel Kaluuya as Chris Washington and Allison Williams as Rose Armitage (retrieved from IMDB)

Get Out is a psychological thriller directed by Jordan Peele that came out in 2017. It follows the story of Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya), a young African American man who visits his white girlfriend’s family estate, where things quickly take a sinister turn. Chris discovers disturbing secrets about the family and finds himself trapped in a horrifying situation. It is the first “horror” movie I ever watched by myself and it’s still my favorite. There is really no way of anticipating where the plot where go next and it had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Everything about it is so perfect.

2. Gifted

Pictured: Chris Evans as Frank Adler and Mckenna Grace as Mary Adler (retrieved from Just Jared)

Gifted is a 2017 drama film directed by Marc Webb. The story revolves around Frank Adler (Chris Evans), a single man raising his niece, Mary (Mckenna Grace), who is a child prodigy. Frank wants Mary to have a normal childhood despite her exceptional mathematical abilities, but their lives become complicated when Frank’s mother intervenes, wanting Mary to be placed in a more academically focused environment. It is such a heartwarming and heartbreaking movie all in one. I rewatch it all the time and it never gets boring. The acting is fantastic and everyone totally pulls their weight.

3. Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Pictured: Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman and Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen (retrieved from IMDB)

Catching Fire is the 2013 sequel to the The Hunger Games (2012), based on the novel by Suzanne Collins directed by Frances Lawrence. The story picks up after Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark’s (Josh Hutcherson) victory in the 74th Hunger Games. As they embark on the Victors’ Tour, unrest begins to simmer in the districts, fueled by Katniss and Peeta’s defiance against the Capitol during their first games. To quell the uprising, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) announces that the 75th Hunger Games, known as the Quarter Quell, will only be reaping previous victors’ as the tributes. Katniss and Peeta are once again thrust into the arena, facing new challenges and alliances while navigating the politics of the Capitol to save themselves and their families. If you were to ask me my all time favorite film I would say Catching Fire. Not only is it the best sequel I have ever seen, but the rewatchability is amazing. I wasn’t a huge Hunger Games fan until seeing this movie in theaters, everything about it is perfection in my opinion.

4. Sound of Music

Pictured (L-R): Charmian Carr as Liesl von Trapp, Heather Menzies as Louisa von Trapp, Kym Karath as Gretl von Trapp, Nicholas Hammond as Friedrich von Trapp, Julie Andrews as Maria, Debbie Turner as Marta von Trapp, Duane Chase as Kurt von Trapp, and Angela Cartwright as Brigitta von Trapp (retrieved from IMDB)

The Sound of Music is a beloved 1965 musical film directed by Robert Wise, based on the stage musical of the same name by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Set in Austria during the 1930s, the story follows Maria (Julie Andrews), a young woman who becomes a governess for the seven children of Captain Georg Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), a widowed naval officer. Initially clashing with the strict captain and his disciplined household, Maria’s warmth and love for music gradually win over both the children and their father. As their bond strengthens, Maria and the Von Trapp family face the looming threat of the Nazi regime, leading to a decision to flee their homeland in pursuit of freedom. On my Letterboxd profile it technically doesn’t show on my account (I will explain in the next paragraph), but if I had to choose to showcase a 4th FILM it would be this one. I watched this film at least 100 times as a kid and was definitely my favorite movie for a long time. It’s just a classic and I think everyone should see it at least once in their lives.

Honorable mention: The Haunting of Hill House

Pictured (L-R): Mckenna Grace as Young Theo Crain, Lulu Wilson as Young Shirley Crain, Paxton Singleton as Young Steven Crain, Violet McGraw as Young Nellie Crain, Julian Hilliard as Young Luke Crain, and Henry Thomas as Hugh Crain (retrieved from IMDB)

The Haunting of Hill House is a 2018 horror drama television series created by Mike Flanagan, loosely based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Shirley Jackson. The story follows the Crain family, who, as children, briefly lived in Hill House, a mysterious mansion that has a dark and haunted history. Decades later, the siblings are still grappling with the trauma of their time at Hill House and the tragic events that unfolded there. When they reunite as adults after a family tragedy, they are forced to confront their past and the supernatural forces that continue to haunt them. As they delve deeper into the secrets of Hill House, they uncover dark truths about their family and the malevolent forces that reside within the mansion’s walls. Technically this is my 4th favorite on my profile, but it’s sort of cheating because it is a limited series not a movie. So, for this list I made it an honorable mention. It’s my favorite TV show of all time. It makes you go through so many emotions and has the best plot twists I have ever seen. Plus there’s only one season with 10 episodes so it’s a pretty quick watch. I always recommend this show to anyone who likes spooky stuff or wants to have their mind blown.

If you wanted to follow my Letterboxd account, feel free! I don’t review a lot of movies, but I always log the movies I am watching and rate them.